1999 Ultra Speedometer Question

[CGrayIII]

I have a 1999 Ultra and the speedometer has gone crazy and is make terrible grinding noises and registering varying speeds from 80 to 120 mph when I'm running along above 35. The local H-D dealer replaced the cable on Saturday. Fifty miles later, it started going crazy. My question is: will earlier model cable driven speedometers work on a 1999 Ultra? Is the gear ratio the same? Does anyone know what the correct gear ratio is? I've found several NOS speedometers on ebay, but they are not specifically for a 1999. I hate to pay $200 for a new one at the H-D dealer. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Locodave]

Hi, Might not help & guessing. As I own a few MG's. Speedo probs. Does the needle jump when it goes south on you? Cables on the MG's. One end has the round spiral flattened to a square. Other end that goes into the speedo. Has the round cable crimped into a fitting that has a square end that goes into the speedo head. Take the end off the speedo head & grab the tip. See if you can rotate the cable inside the fitting. Bad crimp. Other end & I don't know Harley trans. Do they might have a plastic spiral gear internally that the gear stripped? Others here would know. Take the speedo head apart to see if the intenals are gunked up. Dave

[CGrayIII]

Yes, the needle jumps around and then starts and incremental increase of about 5 mph until is maxes out (pointing straight down at the odometer). When I stop or almost stop it will go back to 10 MPH and then as I speed up the process repeats itself. The cable will only install in one direction and appears to be crimped correctly. I went on a Tuesday evening ride and as I started down the road in front of my house, I could hear a grinding noise coming from the speedometer as the needle moved around violently. When the needle would settle back to the approximate correct speed, the noise quit. It's loud enough that I can hear it when I'm riding at 45 - 50 mph. I contacted two speedometer rebuild shops suggested on this website, and both said these speedometers could not be rebuilt. I think the gears are trashed. I see several speedometers on ebay, but I'm not sure if a cable driven, H-D speedometer of the same gear ratio is interchangable with the one on my 1999. I'm going to have either risk it and buy one on ebay or spend the big bucks and buy a new one from H-D.

[Geezer-Glide]

Speedo's trashed. The needle is mechanically driven by the cable. Tiny fine gear mesh. Sounds like it's gone south on you.

[Locodave]

Hi, If the speedo's gears are shot. For giggles I'd take it apart to have a look see at them. Try to move them on the shaft, or move the shaft with needle noze plyers to see if not a tooth prob. But a loose press on where the gear is on the shaft. You could use a square drive bit with a hand type held box drive tip, socket holding the square drive bit. Turn it by hand, hold each gear to see how they do. Some gears are supposed to rotate on the shaft & some are not suposed to. You'll know by looking at it. Dave

[CGrayIII]

The speedometer is toast! The gears started making all sorts of noise and then this weekend it quit altogether. The odometer still works oddly enough. In any case, I broke down and ordered a new speedometer from H-D. I appreciate the feedback and help.