Cable Broken off in tachometer (RPM Gauge) Any solution?

[Snake2715]

So on a bike I am working on. The RPM gauge was not terribly responsive. Come to find out the cable was broke at the engine side.. so it was spinning but just barely.

I took the cable out and it would not release from the tachometer. I removed the tachometer and tried to pull it out and it appears to have been glued in the tachometer.. I presume maybe it was slightly stripped and therefore someone used an epoxy to glue it in.. that's fine and great, until the cable breaks, now I cant get it out of the tachometer.

In working with pliers, etc to get it out I have got some adhesive out, but the cable broke close to the end due to me pulling and wrestling with it.

Is this gauge shot? I hate to see that as its good otherwise and in great shape, and when hooked to my drill seemed to work perfectly fine.

I thought maybe I could drill it out, then adhesive a new one in? I took the gauge apart thinking I could get to it from the other side, but no I cant.




Thoughts?

[Kerry]

[...]Is this gauge shot? I hate to see that as its good otherwise and in great shape, and when hooked to my drill seemed to work perfectly fine.

I thought maybe I could drill it out, then adhesive a new one in? [...]

Thoughts?

I can't think of a better method, and since the gauge is worthless otherwise I'd say you have nothing to lose.

My suggestion is to start with a drill bit that's very slightly over the inner diameter of the cable end, in the hopes that the first drilling will "self-center" as the old cabling is wasted out ... then proceed slowly with the next-largest bit until you get close to the outer diameter of the old cable end.  If you can't pry the last "layer" of the cable end out, you may need to keep increasing the drill bit size until your new cable will fit.

Then, like you said, use epoxy on the new cable to secure it.

A little dicey, but worth a shot!

[Snake2715]

Thanks Kerry for the thoughts.

I am curious how the braids will do with drilling. My guess is they will wrap around the bit and pull out or its going to be crazy to try to keep her straight as I drill.


Thankfully I picked up an 89 I am using as a parts bike and had a tachometer to transfer to this other bike for now.

I stole the tach cable off my orange bike as well for now as the 89 cable was broken too.

[sledge]

Is it possible to drill a hole in the rear of the component through to the broken cable then knock the remnant out with a pin-punch?

[Snake2715]

Sledge, let me take a look at that option. I cant see the other side really from the mechanicals of the gauge, but maybe I could drill to it. Good thought, I will check it out tonight after work.

[Snake2715]

I dont think I can drill anywhere but up the receiving end of it.