Bouncing speedo needle

[jakobgoodnessgracious]

All right so another thing I've been trying to figure out: My speedo bounces with a range of about 5 mph both ways. So I've seen the suggestions: re-lube the cable and check for kinks. I just went and checked the cable and it looks lubed well from the last time I did it. I attached it to a drill and there's no bouncing with the drill moving (can only get it up to 40mph). A while ago when I changed the tires however I messed up when I put the speedo drive gear back on and rode it for a few miles grinding the metal in it. I fixed it after figuring out my dumbassery there and I though it was fine but now I'm wondering. My only guess right now is that maybe it is somehow operating incorrectly and is the cause of the bounce.

I wanted to ask if anyone knows if this is even a possibility that something like the drive gear could cause 'bouncing' at the speedo.

Thanks for putting up with my ass.

 

[nj1639]

You may have answered your own question! Tested with the drill and it's fine.......I'd suspect the drive gear. Got a spare to try with?

 

[jakobgoodnessgracious]

Nah but I saw a 73 is like 20 bucks on ebay. So after I research it and make sure it will work I may just grab it. Thanks for the reply! I just wasn't sure if it was even possible that the drive gear would just cut out at intervals. I may just buy that 73 drive gear. . .

 

[nj1639]

'73 is about as close to your year as you can get without being dead on. You had mentioned eating up some metal in that drive......if you ground some teeth off the gear then I can imagine it jumping around, makes sense to me.....though I've never tore one of them things apart to see how they work.......

 

[jakobgoodnessgracious]

Okay so I actually opened it up and man I'm bummed. One of the two tabs on the speedo gear clutch was bent to hell though I thought I fixed it the first time. I tried to bend it back but it sheared halfway. I put it back together and left it like that for now. I'm not sure if that's a good idea or bad. I'm not sure if it will hold or not. I couldn't see a clear way to get the clutch out to replace it either. I haven't found any luck with the google either. Has anyone gotten in behind the gear final drive and messed with the bits there? There's a rubber ring, and a few metal rings behind that between which the clutch sits. Ugh!

Update: got lucky and found this link:

Apparently I just pull harder and it all comes out? I put a screwdriver behind the rubber ring and a slinky metal piece pulled up from it so that freaked me out and I didn't keep going. I'm thinking if I just reorder the clutch meter, clutch retainer, and a whole new rubber ring from bike bandit that will help me out and I can fix it.

here's the link: http://www.xjrider.com/viewtopic.php?t=674

 

[nj1639]

That link is for wheel bearings? Not sure what that has to do with the speedo drive, aside from where the two tabs go ....... Don't break anything else....lol

 

[jakobgoodnessgracious]

Haha nj 1639 thanks, just used it as a reference for my problem really.

 

[nj1639]

Phew! That's a relief! I see that the speedo drives changed a bit in how they're secured at the lower stanchion. '73 and '74 appear the same with a single tit, we'll call it. Looks like '75 and newer has a valley, we'll call it, that the single tit on the stanchion goes between.
Found a pic on eBay for a '74.......Won't load for some reason.

 

[jakobgoodnessgracious]

Haha I'm a little lost to be honest. I just noticed though that you're not all that far from me so that's cool!!