Topic: Tach is dead...

[my78k]

Well decided to play hooky from work today and use the beautiful weather as an excuse to work on the bike...Put the carbs on etc. and got her fired up.

She's still running rough but atlest she's running. I assume my issues will be solved by finishing up the last of the major tune-up stuff including carb sync, valve adjustment and cam chain adjustment.

Anyways, even though it was running rough it was definitely better than when I had put her to bed in the fall so the winter carb work must have done some good.

I do have a brand new problem though...as I was running it and getting it up to temp I had revved it a bunch of times and suddenly the tach went from registering around 3k rpm to nothing...just dropped!

I haven't pulled it apart yet but just wondering if this kind of thing happens alot?!?! Any guesses as to what happened...did it snap the cable or is it something worse? If it is just the cable is it a quick fix or what? Nothing in the Clymer manual about this one...

Any advice.thoughts are welcomed...

Thanks,
Dennis

[Phaedrus]

I have had my spedometer stop all the sudden.  It is because the cable housing wiggled its way off teh speedometer.  could the fittings have worked loose from the tach or the part where it attatches to the engine?  Second likely, broken cable.  Down in probability, the gear housing (at the cam) has worked itself loose, the tach itself has gone south.

[Jonesy]

For a quick test, unscrew the tach cable from the back of the tach and try to pull the cable out of the casing. If you can pull it out, the cable's history. If you can't pull it out, start the bike. If you see the end of the cable spinning, the cable and drive mechanism is likely ok.

 Being cables, they do have a finite life span. To replace them is pretty easy. Just unscrew one end from the back of the tach and remove the screw holding the other end in place on the valve cover and the cable will be freed from the bike.

[KB02]

Not to Hijack the post, since this is a rtelated question, but isin't there a lube you can get for cables? An aeroso type can with an attatchment for cables?

[Bodi]

Yes, there's an aerosol lube with a clamp thingy that forces the goo to go down inside the cable instead of all over your pants like if you try and aim a normal spray can in there.
But the tach cable is short and points down from the tach, so just pouring a bit of oil in it will lube it well. I just take out the engine dipstick and let the oil on it dribble down into the cable. A few repeated dribbles and there's enough.
Using the graphite loaded cable lube is effective too, it is watery and runs into the cable easily then the solvent evaporates eventually and leaves a fairly thick oil and a lot of graphite in the cable innards.
If your heavy clutch pull is giving you a Charles Atlas left hand while your right stays 90 pound weakling - try lubing the clutch cable. It can make an astonishing difference at the lever.

[my78k]

Thanks for the input as always guys...gonna tear into it this aft and I will try the suggestions...

Will let you know how I make out.

Dennis

[Bob Wessner]

I just take out the engine dipstick and let the oil on it dribble down into the cable. A few repeated dribbles and there's enough.

This oil is contaminated, to include acids. Won't this, in the long run lead to cable problems?

[KB02]

I would think that even contaminated lubricant would be better than no lube at all. With no Lube, you KNOW the cable will eventually wear out and break. With the Lube, it's life will be extended.

[Bob Wessner]

I would think that even contaminated lubricant would be better than no lube at all.

In this context, I would have to agree. Pretty much Honda's rationale for the auto chain oilers as well. Though better than a dry chain, it doesn't do the chain many favors otherwise.  On the other hand, if one couldn't afford some cable lube, I would think drizzling a few drops out of a fresh can of oil would be better.

[TwoTired]

I suppose you could add changing the tach cable lube as part of routine maintenence along with the engine oil change.



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Heh Heh 

Made myself laugh, heh heh.

cheers,

[my78k]

Turns out the cable is dead...popped it out of the back of the tach and it wasn't spinning so popped the other end out of the engine and that little piece was spinning so it must be the cable...

Any thoughts as to a good place to order the cable? I am also in need of a choke cable as the one that the PO put on is way too long and has a tendancy to slip off so I have had to get creative and change the routing to take up the slack...

Thanks,
Dennis

[bryanj]

www.davidsilverspares.co.uk www.westernhillshonda.com

[Glenn Stauffer]

Most of these cables have inner nylon sleeves that should be self-lubricating.  When the cable starts to bind, the inner sleeve is shot and lube won't help anyway.  MotionPro makes cables for these bikes - you can find those at JC Whitney.