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wild and crazy speedometer needle
https://www.slantsix.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=38722		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  bob fisher [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:22 am ]
Post subject:  wild and crazy speedometer needle
hi sages- trying to recall a remedy for speedometer needle all of a sudden jumping all over the place at low speed(floating) in my 80 volare. happened during the recent cold snap in fla. has a slight ringing or tapping noise too. odometer working properly. fixed this same problem in my 77 aspen back in 93. since speedometer needle is moving, figure spring cable in sheath to trans must be ok. remember disconnecting the cable from the back of the speedometer and shooting lithium grease and wd 40 in the cable sheath. then a small shot of wd 40 in the cable fitting hole in the back of the speedometer and reconnecting the cable. solved the problem in the 77. am i on the right track or is there a better way. thanks tons. hope it isnt the speedometer itself gone to hell. dont want to pay clip joint prices. bob f
Author:  slantvaliant [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:26 am ]
Post subject: 
Sounds like it's time to clean and lube the cable core. WD40 is not the stuff for this.
It's not a difficult job at all, just be careful about what it touches when you pull it out. It'll be dirty.
Author:  bob fisher [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  speedo cable core
hello sv- never cleaned the core. how would you do it? disconnect the cable at the trans, pull the cable out and then run pb blaster through the core from the speedo end? wipe down the cable and reinstall? surmise you would just relube it with aerosol lithium grease. thanks bob f
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 8:30 am ]
Post subject: 
See here.
Author:  Fab64 [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 11:16 am ]
Post subject: 
I don't mean to hijack this thread, but I'm having the same problem. Dan, I read your link that mentioned the rebuild service in Denver. I haven't had my instrument panel out yet - can the speedometer be removed separately, or would I have to send the entire panel to be serviced? Thanks.
Author:  SlantSixDan [ Thu Jan 21, 2010 12:05 pm ]
Post subject: 
Once the instrument cluster is out, it's easy to remove the speedometer. Then you send just the speedometer in for rebuild.
Author:  1967cuda [ Fri Jan 22, 2010 1:06 pm ]
Post subject: 
I've had a similar problem, but with a seemingly different symptom. Others have said that their jumpy speedometer is only haywire during low speed. My speedometer will jump and bounce while making a grinding sound only on rare occasions, and regardless of speed. If I'm on the freeway going about 60 mph, it jumps around the 80 to 120 mph range; if I'm at a lower speed, it bounces around in a 30 to 40 mph range of my actual speed. And then it goes away for weeks at a time, and everything is normal. When it does act this way, it is brief--maybe for 10 to 20 miles. Is this just a variation of the same problem?
Author:  ESP47 [ Fri Jan 22, 2010 4:02 pm ]
Post subject: 
Quote:
I've had a similar problem, but with a seemingly different symptom. Others have said that their jumpy speedometer is only haywire during low speed. My speedometer will jump and bounce while making a grinding sound only on rare occasions, and regardless of speed. If I'm on the freeway going about 60 mph, it jumps around the 80 to 120 mph range; if I'm at a lower speed, it bounces around in a 30 to 40 mph range of my actual speed. And then it goes away for weeks at a time, and everything is normal. When it does act this way, it is brief--maybe for 10 to 20 miles. Is this just a variation of the same problem?
I had something like that. Always had a noisy rattle and after about 65mph it would jump to 100+ and bounce around there. Once I got to about 40mph or so it would catch again and be back to normal. It would sometimes happen all week, then not for a month or two, then every could weeks. Always random.

I started to do Dan's instructions on lubing the cable but when I took it off the speedometer, the plastic connector piece broke (brittle after 35+ years). I taped it back together but it never fit snugly again and didn't really work at all after that. Ended up just buying another speedo cable and now it works fine. Still has a slight rattle but not noticeable at all unless you already know its there.
Author:  Romeo Furio [ Tue Jan 26, 2010 8:24 am ]
Post subject:  speedo
This happened to my 63 Valiant when a cold snap hit. Did the cable cleanup but found at the back of the speedo where the cable fits is a brass/bronze bushing that was dry. After lubing the bushing all was well again.
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