honda305.com Forum

I've been totally buried with work and other commitments as of late, so I've had to resort to doing "little things" on the Old Girl.

I removed the odometer drum from the speedometer assembly with the intent of cleaning the drums and putting a little bit of lube on the gears and drive. I was able to get the first two drums off of the shaft, but the final four are totally STUCK and will not budge. The thing did sit exposed to the elements for over thirty years, and that aluminum has welded itself to the steel shaft! I soaked it on WD40 overnight (I'm afraid to use anything stronger; I don't want to damage the paint on the drums), and the thing is still stuck tight. Well, I have another one in the speedo assembly I bought for parts. I'll take it apart and hopefully that odometer will cooperate.

I also knocked the dent out of the side of the headlight bucket. I'm going to sand it, primer it, and try out the DupliColor rattle can paint on it (yes, I know I'll have to put clear over the color). I do need to remove the headlight switch and neutral light bezel. I also need to polish the mounting bolts.

Sara

Interesting problem with the speedo drum. I've just cleaned up four of them and the grease was quite hard on some.

I would suggest dropping your entire drum in a cup of boiling hot water. That will expand the aluminum a bit and soften the remains of the grease.

I use soapy water to clean up the speedometer dial. It works a treat when just gently sponged off.

To degrease the rest of the speedo / tach I use a small artist's brush and a pot of lacquer thinner.

G

G-Man, thank you! I'm headed for the kitchen right now. Why didn't I think of that?? ;)

G, what kind of grease do you suggest for the odometer when it goes back together?

G - ta-da! Thank you!!

I just finished pulling apart my "parts speedometer". It is in far, far, far, FAR better shape than my original was/is. All of the internals are clean and corrosion free, the lube is still soft, the springs are intact, and ALL of the rubber (glass seal, cushion, rear insulator, and bulb covers) is in nice condition. The only issues it has are the white odometer tumbler is quite faded, as is the face plate. Not a problem - I'll use the nice white tumbler from my original speedometer, and I have a decal for the faceplate. I'll be putting it back together soon!

It's nice when something works out better than anticipated.

See what I mean? Nice! By the way, I do know the needles are on the wrong shafts - they're just where they are to protect them and to keep them from getting lost.