speedometer gear replacement

[gkanai]

I'm planning to do the speedometer gear replacement modification and wanted to ask about 1) best vendor, 2) is there any way to know which gear set to purchase BEFORE opening up the speedometer housing? Thanks in advance to anyone who has done this before.

[frankenduck]

http://www.kbikeparts.com/classickbikes.com/ckb.tech/0.ckb.tech.files/odogearreplace/odogearreplace.htm

[stokester]

I got mine here -> https://www.odometergears.com/products/BMW/R+%26+K+Motorcycles/42
Jeff lives right down the road from me and also has instructions.

[Duckbubbles]

Just finished replacing my gears with a set from speedometergears.com and it was pretty painless, but I've been into the speedometer many times over 37 years with this bike.  Take your time and be sure to notice how things come apart and go back together.  You might want to take detailed pictures of the process of taking it apart.

Frank

[gkanai]

My odometer failed and I'm replacing the gears. When I removed the gears, I have 5 gears. (I have the Euro KM/H Motometer gauges.)

The sets (Snapo) I see online all have 4 gears. Am I supposed to reuse one of the old gears? I'm a little confused.

One other question- I want to replace the gasket that seals the meter/gauge housing to the back. Is that for sale or is there another gasket I can use?

[Laitch]

The white double gear on the right end of the gears in your photo is not listed at odometergears.com nor at Snapo. You should contact both companies for identification of that gear. Send them a photo if possible.

[gkanai]

Gotcha, thank you!

[gkanai]

I heard back from Snapo and they say that the 5th gear (in my case, the white one) does not fail/need replacing.

[Laitch]

Something that doesn't fail—it's a miracle!

[Past-my-Prime]

I heard back from Snapo and they say that the 5th gear (in my case, the white one) does not fail/need replacing.

It's made of sterner stuff.

[Laitch]

Did they make all those first, run low on money, then go the paper mache-and-applesauce route?

[gkanai]

I think it's that the color additive in the plastic degrades the plastic faster over the decades? That's just a guess.

[gkanai]

Well I finally got my replacement gears in from Snapo.it. Look to be well-made. One thing that none of the youtube videos or instructions explain is which way one of the gears go.

Then when I tried to put the whole thing back together, I broke the speedo needle stem by mistake. I assume I'll have to cannibalize a used speedo locally. 

There's no way to replace just the speedo needle/stem, right?

[Laitch]

A speedometer needle is removed by prying upward. The needle can be replaced. I used a spoon when I removed it to replace the face plate in my Brick's instrument cluster. Clarify which part of the needle you have broken.

[gkanai]

Clarify which part of the needle you have broken.

I took off the needle with a fork when I replaced the gears. I tried to be careful but used too much force and broke the shaft the needle sits on when I tried to reset the needle onto the shaft.

[Laitch]

I tried to be careful but used too much force and broke the shaft the needle sits on when I tried to reset the needle onto the shaft.

This?

[gkanai]

Yes. Unfortunately.

[Laitch]

Yes. Unfortunately.

The most successful strategy is to locate another instrument cluster, speedometer, or odometer that has one of those shafts intact. It had a separate part number when that instrument was fabricated but I couldn't find any trace of that part on Motometer's site using the numbers on that drawing.

[gkanai]

The most successful strategy is to locate another instrument cluster, speedometer, or odometer that has one of those shafts intact.

Understood, thank you!

Once I get in the replacement speedo, can I reset the new/used speedo to my current odometer reading and then just replace the broken one? This time I will not take off the speedo needle.

[Laitch]

Here are instructions from frankenduck, whose guiding light emerges from beneath the spreading crown of the world's largest mechanic's shade tree, and rivals the rising sun in its brilliance, at least when it comes to illuminating the mysteries of Motometer odometer resetting.

[gkanai]

Thank you!