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Foam piece in front of gauges

2K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  Dick 
#1 ·
While riding along at highway speed on my 99LT, a soft foam piece swells up between the instrument panel gauges and the hard round plastic body part that reaches out toward the gauges. When I slow down the foam settles back down. I can push it down below the plastic body part, but it swells up again at speed. What's that all about?
 
#2 ·
I lost mine from my 02 around 03 or 04....... I think it's insulation around the dash that deteriorates from the heat. I never noticed a change without it. Pieces gradually flew out over time.
 
#3 ·
DanDiver said:
Pieces gradually flew out over time.
I have the same problem on my 1940 Harley - pieces are flying off all the time!
 
#4 ·
Yeah, mine started breaking apart this year. I just let it fly over my shoulder. I'll look into replacement when I tear the dash apart next. I need to reinstall the little pins that set the clock hour and minutes. Forgot to put them back in last time. DUH!
Seems like some sticky back weather stripping should be a sutable replacement for the lost foam, which I suspect gets brittle over time (sooner in FL huh, Dan?) and can't withstand the airflow.

All in all, for a 12yo bike, it still looks and runs great.

HTH,
Jer
 
#5 ·
I thought I had that same problem. A long piece would come out and then retract when I stopped. Turned out it was the tail of a small lizzard (or Neut (not Gingrich)) that had made a home under my dash. I got suspicious when it moved when nothing else was moving. Glad it wasn't a nest of baby snakes :D
 
#6 ·
My foam stuff around the gages flew out when the bike was eight years old.

Somewhere between the Oklahoma border and Mountain Home, Arkansas.

By all accounts, the LT is still functioning well without the said foam.

I guess an eight year lifespan is not really that poor. Some bikes don't even last that long!
 
#9 ·
Replaced with Foam Stripping from Lowe's - adhesive backed I thinks the size is 3/4 x 3/4 - it is real soft and makes all the bends - best to install in warm weather.

Other than stopping dust and bugs not sure of the function!! Kind of like the painted black on car windows - lets the mfg fit up parts easier with less tolerance control!!
 
#10 ·
Ole Toad's foam strip came out in pretty much one piece. I traced it (before it disintegrated) onto some 1" foam sheet that I got from a yarn shop. Easy cut out with a pair of scissors. I think I got something like 7 or 8 pieces outta that. Gave all of 'em away - miscounted and ended up with nada for ole Toad!! :(

I later wondered if the reason for that strip wuz to block any intrusion of dust/humidity into the dash panel's cover shroud - might be some vent holes in the bottom of that clear cover to allow air circulation to keep fogging at bay. Butt, most probably as Dan said, it's purpose is just to keep debris from flying up thru the gap.
 
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