I'm finally back on the road after an extensive and expensive transmission rebuild and now need to address a problem with my speedometer. When I go over 20 mph the needle jumps all over and the gear that the male end of the cable inserts into makes a grinding noise. I removed and cleaned the cable-no problems there-but the female end when even turned by hand makes a noise. Can that be taken apart or fixed in some way. Is that part replaceable? Thanks.
Chris

 

Chris,
I take it you are talking about the speedo head itself when you say the female end? On some of the older speedo heads there is a small oil port for adding lube to the bushing in the end of the housing. If yours has one you could add a few drop of a thin oil to it and see if it works itself loose.
If it doesn't have it you can sometimes work a thin oil into it anyways. If you look at it closely the end where the speedo cable goes in is generally brass (its the part you can turn by hand) It should turn freely. I've had luck in the past squirting some thin oil into the small gap between the brass part and the housing.

If you are really patient you can take the guage head out of the housing and might possibly be able to reach the straw from a spray can down into the housing under the cup to try and lube it from that end.

More than likely you will probably need to get out the yellow pages and see if there is a outfit near you that overhauls gauges.

Good luck with it
Bobby

 

Bobby's advice is correct, but be careful how much oil you squirt around in there! If it gets onto the drum inside there, it will sling all over and can end up on the face, which looks like crap. Guess how I know?

 

Nice catch Ross! I forgot to mention that. I had to learn that lesson the hard way also...lol

Bobby

 

It only $80.00 to Rebuild a Speedometer & that's your best bet, as new ones, when you are able to locate them, are double that amount.

 

Hi,Seawulf.They are the best in the Bay Area.By the way ,thanks for the bottle of wine.Steve in Boulder Creek

 

Would it not be better to use graphite? Just a thought that the oil will attract dust/dirt...

 

What about using some graphite. I have a ton of that left from my sons cubscout days and the soap box derby!
Chris

 

I wouldn't use graphite, it will make a mess.

 

If it's already making 'Grinding' noises, it's already to late for it!
The only thing to do Logically is to rebuild the bloody thing.

 

How true Colonel, but its not very often that logic enters into the picture when we mess around with this hobby of ours.

One must first go through the frustrations and vain attempts at trying to cheaply and inexpensively repair the gauge in question. There is a tried and true, time honored procedure here.
First you try in vain to convince some oil to work its way in from the rear. You convince yourself that it actually helped a little. A few months go by and the blinders of wishful thinking are finally lifted, so you proceed to step 2. You take the speed in question out of the dash loudly proclaiming to yourself and anyone else who will isten that "heck, I can fix that, all it need is a little pookey right there in the hootus"
You proceed to tear the gauge all apart and snake a small red straw from the aerosal can down in there and give a few quick bursts while turning the works and silently praying.
Aahh, thats it, it feels tons better. You put it all back together trying to ignore that small voice way back there in the back of your brain case that says "why don't you just step up to the plate and have it rebuilt and forget this silly quest"
After its installed you make the first tentative test drive, with fingers crossed you increase speed ignoring any little dips or jumps in the speedo needle, convincing yourself that you are indeed a "mechanical genius and can fix anything" while holding your breath....ah, once again success (maybe)
Skip forward a few months and once again the blinders dissappear one day and your realize that the speedo needle it tapping along with the rythym of the radio and in general taunting you.

Step 3. Do you bite the bullet and replace it? No way! thats for quitters, no for the "mechanical genius that can fix anything" With great determination you tear into it once again, this time with experience fingers you lay the offending gauge open and figure that if a little pookey was good then a bit more is just what is needed here. Once again it all oges back together and away you go on your test drive. Success at last!! woohooo!!

But wait,......... ...what in the world is that??

....what are all those little specs and blobs? AAAAAGGHHHH!!!!!!
all the pookkey has now been flung all over the guage face (I guess I don't need to mention that pookey doesn't necessarily come right off of a 50 year old oxidized gauge face)

OK, now you can seriousely start thinking about replacing the gauge. It will help to avoid the significant other during this time as she will undoubtably remind you that you are a "mechanical genius that can fix anything"

Have fun with it
Bobby

 

Not if you use it sparingly and only place it where needed. It is very messy and stickie, that`s why it does the job so well in lubricating the cable and housing without attracting as much dirt/dust as oil.
Once it`s on places where it`s not supposed to be then it`s very hard to clean up. Most grahite containers have a small spout to aid in placing it in where it`s needed.
In the end it`s your choice, both will work better than a dry speedo assembly.

 

I'll admit to not being a fan of graphite. You're right,it doesn't attract as much dirt, but -- it IS dirt! I used to use it on locks until I noticed my pant pocket was black from the graphite on my keys! It's hell to get out, too.

In this case I believe his problem is the bushing inside the speedo, not the cable or housing. I don't know that you can get graphite and it's solvent/carrier into the bushing as well as a sewing machine oil (3-in-1) or something similar. These really don't need a lot of lubrication, tho. I tend to agree with the Colonel, if it is making much noise, the damage has probably been done. The case (zinc) may be wallered out.

 

Bobby, I really enjoy your posts! Thanks!


As for graphite, it is a bit like never seize. I live on the coast of Maine and spend a lot of time on the water. The saying goes around here amongst the fishermen that if you put some never seize on the bow in the morning, it will be on the stern in the afternoon.

 

Well I have taken all your advice to heart and unfortunately agree the speedo probably needs to be rebuilt. What I really want to know is how come every time I follow the advice I am given it always costs me twice as much as my "advisors" tell me it's going too! This truck is killing my retirement fund and I still have two kids in college. Seriously, thanks for the advice. Palo Alto speedometers wants $200 to rebuild it so I think that I might just break the law for a while and use the wind noise to estimate my speed!
Chris