Broken Speedometer Cable?

The speedo cable broke on The Beast today. Is there any chance it's just a broken cable or is it a sure bet the speedo is seized?

Hard to tell, but the cable will pull out for inspection by undoing the cap on the front axle. It'll slide right out of the core... There's also a cable cap that screws into the rear of the speedo. It also might have come loose??

If it was a seized speedo I think you'd have heard it complaining (squealing) for some time now. At least that's what mine did before it eventually seized and twisted the cable end off.

If it was a seized speedo I think you'd have heard it complaining (squealing) for some time now. At least that's what mine did before it eventually seized and twisted the cable end off.

They'll also groan when cold. I had just bought my first ever VR, and was on my first Venture West in Susanville CA. The '83 ran fine on the way up there, but when I got up in the morning to take a ride around town, it began moaning/groaning when I headed out. Sacred the crap out of me. Here I am 200 miles from my security blanket home and tools, and I got a problem. So when it moaned I stopped. When I moved again it started again. The third time it quit. So I figured it must be a dry cable and rode back home without any more complaining. I lubed the hell out that cable. It was the best lubed speedo cable in the world.. :-) The lubed seemed to take care of the problem, but when the morning temps started to dip the moan returned. All this time the speedo never quit working, and the moan only happened the first thing in the morning. Stop and it'd go away. So I put up with it.. Then I found a mint '83 dash on eBay, and since the OEM was getting weathered I went ahead and replaced it. In the process I found the culprit. The speedo cable was 'taped' to the back of the speedo by the previous owner. The problem was he didn't know how to get to it to screw it back on. New dash, cabled properly attached, the the gremlin was gone. To check on the fitting remove the left turn signal and with a bit of wiggling the back of the speedo is accessible.... For those wondering how to check their's....??

To check on the fitting remove the left turn signal and with a bit of wiggling the back of the speedo is accessible.... For those wondering how to check their's....??

Now that's a good and timely piece of advice. I'll try that. Will be helping a friend replace the cable on his '84 and wasn't looking forward to getting up in under the instrument panel to remove the old cable and install the new.

gaj1917:

The cable can be replaced by removing the bushing cap on the front wheel sensor and the cable will easily pull out (and may actually fall out) and then can be replaced by feeding up from the front wheel sensor. The turn signal does not have to be removed unless you want to inspect the upper bushing connector for tightness where it connects to the back of the speedo. See Condor's comment in number 2 comment above.

BTW, the bushing cap on the front wheel should be checked for tightness occasionally as it is known to vibrate loose and the cable falling out in the road and disappearing behind you at 65 MPH. Don't ask me how I know this!

Jim

The core of the cable broke about 8" from the bottom. The 8" piece fell out when we took the cable off the drive assembly. We havent been able to get therest of the core out yet. If we can get it out we may just replace the core.

I ordered a new OEM cable from Partzilla yesterday. We are going go on the assumption that the speedo is good as it did not make any noise before the cable broke.

gaj1917:

 

The cable can be replaced by removing the bushing cap on the front wheel sensor and the cable will easily pull out (and may actually fall out) and then can be replaced by feeding up from the front wheel sensor. The turn signal does not have to be removed unless you want to inspect the upper bushing connector for tightness where it connects to the back of the speedo. See Condor's comment in number 2 comment above.

BTW, the bushing cap on the front wheel should be checked for tightness occasionally as it is known to vibrate loose and the cable falling out in the road and disappearing behind you at 65 MPH. Don't ask me how I know this!

 

Jim

Thanks. Have done that too when re-lubing, but in the case of my friends '84 we'll be replacing the entire speedo cable assembly with new. Fun and games.