Instrument bulbs: how to get them in?

[tmcafe]

Okay, so everything's ready to go back in the instrument cluster, but the effing bulbs either won't stay in the precarious rubber sockets, or they won't light once inside the speedo, or even worse, fall off inside the speedo case (hope one of them eventually fell out on the garage floor, cause I can't find that bugger). Those copper tabs are shit and the rubber mount tends to squeeze the bulb out, especially once the mount is forced into the case opening. Tried a bit of silicone grease to make the sockets slide easier but to no avail. What's the enlightened way?

 

For now I'm just trying to stay calm...

[tmcafe]

Now I'm almost sure I have not one, but two instrument bulbs trapped inside the speedo case!! How? I tried again to slide in a bulb in its rubber socket and again the bulb fell inside the case. It rattled a little, then stopped--it got stuck in the grease I put on the gears as prevention. I shook the case to dislodge it, but then it would get stuck again near one of the holes where I was hoping to be able to pick it up with tweezers. Then it either got stuck in the gearing or grease got where it shouldn't, because when I turned the speedo drive the needle would jump to high right away. Eventually it went back to its normal behavior. This is likely to have happened with the first bulb that fell inside the case.

 

So I guess unless some divine wisdom reaches me misteriously, I see putting back in the rubber sockets without bulbs, installing everything back on the bike, and see if I can live with it. And no, I'm not going to open the speedo case, at least not the new one.

 

If everything happens for a reason, there may be a deeper meening to this shit. I'm still trying to figure... Any ideas?

[Greg Field]

Lube the rubber bits with spit or silicone grease and twist them as you push them in. Keep in mind the bilbs can be inserted into the sockets two ways, but only one of the ways is right.

[tmcafe]

I did use silicone grease every time I tried to twist in the sockets. The bulbs were inserted the right way--I remembered an earlier post and checked to see how the remaining bulb that worked was positioned, otherwise the fuse would burn. If the bulbs didn't work it was because there was a problem with the contact. I cleaned up real well inside the sockets with electrical cleaner. Still, those little wires on the bulb don't make good contact nor do they keep the bulb from popping out the socket.

[tmcafe]

Definitely some progress: dropped a third bulb inside the case, but this time I managed to retrieve it! Otherwise same scenario: once the socket is inserted the bulb either stops lighting (bad contact) or just falls out inside the case, then touches some grease and gets stuck somewhere. The only way to dislodge it is to shake the case, though it may take quite a while as the grease seems to stick real well when you don't want it. Maybe that's why they don't grease those speedo internals at the factory, so that Luigi won't have trouble extracting the bulbs that fall inside

 

Although I'm still waiting for that lightbulb moment when the secret of the bulb and socket insertion gets divinely revealed, for now I feel like it can't get any worse. I'm almost beginning to enjoy the game, kind of like visualizing what it would look like in a Laurel and Hardy movie (given that the technology isn't much different )

 

For now I'm thinking of getting better tweezers

[Guest ratchethack]

TMC, I recall being horrified at the pathetic quality of the bulb socket when I had my tacho apart some 5 years back. There was NO WAY I was going to put the likes o' THAT POS back in. I found a replacement socket somewhere (auto parts or Radio Shack) that made a much more positive, solid and trustworthy installation. Hasn't given a hint of a prob ever since.

 

But o' course, YMMV.

[tmcafe]

Thanks Ratch. Are the replacements rubber too?

 

The rubber has some logic, but it tends to shift the bulbs in the mount and squeeze them out as the connector is not stable enough to keep the bulb in.

[Guest ratchethack]

Thanks Ratch. Are the replacements rubber too?

 

The rubber has some logic, but it tends to shift the bulbs in the mount and squeeze them out as the connector is not stable enough to keep the bulb in.

Sorry I don't recall the details, TMC. But being a dedicated DIY-er and compulsive fabricator with bins o' "stuff" accumulated over many decades, no doubt I scrounged up a few additional bits & materials I had on hand to secure the new socket. Seems like I may have added a grommet, if memory serves?

[tmcafe]

I'm aware that this is a trivial matter, so sorry about that. I'm willing to agree that I'm an idiot as I'm assuming there's a better way to insert the little wedge bulbs into the socket and the socket into the instrument case. After all, Luigi must have done it and the whole assembly has stayed put. Last night I had one more attempt. Bulbs finally lighting, took a spin to test if speedo & odo worked, everything seemed fine. But when I got back I noticed that the little buggers weren't lighting anymore, and upon removing the sockets the bulbs feel out inside the case again just as they did before. After many tries (of course every time the speedo needs to be removed from the bike for this) I managed to get out not 2, but 3 bulbs.

 

So I'm thinking there may be an easy trick to make bulbs stay in the socket. Just wedging them between the tabs doesn't seem to be enough to keep them in while the socket is inserted in the case. I wish I could see one as inserted by Luigi, but no way am I going to pull out any of the remaining bulbs just to see how it sits in the socket. I'm thinking of wrapping the little wire contacts behind the contact tabs inside the socket, then pulling the rubber socket back over the tabs. Also wondering what that bump in the metal tab is for--perhaps as a stop for the bulb? Here's some pics in case somebody may come up with an idea.

 

Tab: notice the bump.

 

Both tabs inserted in the rubber socket

 

Bulb (found image).

[Guest ratchethack]

How may more times do you want to go thru this, TMC?

 

Replacement bayonet type sockets and bulbs are inexpensive, available everywhere, can be dependably secured with a little ingenuity, and I've yet to see one fail.

[Skeeve]

How may more times do you want to go thru this, TMC?

 

Replacement bayonet type sockets and bulbs are inexpensive, available everywhere, can be dependably secured with a little ingenuity, and I've yet to see one fail.

 

Good God, what Ratchet said & then some! I had no idea that Guzzi used Christmas tree lights in our dash! Oy gevald! No wonder you've been having all sorts of trouble with those infernal things!

[Jap In OZ]

I feel your pain..

 

 

Have you tried swearing? Swearing worked really well for me, at first in English which was alright but my luck really changed when I got some Dutch swearing in there!!

 

Good luck!

 

Ciao

 

Jasper

[Skeeve]

I feel your pain..

 

 

Have you tried swearing? Swearing worked really well for me, at first in English which was alright but my luck really changed when I got some Dutch swearing in there!!

 

Good luck!

 

Ciao

 

Jasper

 

Jasper: don't bogart that joint! Share some of that particularly effective invective so that those of us handicapped by our mono-lingual status can get some relief at the critical juncture!

[raz]

Jasper: don't bogart that joint! Share some of that particularly effective invective so that those of us handicapped by our mono-lingual status can get some relief at the critical juncture!

 

Yeah!

 

Come to think of it, we already have a joke thread and a hooters thread. Why not an invective thread!? This will be much more useful because you can resort to it in situations like this or when removing the swing arm bearings. For some reason I picture Pete Roper filling a couple of pages by himself

[tmcafe]

Swearing is a useful tool when all else fails, especially if it's done in a language other than English (depending on the language, it may provide a much richer repertoire, plus avoid shocking any innocent bystanders or passers-by).