o-ring (or other) replacement for 74-75 speedo damper?

Okie, PM me with how many of those screws you need.
Glad this info actually maybe helped someone a little. You beat me to it on the TX500 bracket swap -- I'm soon going to add a couple more posts to this thread on the bracket specifics, and then general swapability, and I think that will cover it.
 
Do you know a source for the small screws that hold the bulb holders in?
I dug a little deeper into this:

DSC02942.jpg

There is a black plastic cover that protects the dash lights and the ignition switch wiring on the 1974-75 gauge cluster. This cover is held on by four M4 screws.
Underneath are an upper and a lower rubber block that the dash lights plug in to. Each rubber block is held on by two screws (red circle).

DSC02943.jpg

There is a spacer in each rubber block mounting hole.

DSC02946.jpg

Top: stock screws and spacers. The screw is a M4 x 0.5 by 10mm long. The size and pitch is the same as the carburetor throttle plate screws, but the length and head is different.
Bottom: screws that I bought from McMaster-Carr, part # 92005A120, $2.68 for a pack of 100. There were many choices, but I liked these because they were cheap. You could pay more for stainless, etc. You can also pay more for screws with captive lock washers. You can even buy JIS screws -- they have a smaller diameter head like the originals. But the big diameter head of these screws means that you don't need to fool with washers -- their 6mm diameter head is slightly bigger than the stock captive washer. I intend to use these with a drop of Loc-Tite instead of a washer or lock washer.
Bottom: spacers that I bought from McMastr-Carr, part # 90176A104, $2.15 for a pack of 25. Again, there were many different materials to choose from, but I liked these black nylon ones because they were cheap. They are actually English-sized rather than metric, but their length and I.D. is very nearly identical to stock. However the O.D. is considerably bigger.

DSC02947.jpg

McMaster-Carr spacers in rubber blocks. The rubber will easily accommodate the larger O.D. of the black nylon spacers. The larger O.D. might even be an advantage when used on rubber blocks with damaged mounting holes such as the one on the right.

I now have a lifetime supply of these screws and spacers. If anyone else would like some, PM me.
 
As you're probably aware, when you see a dot stamped on the head of a Phillips screw like the originals have, that indicates it's the J.I.S. type.
 
No, I did not know that's what the stamped dot means. Interesting, and good to know.
Have you ever bought new JIS screws from McMaster-Carr? The technical drawings do not show a dot, and I suspect that they do not have a dot.
 
Yes, I have and no, they do not have the dot. They are made in Taiwan and I'm thinking maybe the dot was something done only by the original Japanese screw manufacturers.

As you noted in your application here, a larger normal sized head works fine, maybe better. That's not always the case. The J.I.S. screws I got are the various lengths needed for clamping the switch assemblies to the bars. The heads are inset into cut-outs in the housings and normal sized Phillips heads won't fit into them. You need a J.I.S. screw. Many of the originals I run across are all buggered up, some to the point they can't be tightened or loosened very well anymore. Obviously that came from using American screwdrivers on them over the years.
 
The J.I.S. screws I got are the various lengths needed for clamping the switch assemblies to the bars. The heads are inset into cut-outs in the housings and normal sized Phillips heads won't fit into them.
Yes, I have run into this problem. My solution was to buy socket head cap screws (hex-key head screws), which have a smaller head diameter than Phillips-head screws. But your solution is much better. At the time, I knew what JIS screwdrivers were, but I wasn't aware that you could easily buy JIS screws with their smaller heads.
 
Yes, Allen heads will work, but a Phillips is more correct. And they will last pretty much forever if you use the proper screwdriver on them.
 
I thought I saw new replacement gauge dampers for sale but i must have been dreaming. I can't find the web site now that I want to do the work. Thanks for all the suggestions and the No-Hub coupling solution looks good. I may try some closed cell neoprene foam (like the yoga mat material) for a softer fit and soup can die to make the cuts. I'll post the results, good, bad or ugly.

My gauge face plate has a lot of key wear. Does anyone know of a source for refurbished or replacement ones?
 
I thought I saw new replacement gauge dampers for sale but i must have been dreaming. I can't find the web site now that I want to do the work. Thanks for all the suggestions and the No-Hub coupling solution looks good. I may try some closed cell neoprene foam (like the yoga mat material) for a softer fit and soup can die to make the cuts. I'll post the results, good, bad or ugly.

My gauge face plate has a lot of key wear. Does anyone know of a source for refurbished or replacement ones?
I bought oem foam dampers for my '81 around 2013. I was breaking needles off instruments left and right from them swinging, decided to replace the foam when I replaced the instruments. Haven't had one break since, and no swinging. Was worth the $20

https://www.babbittsonline.com/oemparts/a/yam/5004209ff8700209bc786f1f/speedometer-tachometer
 
Looks like the 1975 XS650 is the odd ball that has a different damper part number. It looks identical except for the alignment notches. I think it's worth a try to see if the 3H3-83513-00-00 that fits the 1974 through 1983 XS650 can be modified to fit the 1975 before I invest time and $ in making my own. Thanks again.
 
Some of this dogbunny has already covered........just an add on

Red arrow on the damper shows a grove and 2nd red arrow points to the area on the Gauge housing where there is a Protrusion that slots into the groove........This helps to stops the gauge rubber from rotating in the bracket.

Blue arrows indicate the grove in the rubber and protrusion on the bracket the rubber slots onto

Green arrows show the clips on the cups and where they slot onto the bracket to stop the gauge from rotating.......most times the clips are broken. Probably from over tightening the cups when the rubber starts to loose its strength and the pic shows what the condition is usually like. They all seem to have failed from heat, maybe the vibration has caused this.

If the cup clips are broken they need to be replaced some how. these 2 are the only things from stopping the gauge from rotating in the bracket even if the dampers are replaced.

Shoped Text 74 TXA-75XSB Parts manual122 copy.jpgText Shop  P1000686 copy.jpg Text P1000688.jpg.jpg
 
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Looks like the 1975 XS650 is the odd ball that has a different damper part number. It looks identical except for the alignment notches. I think it's worth a try to see if the 3H3-83513-00-00 that fits the 1974 through 1983 XS650 can be modified to fit the 1975 before I invest time and $ in making my own. Thanks again.
Let's see if I can discourage you from trying to use 3H3-83513.
There are a small handful of replacement parts that I keep on hand at all times, and 3H3-83513 is one of them. If you go back to post #8 in this thread, second pic, you will see that you need to fill a 16mm gap. Add a couple of millimeters for "squish," and you come up with the 18mm width that I used when I made mine. Just look at Skull's pic in the post above showing an old damper to see wide they are. 3H3-83513 is only 14MM wide. There is no way that it wouldn't result in a sloppy meter -- that's if you could even force it into the dash bracket recess -- it is a considerably larger diameter.
On top of that, they are more than $20 each, plus shipping, and you need two.
The Fernco fitting that I used is less than $5, and you can make both dampers out of it. Lowe's will ship it if need be. Get a nice new razor knife blade, and you should be able to make both dampers in about 10 minutes.
 
View attachment 120086
I am trying to find a workable replacement for parts 7 and 14 in the diagram. These rubber dampers are absolutely unobtainable new or used, but are critical to keeping the gauges secure.
My thought is that there must be an off-the-shelf o-ring out there that would substitute. Maybe 3 or 4 stacked o-rings.
View attachment 120087
Maybe a square or quad ring.
My problem is that I don't know what size to look for. Does anyone by any chance have an original damper that they can measure, or know what the size is? Or does anyone have another solution? Doubtless there have been other threads on this subject, but I couldn't find them. Thanks.
They can be found.Check eprey with the stock part number. Also go to your local dealer and if they go online they can tell you of any dealership that lists the part as in stock.That can be a fun call, I have gotten some NOS parts well discounted due to them getting rid of dead stock.
 
Dog Bunny,
Yes, you talked me out of buying the wrong part. Excellent diagrams 650 Skull. Thanks all. I'm on to your No-Hub coupling method.
 
TwoMany, thank you for those links. I knew there had to be some threads on this. However, the rubbers from those Lowe's flexible PVC couplings looked really promising to me, so I continued down that route:

View attachment 120150
Here's the rubber from this one:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fernco-3-in-x-3-38-in-dia-Flexible-PVC-Coupling-Fittings/1000075375
The rubber on the other one is too thick, and will be going back to Lowe's.
I wrapped a strip of 18mm masking tape around it as a cutting guide.

View attachment 120151
I put the rubber sleeve on the gauge for support, and cut my damper piece from the sleeve. The 18mm damper fills a 16mm gap, so there will be 2mm of "squish." It turned out to not quite work out that way, but I still like making the damper 18mm wide.

View attachment 120153
So, I gave this very simple damper version a try, but assembly got hung up by the raised inner rib in the dash bracket.

View attachment 120152
I decided to try splitting the damper in two, with one piece above, and one piece below the raised dash bracket rib. I turned version one of the damper inside out and slid it back on the gauge for support. There are raised rings on the rubber sleeve -- I used one as a guide for splitting my damper.

View attachment 120154
Here is my finished damper. One piece is 6mm wide, the other is 12mm.

View attachment 120155
And here is the assembled gauge.

View attachment 120156
Does it "dampen" exactly like the original? Probably not. But it does look great, and there is zero meter slop. The Lowe's flexible PVC coupling cost $4.86, and one coupling is enough to do both gauges.
 
TwoMany, thank you for those links. I knew there had to be some threads on this. However, the rubbers from those Lowe's flexible PVC couplings looked really promising to me, so I continued down that route:

View attachment 120150
Here's the rubber from this one:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fernco-3-in-x-3-38-in-dia-Flexible-PVC-Coupling-Fittings/1000075375
The rubber on the other one is too thick, and will be going back to Lowe's.
I wrapped a strip of 18mm masking tape around it as a cutting guide.

View attachment 120151
I put the rubber sleeve on the gauge for support, and cut my damper piece from the sleeve. The 18mm damper fills a 16mm gap, so there will be 2mm of "squish." It turned out to not quite work out that way, but I still like making the damper 18mm wide.

View attachment 120153
So, I gave this very simple damper version a try, but assembly got hung up by the raised inner rib in the dash bracket.

View attachment 120152
I decided to try splitting the damper in two, with one piece above, and one piece below the raised dash bracket rib. I turned version one of the damper inside out and slid it back on the gauge for support. There are raised rings on the rubber sleeve -- I used one as a guide for splitting my damper.

View attachment 120154
Here is my finished damper. One piece is 6mm wide, the other is 12mm.

View attachment 120155
And here is the assembled gauge.

View attachment 120156
Does it "dampen" exactly like the original? Probably not. But it does look great, and there is zero meter slop. The Lowe's flexible PVC coupling cost $4.86, and one coupling is enough to do both gauges.
 
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