Motorcycle Repair: 1980 Goldwing Speedometer cable, silicone lubricant, speedometer drive

Question
QUESTION: Hi Rich, I hope you can help me. My speedometer isn't working suddenly and I think it is the cable. Several months ago a clamp was missing that was holding the front brake line and speedometer cable together near the front fork. After looking at the clamp I tightened the clap too tight deforming the speedometer cable a bit...not too much but I fear that it might have stopped the spin of the cable...not sure as it has worked for several months. Any way, I disconnected the cable from the speedometer and the front wheel, sprayed some silicone lubricant over the connectors and cleaned out the mess in the front wheel. After some coaxing I finally got the old cable back into the front wheel but cant get the screw back in and the cable is in where it was originally. I drove the bike a bit to see if the speedometer is working and will worry about the screw later. The speedometer is still inop. Question: Should I replace the cable, and why won't the screw go back in? What should I do?
Thanks for your professional help. Please give instructions so any idiot can follow...I am new at the Honda stuff.

Dan

ANSWER: Dan, there's a tap that slips into a slot in the speedometer drive.  If the tab isn't in the slot the cable won't go all the way in and the cable won't spin.

Regards
Rich

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Right...I saw the slot in the cable and I worked the male portion located in the wheel into the cable and the cable is in as I found it before I removed the cable from the wheel. I just can not get the screw back in. Somnething is blocking it. Also do you think the cable is bad (that is why the speedometer isn't working or a bad indicator?
Anyway...it is the screw that is giving me a problem. Please let  me know.
Thanks!!

Answer
If the cable is going in as far as it should, the screw should slip right in. Try jacking the front wheel off the ground and rotating the tire while trying to slip the cable into the drive.  Sometimes it just needs to find it's seat.

If you pull the cable off the speedometer, and the cable is turning when the wheel spins, the problem is not the cable. If it's not spinning, it could be a bad cable or the drive could be stripped and needing to be replaced.

Regards
Rich