whiny speedometer

OleRed66 · Post by **OleRed66** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 9:09 am

Hey guys, I got a speedometer that just recently started to freak out. It did get all whiny for a day, started jumping around. Now it just jumps all over the place. Anyhow, I was wondering if anyone has any idea what it might be. I was thinking the end of the cable in the transmission may have broken off a small piece, or there is some debris or something fouling up the coupling there. I don't know any suggestions??

66patrick · Post by **66patrick** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:23 pm

Tell it ot quit whining and straighten up, then!

Try shooting some powdered graphite into the speedo head and also down the cable from the dash, down. Remove the tranny cable end and do the same there. this will lubricate the cable and very likely cure the problem. Do NOT use penetrating oil! Oil will gum the cable up, and eventually, it will break internally.

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:51 pm

FSM actually recommends 3 in 1 oil on the speedo head. a couple drops in the little trap door on top of the housing. id bet the whining is from the head its self. jumpy needle is usually the cable. i have been using the oil thats made for my hair clippers. its a virgin mineral oil, gets in nice and tends to stay there as well. if your gonna do the cable, i agree to take the insert out of the housing to do it. you should clean all the gunk off first. i even flushed the cable housing out with some degreaser and let it dry real good. then i used the mineral oil from the top, and added it till it dripped out the bottom. slide the insert back in, reassemble everything, and away i went. been 3 years now since i did this. my speedo head is getting whiney again as well, but only when its cold, so i got a little time before i have to do it again.

JJ · Post by JJ » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:52 pm

On the back of the speedo there is a place to put a drop of machine oil. Works wonders

mopardwh · Post by **mopardwh** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:57 pm

Mine starting doing the exact same thing. I haven't even touched it, but it sounds/looks far more complicated then just needing lubed up.

Website · Post by **wideblock** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:59 pm

it will. but its not

MountainMoparRobin · Post by **MountainMoparRobin** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:26 am

3 in 1 oil is the best

let me guess you had your temperatures drop and now its acting crazy???? Just like JJ said their is hole in the back of the speedo for the 3 in 1 oil, you may have to oil it up to 3 different times, but we have had that happen and the oil is what it needs, mine did that last winter and this winter has been colder and it hasn't done it even at -33 below

Hotfoot · Post by **Hotfoot** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:06 am

As above. Drastic temp changes as well as age, moisture, debris, slight kink or tight bend... will create friction between the cable and its cover causing it to jump around.

Remember the cable is 36-46 years old!:lol:

A small amount of Oil will go along way.
And it will be cheaper than a replacement cable

OleRed66 · Post by **OleRed66** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 9:34 am

Thanks guys appreciate your input. I'll give it a go and see what happens. My truck is sitting for a while, I'm trying to get some painting done on it, cover up some bare spots. Anyhow, thanks again.

duracell · Post by **duracell** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 11:59 am

if you want to put oil in quickly take a small screwdrive,slowly and carefully pop out the brass plug and squirt the oil in. it's faster this way, if you don't you will be puttig it in a drop at a time through a very small hole the may be plugged with 30 plus years or grime and dirt.
these speedo's are a sinch, i swapped my odometer numbers to the original one's when i swapped out my speedo. never done it before in my life

OleRed66 · Post by **OleRed66** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 9:01 am

Finally took the gauges out and pulled the cable, lubed it up, man it sounds like a dream again. I can hear all the squeaks and rattles instead of that cable. Thanks guys, I got a bottle of 3 in 1 on hand now, won't let that get too bad again.

Blue67 · Post by **Blue67** » Wed Mar 07, 2007 10:01 pm

Red. Glad you got it fixed. I had a bouncy speedometer in my 66 and thought to put off fixing it till spring. Now it doesn't bounce at all it just sits quietly at 0 mph.

New parts time in the spring. On a high note. The day before it broke the gas guage decided to start working again. I'd been watching the miles traveled to know when to fill the gas tank. Always with a full gas can in the back just in case I figured wrong. And I often did and still do. Guage still isn't 100% accurate but it gets me to work and back home every day.
Blue

dylansd100 · Post by **dylansd100** » Fri Mar 09, 2007 11:54 pm

3 in 1 is good for the speedo but DO NOT use it on the cable. use white lithium grease it comes in an aerosol can and you can get it at wal-mart. If you use 3 in 1 on the cable you WILL regret it.

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