Lubing the tacho gearbox

[pete]

So I was putting my front wheel back on the forks and as part of this checked out the tachometer gearbox.

It feels quite dry and not so smooth to me, so I suspect it needs some lube to get it nice and free.

My Haynes manual informs me that it can be dismantled and lubricated, but doesn't actually tell me how to go about it.

Has anyone lubed their tacho gearbox before and how did you do it and what did you use?

This is for an '81 GS450E, although I suspect most of the different models will be similar.

[Smokinapankake]

Do you mean the speedo gearbox, with the cable from the front wheel up to the speedo housing?

If so it can be lubed. After taking off the circlip and the washer, grab the big center round thing (sorry, don't know the term) with a pair o channel locks wrapped in a rag, squirt some lube on the rubber seal, and pull. It ought to come out with only a little effort. You can then stuff that cavity full of some kind of lube or other. I used high temp wheel bearing grease and it has been going quiet for several months now. Reassemble and if the gears themselves are not torn up you should be good to go.

There is a thread on here somewhere about it with pictures; that's how I figured to do mine.

Good luck!

[Dogma]

I didn't know that would come off. Mine must have been stuck on hard. If yours is stuck too, the plastic bushing the output shaft runs in is threaded, and can be backed out to get access to the gears.

[Hammered]

I know this isnt help, but I had to re-read your title a couple times. Somehow my mind read "Lubing the taco box" Swear to god.

[pete]

Errrr... yes... I believe a title "Lubing the Speedo gearbox" would be far more appropriate...

I have no idea what I was thinking when i posted this thread... tacho drive comes from the top of the motor, not from the front wheel... that would be the speedo gearbox and drive.

So I guess that explains why my search turned up no results... sheesh.

Thanks for the tips and replies guys, I will go searching using correct words now

Oh, and Hammered... my title might as well have been that!

[pete]

Right, so now that I am searching for the SPEEDOMETER GEARBOX, and not the tachometer gearbox (sheesh what a fool), I have found the following two things...

First the thread:

http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum/showthread.php?t=160702&highlight=speedo+gearbox

Then a Cavalcade speedo gearbox which looks like the same construction but a little different:

http://www.billydump.com/cav/instruct/speedo_1.htm

So thanks again, especially Smokinapankake as you were on that thread somewhere too, and were right on the money

Now I know what to do next time I get back to the bike...