did I break it? [speedo cable]

[jp98226]

So while I was trying to isolate a very slight, intermittent, screeching noise coming from the front of my bike, I disconnected my speedometer cable at the front wheel hub to see if the cable/speedo dial was causing the problem. For the record, no, the light screeching continued. The sound appeared just after my carburetor/intake assembly rebuild, only begins at 65 mph (not related to engine rpms), and is possibly a weird aerodynamic side-effect (light, flat, variable, whistling sound) . . . maybe there’s a new gap in the housing shields, mystery to be solved later.

In any case, after my test ride I carefully re-inserted the speedo cable back into the front wheel speed-hub unit and cinched it down via the phillips head screw, and took a ride around the block . . . but the speedo does not work now, at all; no problems before cable disconnect. After removing the cable again (at the wheel) to examine the speed-hub, I see that the male spade on the speed-hub looks fine although, oddly, it will freely rotate 270 degrees (clockwise & counter-clockwise) before it stops, but it does stop in its rotation. As I look deeply down into the narrow opening of the receiving/mating end of the speedo cable housing itself I can’t see a female notch which would mate up with the speed-hub spade.

So here’s my question, did I unknowingly drop a tiny mating part from inside the speedo cable when I originally disconnected it from the speed-hub, and perhaps that’s why it would not work upon reassembly? Or did I break it in some other fashion? It certainly would not be the first time I broke one part while trying to fix another . :-/

Just to insure future aggravation, I ordered new OEM speedo and tach cables this afternoon . . . not that I’m anticipating a failure in the tach cable, but the bike is 29 years old, and I may find a way to break it too!

Please advise.

 

[dan filipi]

Welcome to the forums.

I don't think there's a part that can fall out of the hub, I've had that cable end off a few times and never noticed and the online parts fische shows only the complete drive hub.

Does anyone have one loose they can look at closer?

 

[slabghost]

the cable has a slot in it that must be pushed onto the spade drive.

 

[backlander]

From your explanation of the spade only turning approx 270 degrees in either direction indicates to me that either rust, corrosion or a broken drive gear in the hub is your problem. You might try flushing the gear hub and lubing or repairing or replacing it. Any year model of the 1100's is suppose to be interchangeable.

 

[Andyb]

The internals on the hub drive are plastic. Mine gave way one day while I was riding. I replaced the cable and no joy. Took the drive unit off the wheel and the gear had split in half. You may want to check that.

 

[joedrum]

howdy andy

 

[Andyb]

Hey, Joe!

Also, if you don't want to pull off the front wheel to check the drive unit, you can unscrew the cable from the speedo and see if spins when you spin the front wheel.

 

[scdmarx]

Any year model of the 1100's is suppose to be interchangeable.

Whoooop.....been there, done that.

The metal gear is from my 82Standard, and the broken plastic gear is from my 83Interstate.

The cable screw on my 83I housing screws in from the rear like the one in this picture, and the 82S screws in from the side.


I couldn't find a used one and ended up buying from cheap cycle parts for about $65 I think. The new one came complete with the housing and all.

 

[Anonymous]

Wow they are very different - is it my imagination or is the plastic gear a bigger diameter than the metal one?

 

[scdmarx]

I don't recall whether I counted the teeth or not. Possibly could have something to do with the wheel size you're running? Completely different animal, and hard to find an 83 for me at that time.
I don't know if the 82 will fit other years but there seemed to be a few of them around.

 

[backlander]

After your post scd, I looked on hondapartswarehouse and sure enough they changed the part number on your two year models but they still sell them as an assembly. The 82 S is #44800-425-013 and the 83 I is 44800-MB0-013. Seems like they did a lot of that on the 1100 models. Thanks for the correction, I sure didn't mean to mislead him.

 

[scdmarx]

After your post scd, I looked on hondapartswarehouse and sure enough they changed the part number on your two year models but they still sell them as an assembly. The 82 S is #44800-425-013 and the 83 I is 44800-MB0-013. Seems like they did a lot of that on the 1100 models. Thanks for the correction, I sure didn't mean to mislead him.

It's very easy to think 1100's are pretty much all the same. But having an 82 and an 83, I've learned to be careful about assuming everything is interchangeable. Many of the parts are, but just assuming so can lead to big disappointment/inconvenience. :head bang:

 

[Anonymous]

What I meant is the Axle Diameter appears to be larger in one than the other.

 

[scdmarx]

What I meant is the Axle Diameter appears to be larger in one than the other.

I doubt it. I kinda remember trying it just to see if it would go, but it stuck out too tall. The axle shaft itself wasn't the problem. That's all I can remember. I think the housing would fit without the innards, but don't quote me on that.

 

[scdmarx]

I found the picture of the 82.

But I guess flickr don't work in the forums.

 

[dan filipi]

I found the picture of the 82.

But I guess flickr don't work in the forums.

Have to use the bbcode link.

 

[mcgovern61]

It's very easy to think 1100's are pretty much all the same. But having an 82 and an 83, I've learned to be careful about assuming everything is interchangeable. Many of the parts are, but just assuming so can lead to big disappointment/inconvenience. :head bang:

I found out that even many of the '81-'82 parts are not all the same. The '83 engine was even slightly different than the '81. The brake systems are really different between '81, '82 and '83.

 

[jp98226]

Update on my original post. Did I fix/sort out the problem? Well, yes and no.

Yes, I did figure out that I had unknowingly lost the speed cable from the housing on my "noise run" as I had duct taped the speedo cable off to the side (so as not to interfere with the spinning wheel), but I did not realize how easily the cable would slide out of the open-ended cable housing once under way [duh]. So naturally, during the test ride the cable dropped out onto the road and is lying somewhere along side Interstate 5 [head slap]. So now I await a new replacement speedo cable in the mail.

No on the noise issue, however, as I did pull and check the speedo gearbox on the front axle to see if it was the source of the front end noise; wheel bearings are in great shape and only one year old, so I ruled them out as a noise maker. While the speedo gearbox was a bit dry/light on lube, the metal and plastic parts were intact and working fine, so I greased it up, reinstalled it, but the 65 mph noise continues unchanged.

I am now thinking that the mystery sound is a ground-speed dependent "whistling" from a gap between some plastic fairing bit and another bike part. My new plan is to systematically apply blue painter's tape along selected gaps, repeatedly run down the highway at 65 mph, and eventually isolate the offending sound-generator. I can just picture the front of the bike completely wrapped in blue tape by the time I'm done . . . at which point I'm sure my wife would say something like "why didn't you just wear your ear plugs?" Where upon I might say, "oh well, you know me, once I get an idea I am like a dog with a bone . . . " And I might also add, that after the great carb rebuild done by Pistol Pete in Tennessee, the GW is truly running "better than new" and absolutely purrs down the road, and therefore the instrusion of an errant "whistle" is completely intolerable - to me anyway.

wish me luck.

 

[dan filipi]

Completely intolerant of the noise sounds like me and the engine knock I have. Very irritating to me to the point the whole riding experience is ruined.

 

[scdmarx]

This might sound stupid.....and look even stupider, but would it be possible to have a piece of vacuum hose/tubing secured to your ear while poking the other end around the fairing to narrow down the area where the noise might coming from?
Or you could just sing louder while you ride. :music3: