speedo cable issue
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 19
From: scotia. NY 12302
speedo cable issue
ive searched and haven't found much about this. 49 f-1, i have replaced speedo cable 2x. first time didn't pay a lot of attention to it, lasted 20 miles. 2nd one, carefully filled housing with white grease, was very careful with the routing (stock hole and bracket on pass. floor. that one lasted 130 miles. i like having a speedo but 10 cents a mile is more than i want to pay. i can easily spin the speedo by hand with the cable from the transmission end. when the speedo acts up the needle bounces like the cable is binding and springing loose. any hints? am i the only one with the problem? thanks, dick r.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 27,285
Likes: 1,050
From: NM
Mine recently nuked out after 56 yrs and 99,962 miles --- can't Ford make anything right?!?! 
Seriously, white grease is too thick, graphite lube is made specially for speedo cables, it has a light oil base. I'd suspect something in your speedo is locking up ocassionally, that's what did it to mine. The odometer seems to lock up instead of flipping over to the next mile.
Seriously, white grease is too thick, graphite lube is made specially for speedo cables, it has a light oil base. I'd suspect something in your speedo is locking up ocassionally, that's what did it to mine. The odometer seems to lock up instead of flipping over to the next mile.
Lead Driver
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 8,813
Likes: 13
From: Littleton, New Hampshire
Second the suggestion on graphite. Also, be sure that in the routing of the cable housing that there are no sharp bends anywhere. Almost always a bouncing needle is a bad cable but it could also be a bad speedometer head. 
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,224
Likes: 19
From: scotia. NY 12302
thanks guys, i'll risk one more speedo cable with graphite lube and if that one passes on, i guess we'll have to look at the speedo head, looks like you have to pull the whole guage cluster to get speedo out?? as always fte is the best. dick r.
Ford Parts Specialist
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 88,826
Likes: 784
From: Simi Valley, CA
ive searched and haven't found much about this. 49 f-1, i have replaced speedo cable 2x. first time didn't pay a lot of attention to it, lasted 20 miles. 2nd one, carefully filled housing with white grease, was very careful with the routing (stock hole and bracket on pass. floor. that one lasted 130 miles. i like having a speedo but 10 cents a mile is more than i want to pay. i can easily spin the speedo by hand with the cable from the transmission end. when the speedo acts up the needle bounces like the cable is binding and springing loose. any hints? am i the only one with the problem? thanks, dick r.
Dennis Carpenter shows it on page 68 in his 1948/56 catalog = $20.00.
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