Veglia electric Tachometer drama

[Huzo]

The same bike I did the brakes on also has a non functioning Veglia electric tachometer. Owner says he had it "fixed" once but buggered up again soon after. Is there a good place to start troubleshooting such a device ? I took the bike for a ride and thought I saw the needle jump to life a couple of times but may have been vibration. For the record the bikes a 1994 California 1100 EV, the last Carby model to land here in Australia.

[tris]

Oh - exactly the same as my old bike including the failed Tacho 
I tried all the surgery but to no avail, so if I hadn't sold the bike I was going down the Speedhut route. The plan was to turn some sort of top hat section sleeve to fit the Speedhut gauges in the standard case

Tris

One way to get inside
http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=12441

Cure
http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=47847.0

More cures
http://archive.guzzitech.com/CuringTach-Elec-Carl_A.html

Speedhut replacement
http://www.speedhut.com/gauges/?catid=

Installed Speedhut
http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=19038

[Huzo]

Oh dear !!!

[Kiwi_Roy]

If you take the tach off and it rattles the counterweight has fallen off the movement, you can open it up and JBWeld it back on.

[tris]

Oh dear !!!

Don't be too disheartened.

I DIDNT go down the "slice it in two"  means of getting inside it.

You can with time and patience lift the bezel enough to get into it. Use a jubilee clip to hold it circular and go around it about a thousand times and you'll get in. Don't do what I did though and go round 999 times and bust the glass trying to wiggle it apart 

Easy enough to fix though with a bit of glass from your local glazier 

Reassembly is - as they say - the reverse and even if the re fitted bezel isn't perfect its pretty much hidden by the pod

Its worth a go though as even after that it doesn't work, then you're no worse off except for your time

Have a look here for replacement boards  http://www.dinoplex.org/tachoconversion/index.html

I've no idea if the replacement board could be persuaded to work with a 2 cylinder engine but a knowledgeable sparky like Kiwi-Roy might be able to advise

[Huzo]

Hmmm.... Ok then, this stuff is way over my head !

[Kiwi_Roy]

Wait until dark
Turn the lights on, does the dial light go, ok it's got a good ground then
Take the chrome cover off, is there 12 Volts on the + terminal when the key is turned on, ok it's got power.

Still doesn't go
Take it off the bike, does it rattle when shaken, if yes the counterweight has fallen off

Send it to someone to open up and re-glue it back on,
I don't care what anyone says it's a sod of a job to open one of these up

[Huzo]

Thanks Kiwi Roy and all the others, I'll explore down those tracks

[LowRyter]

If you take the tach off and it rattles the counterweight has fallen off the movement, you can open it up and JBWeld it back on.

Search the board.  There is a good picture tutorial.  The hardest parts are getting the bezel off and back on.   Hopefully the counterweight is the only problem.

Otherwise send it to Joel Levine.  http://joellevinecompany.com/

[luthier]

I sent my Cali3 tacho to Otto Instruments in Queensland and they fitted a VDO innards in for round $300. New tacko in Vague Liar costs nearly $500 and the guy at Stein Dinse told me I'd be likely to want another one in less than a year. They are not worth buggering around with.
And if you take the bezel off yourself you will almost definitely need a new one as you need really specialized tools for them, not just a hammer and a screwdriver.

I don't have the number anymore but call Tom Newell on 0738919565 and ask him. I think he told me about them in the first place.