Triumphrat

Mister T · 07-04-2009, 05:39 PM

Greetings!

I'm finally getting time, and enough spare parts, to start tinkering with my restoration bike (73 Tiger 750).

Today, the subject is the tachometer.

First off... I encountered something rather disturbing at the engine end of the tach drive cable.

As near as I can tell, the cable was run without lubrication, and the end at the engine seized solid. The blade on the cable that connects to the tach gearbox was twisted nearly 45 degrees!

The problem now is to assess the damage. I'm still looking for a way to remove the drive gears from the gearbox without tearing the engine apart, to see if they're torn up too; I'm guessing at least one is gonna have to be replaced.

The next item... is there anyone out there who can open up the tach case and overhaul it? If nothing else... I want to clean some of the crud out of the interior of the case. The previous owner ran it without a light bulb holder (I guess because his tach quit!), and the case is full of debris, most of which entered thru the hole.

Any suggestions?

Mr. T.

jimballard · 07-04-2009, 07:13 PM

Hi, T,

If you remove the large screw cap on the end of the tach drive with a large (naturally) screw driver and the small hex head "grub screw" on the upper portion of the drive housing, you should be able to get out the whole drive set-up. There should be no need to unbolt the housing from the engine, but if for some reason you really have to, the inner bolt that holds it to the engine case is a left hand thread (at least it was in the "old days"), but, again, there should be no need to take it off. Be careful with the "grub screw" as it's small and easily lost and has a Cycle Engineering Institute thread on it, so I was told once. Take it apart carefully as there is at least one small clip for the upper drive piece to turn on. As for the tach, check and see if it rotates and works using a small piece of cable or a screwdriver that'll fit into the square hole for the said cable. A frozen tach will definitely do some damage to the cable and possibly to the drive itself. If memory serves me right, and SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED keeps telling me that I'm "losing it", at least one of the drive gears is a nylon one. Take your time, it's definitely not "rocket science". Check with the suppliers and restorers in your area for a rebuild on the tach if it needs it. Nisonger Corp in Maramonek, NY, did both of my instruments years ago, but I don't know if they still are in business.

From the vast wasteland of the "village idiot's" mind: Jim