The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2

Technical Discussion => BMW Technical Q&A, Primarily R65 => Topic started by: awaffa2003 on July 08, 2007, 09:27:44 AM

Title: Speedo cable
Post by: awaffa2003 on July 08, 2007, 09:27:44 AM

Well things are looking up for a formerly jobless teen like me. Now I can finally mod my bike by putting things on, not just taking them off. ANYWAY, i ran into a problem. I'm putting new headlights on and I want to use the brakets that came with the kit, but I didn't know that along with the stock headlight mount, came the mount for the speedo/tach. so i figured well fine I dont like those anyway, I'll just get a computer to replace them. And now I realize the cable for the speedo can't come out of the engine. What do I do with the cable, how do I take it off?!?! Thanks

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: Justin B. on July 08, 2007, 10:46:29 AM

The end of the speedo cable plugs into the transmission.  Follow your battery negative cable and it should be attached by the speedo cable retaining bolt.  I suppose you could remove the cable then fabricate some sort of plug to fill the hole - make sure it's watertight or you'll get water in your tranny.

Don't tear anything up and you can e-Bay the bits you take off to help offset what you spend on modding.

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: Ed Miller on July 08, 2007, 11:10:23 AM

If you figure out a good rubber plug (some kind of cap might be better) let us know; since my speedometer is dead anyway there's no sense wearing out my newish cable and undoubtedly doing further damage to my speedometer.

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: Rob Valdez 79 R65 on July 11, 2007, 10:43:11 PM

I would imagine you could remove the cable, measure the diameter of the hole with your caliper (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=47256), and find a suitable rubber plug at the hardware store.  Some high-temp silicone should keep it waterproof, and be easily removed when the time comes.

That is where I would start, anyway.



DO NOT use excessive force on the ground cable nut.  It can easily be stripped, and that is bad.
It is also a specialized fastener, that has a breather hole bored down the center, for the transmission.

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: Ed Miller on July 11, 2007, 11:03:07 PM

I would not use a plug, which is made to seal internally, but some kind of cap, made to seal externally.  Just my priority, anyway.  Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, but I try to not gotta do.

I can't believe Firefox's spell checker let me get away with that.

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: Jon_P on July 12, 2007, 10:23:45 AM

when i removed my speedo cable i took the black plastic spaer that the cable went into  the tranny and used a special sealant that we use all the time at work. it is not a silicon based but a neoprean (sp) based which stays soft and water tight. i then used some epoxy based adhesive and glued a 79 dime over that plug.

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: steve hawkins on July 13, 2007, 02:52:02 AM

I stuffed an old squashy ear plug into the end of the plastic boot.

Seemed to do the trick.

Steve H

Title: Re: Speedo cable
Post by: thrang on July 13, 2007, 09:17:15 AM

When I could not get a speedo cable (I was in north africa a the time) I got a large bolt turned down so it fitted it the hole and then used smear ground sheet repair sealer to weather and sand proof the hole. The bodge lasted until I got back to Europe. The trne down bolt trick is a bodge but its a good bodge if your stuck.