Damping fluid for fuel guage

[Bozo]

Whatever you find, be sure to add it here:

http://fjowners.wikidot.com/gauges

Fintip, I lost the plot can you add this last section for me please - John

[baldy3853]

Glad it worked Bozo 

[craigo]

Whatever you find, be sure to add it here:

http://fjowners.wikidot.com/gauges

Hey Fintip, just looked over your wikidot site.
http://fjowners.wikidot.com/start
Nice work!!!

CraigO

[fintip]

Thanks! 

Feel free to add to it, ideally it becomes a community thing eventually more than just a 'me' thing. But for now, it's already been personally very useful. I go through so much information here, this makes it a lot easier to go and find it again later.

Need to go edit that gauges page to include the updated info here! I hope to do this to my own gauges soon, my gauges are a mess... bouncy speedo is the only functioning part of it. Left side dash lights are out, clock isn't keeping time and has some black stop blocking the left part of its visibility, tach just stopped working (will register up to maybe 4k during hard downshifts at times), fuel gauge used to bounce erratically... then it decided it had bounced hard enough and snapped the needle off, hi-beam indicator bulb went out, plastic gauge cover has hairline cracks... 

I'll have a lot to add to the gauges page when I am done.

[Bozo]

Fintip, how do I add to your site?

[fintip]

First, create an account. There's an option to do that at the top right of every page, I think. It's basic normal stuff--username, password, captcha, email. Then it sends a confirmation email. Click a link to verify account. Then go sign in on the site... And voila! Do whatever you want! It's just like wikipedia, basically.

Short version: Go to any page, and click 'edit this page' at the top. Then go in and edit.

More details on how to edit here:

fjowners.wikidot.com/how-to

[scouser]

Just did mine tonight.
The coil was so tightly wound with very little room to move. I managed to seperate the wires just enough to get a 1mm drill bit to clear. Rather than put the bit in a drill and risk hitting the center part and needle pin I just rolled the 1mm bit between my fingers and gently put pressure until I felt it break through. I use the oil from Toyota as advised and picked up a few different needle sizes from a medical supplier. (Free samples when I told them what they were for.) I tried a couple of different size needles untill I found the one that would allow the oil to drip through enough to fill the cavity. Supprisingly some of the needles were so small in relation to the oil viscosity it was very difficult to get them to inject. Then I used a glue gun to seal it back up and went for a test spin.
NO MORE BOUNCE.

[Bozo]

Scouser, great to hear it worked, I checked my modified fuel gauge while doing the Speedo damping oil today and there are no leaks and the gauge works great.
When drilling you can drill through (gently, now is not the time you get the shakes) because inside there is a metal can. On one of my spare fuel gauges the drill hole had some burs which prevented the inner can from moving freely, so I spent a bit of time trying to free it up. The wires are bunched up but if you use a piece of plastic they do push apart.
I also found that unlike before, the bounce had me staring at the gauge most of the time, now I only look at it once in a blue moon.

[iMav]

I have some significant bounce in my fuel gauge, so I ordered some of the referenced oil.  Does anyone know what size needle works best for filling the gauge up?

Is this something that can be done to the speedo gauge as well.  (there is an ever-so-faint bounce on occasion)

What sort of glue (glue gun) are you using to seal the hole up after fill?

[Bozo]

I have some significant bounce in my fuel gauge, so I ordered some of the referenced oil.  Does anyone know what size needle works best for filling the gauge up?

Is this something that can be done to the speedo gauge as well.  (there is an ever-so-faint bounce on occasion)

What sort of glue (glue gun) are you using to seal the hole up after fill?

Welcome iMav, for the fuel guage I actually just used the syringe without the needle (Butted against the hole) and forced the fluid in but I had a second hole for the air to escape. If you have one hole i.e 1mm you need to find a needle that fits in comfortably and allows air to escape.
One word of warning do not damage the wires or remove the varnish (on the wire) with sharp objects push the wires apart with a plastic object or finger nail (or get your wife or girlfriend to do it). The glue is applied with a hot glue gun, I used just a cheap one, with the glue supplied (don't know brand or type of glue stick type), make sure the glue area is free of oil by gently wiping/ brushing with metho or paint degreaser (not thinners/ turps).

I just did my speedo but because it doesn't bounce till around 110kph I can't test it till the weekend. There is a section in "Maintenance" that covers how the fix the speedo bounce.
http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=2596.0

[red]

Just did mine tonight.
I use the oil from Toyota as advised and picked up a few different needle sizes from a medical supplier. (Free samples when I told them what they were for.) I tried a couple of different size needles until I found the one that would allow the oil to drip through enough to fill the cavity. Supprisingly some of the needles were so small in relation to the oil viscosity it was very difficult to get them to inject. Then I used a glue gun to seal it back up and went for a test spin.  NO MORE BOUNCE.

scouser,

+1 one the medical stuff.  Great for needle-point oiling, and for injecting glues into tiny places, or through fabrics for an inside repair. 
Plastic ones are cheap, one-use, disposable.  Break off the metal end, before it goes into the circular file.

[fintip]

Did a big 'gauges' page update:

http://fjowners.wikidot.com/gauges

Still not completely pretty, but it'll get there. Focus is on data first, then formatting/readability second. This was an overhaul mix of both, but it's still not as pretty as, say, the FJ on a Diet page or the Moditus page.

[iMav]

Any quick howto on getting the fuel gauge out?  (online manual)  I have owned my FJ just over a week and have not taken the fairing off at all yet...Would love to know the most efficient manner of getting to the fuel gauge.

[Bozo]

Any quick howto on getting the fuel gauge out?  (online manual)  I have owned my FJ just over a week and have not taken the fairing off at all yet...Would love to know the most efficient manner of getting to the fuel gauge.

Imav, welcome, after having bikes that require 4 screws to remove a fairing etc the FJ1200 was a real culture shock. I'm assuming most FJ fairings are similar (based on 1989 FJ1200).
As you outlined there are manuals on line or fleeby.
If not here goes
Step 1. remove the air scoops on both sides (there are screws underneath these you need to remove for the plastic vents which fit beside the fuel tank).
Step 2 (optional). I found its easier to remove the fuel tank, remove screws holding the tank, shut off the fuel tap and remove hose to fuel pump and the fuel gauge connector, while there check the fuel filter.
Step 3. Remove the two plastic covers that fit on the sides of the tank by removing holding screws- Don't forget the choke knob needs to be removed first.
Step 4. Remove the fairing screen (there are screws under this to remove). Once the screen is removed the gauge plastic cover screws have to be removed. Take the gauge cover off.

By now you are starting to understand why a few dishes for the screws are required until you learn what goes where.
Step 5. There are two screws that hold the gauges to the frame, once these are out remove speedo cable and the two connectors for the gauges.

After the screws are removed from the clear cover (remove with the facia), undo the three screws on the behind the fuel gauge. EASY?
NOTE: when re assembling the clear cover don't over tighten the screws, the cover will crack if over done.

[ribbert]

[
By now you are starting to understand why a few dishes for the screws are required until you learn what goes where.

Cardboard egg cartons. Best system ever invented for keeping track of bits and pieces. Write on them in biro as you place things in it, great for engines too where you have multiples of many things.