How to Properly Lubricate Speedometer?

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nerd racing

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I finally took my barracuda out for some higher speed cruising. I got up to 65 and the speedometer was really really loud. Is there a way to properly lubricate the speedometer? Suggested oil to use and proper method?

Thanks!
 
You can pull the cable off and lube the lower 1/3 of the core. I've never heard of a way to lube the speedo itself.
 
disconnect at speedometer housing and remove shaft. clean and lube the the whole shaft. expect the top 12 inchs
 
Mine has started jumping fits. I pulled the core, cleaned it and lubed it with powered graphite. It helped a little bit but not cured. I lubed the whole core though. I suppose by lubing all but the top foot the lube won't work it's way into the speedo head. I have a extra speedo head if I need it. tmm
 
Years ago there were adapters that attached to the sheathe collector/nut at trans end with a grease fitting/zerk. I think those came off the Cornwell Tools truck ( I forget ).
How I service a speedo cable.. I disconnect both ends. I work the speedo end out from behind the dash and down to the floor. Then I pull the cable from the sheathe.
Then I wash the cable and flush the sheathe with brake cleaner and compressed air.
Then I push the cable back into the sheathe working in and out with white lithium grease loadings on the cable. Once the cable is all the way back in where it came from I'll have a good bit of excess grease to clean away from the speedometer end before reconnecting.
We've been down this road before in previous threads. Dry graphite and several other lubes were recommended. I wouldn't load a throttle cable with lithium but it isn't spinning and/or generating heat inside either.
 
I used white lithium grease and pulled it off the back off the speedometer with the cluster out.....grab it with needle nose pliers and it pulls right out....lube it and slide it right back in....
 
The cable isn't what's making the noise though. I had mine apart, cleaned, and lubricated when I changed the speedometer cable seals on the trans end a couple months ago.
 
If the speedometer head itself is making a noise, may as well replace it.
If these things didn't have the odometer included they wouldn't need or have 1 gear inside. What moves the needle is a magnetic gyro.
Does the needle bounce at low speed ? If so there wear in tiny bronze bushings that allows the spinning magnet to touch the drum.
 
pics of typical worn out speedo. Now what causes this is more complicated. The input spindle that the cable attaches to is quite long, rigid, and close fit. Regardless the cable input is still applying force that's misaligned in one direction or another no matter how tight the collector nut secures the sheathe.
Orange squares drawn at drum scars
 

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bbrroowwnn said:
I used white lithium grease and pulled it off the back off the speedometer with the cluster out.....grab it with needle nose pliers and it pulls right out....lube it and slide it right back in....
Click to expand...

x2
 
I was thinking of updating to a gps speedometer in the future. Perhaps the future is now if I have to replace the speedo head.
 
I must of got lucky then cause my '71 had a 'bouncy' speedo. I pulled the cluster out, disconnect the cable/housing, then used graphite and WD-40 to move it down into the sheath. Did that several times, reconnected and no more problems until the car was rear ended on the street. This was wayyyy back in '89 though. LOL
 
Putting any kind of grease on the cable will affect the accuracy. The speedometer cable should be lubricated with a dry lubricant like graphite powder already mentioned.
 
I'm not looking to lubricate the cable, that was already done a month ago.

I need to lubricate the speedometer, that is what is making the noise. It's either worn out or needs to be lubricated. Is there a recommended oil to use? like a marvel mystery oil?
 
No. Same thing. Graphite. Any type liquid on the speedometer affects the accuracy through the resistance of the liquid.
 
Thanks for the tip. I'll try and pick some up at the auto parts store.

Need to get a bypass hose tonight too so I'll try and get it in one trip.
 
I install tack. get it behind our truck at 55 and 65 and mark the face of the tack. I do this even when speedo is working fine. changing tire size will c ause untrue speedo reading.
 
I had the same problem and put a few drops of 3 in 1 machine oil into the hole on top of the speedometer input. It has a felt pad in the hole to hold the oil in and the dirt out I guess. You will probably have to use a mirror if you want to do it without removing the speedo. It worked on mine.
 
I can't conceive of any way grease on the cable could affect the accuracy. The cable turns the same rpm regardless.

When the speedo bore gets too worn, the spinning magnet can wobble. Worst-case, the magnet can grab the aluminum cup. That happened in my 65 Newport. Fortunately, the cable broke and I was able to bend the cup back. I sent the spinning magnet to a speed shop in Bakersfield and they re-bushed it. That was ~1992.
 
I had the 150 mph speedo in my 66 Barracuda formula s rebuilt. It cost about 150.00 bucks. It was worth it.
 
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