So the Speedometer stops at +/-22 mph. The Odometer however, seems dead-on to the miles. What's happening? Is it the gear that I've read about? I've searched the previous forums ans haven't found much that is similar to this particular problem. It's a 1965 f100 4 speed, 2wd. I think everything is stock. Any info helps! Thanks

 

Nope, if the odometer is fine and turning, it's in the speedo head itself. The gear on the cable is working, otherwise you'd get nothing. There's several gears in the head and the center mechanism where the needle attaches to is probably bad. Pull the cluster and make sure the needle is tight on the shaft. There's been a bunch of these clusters on E Bay lately, so finding another should be no problem. You could find a speedo shop to repair it, but a used one would be cheaper.

Barry

 

The magnet will sometimes lose its strength. The magnet is in a cup that rotates around a steel cylinder attached to the speedo needle. The needle assembly has a spring that supplies resistance, otherwise, the needle would got to 100 immediately and never return. So as the magnet rotates around the metal inner cylinder faster and faster, the needle goes higher and higher, but goes back down as you slow.

Anyhow, no gears really involved in the speedo (but there are plenty involved with the odometer). Open it up and you might get lucky with a drop of oil in the right spots. If you are really handy, you can get a used speedo assembly and swap the odometer from your old assembly in. It takes some courage, and fine touch -- if the odometer gears/number cylinders fall apart, you are done. I have one in tiny pieces to prove this!!

A proper speedo shop *can* reset the odometer gears too, but I think its frowned upon, shall we say. I found an assembly in a junk yard with 800 miles on it (probably 100,800), which I turned back to 000000 as part of my restoration. I'm now up to about 1,000 on it. Kind of neat to know exactly where I am at from ground zero. Should anyone wish to know the way to get the miles off a freed up speedo -- remove and oil up the speedo cable, chuck up the tranny end in a drill press. Forward direction for a drill press is actually backwards for the speedo, ie will be taking miles OFF.

Of course, no one would use this method unethically, unless it was a used assembly and they were to inform any future owners down the road -- there, the disclaimer.

 

Thanks folks! That's good info-I'll give it a shot! Always appreciative of the generosity of know how.

 

I am having a similar problem with the speedo in my '65 F-250. Intermittantly, the speedo will display a much higher speed than I am actually moving and the needle wavers back and forth rapidly. If I ignore it , it will heal itself for a while. My wife has started to refer to it as the Oral Roberts speedometer. Could this trouble be linked to the magnetic mechanism mentioned previously? Thanks, Steve

 

Your problem may be a lack of grease in the cable housing, making it bind at times. Take it off each end and pull the core out. Make sure there's no kinks or shiney wear spots. Get some graphite lube and coat it and re-install. Push it back up and when you get to the end it may stick out too far. Just twist it untill it drops into the speedo head. Try it again and see if you get a smooth motion or the wavy spikes. When you pull the end off the tranny end, check the plastic gear for wear. If it still does it, I'd say it's time for a speedo head. Plenty of used ones out there.

barry

 

The info was good-However-I don't think I need it so much anymore----I was going to work this morning and was in the same traffic "pod" as another '65 F100. Low and behold the miracle. The speedo started working! It was only when I got to work that it shut down again. I am now a true believer that "The Ford works in mysterious ways!"
Can I have an "AMEN!" Lemme hear it!