Speedometer lubrication:

JBR

JBR

Senior Member
My 1931 speedometer which has always worked well shall started to swing wildly at low speeds. I read some where that this indicates that it needs to be lubricated. What kind of lubrication do I use, and where do I put it?
Thanks guys,
Jon
 
One: You could try some graphite lubricant (from your local home-owned hardware store). Disconnect the speedometer up by the instrument panel. Spray (squirt) some of the lubricant down where the cable comes out. Reassemble.
Two: If the above does not work satisfactorily, then this step is a little more involved. Remove the entire speedometer cable assembly from the car and take out the cable. Clean it off with WD-40. Then hang the outer cable so that is straight up and down. Put a can underneath the outer cable. Get a can of STP and pour some of it down the outer cable until it drips into the can. Let it drip for a while. (It gets messy here.) Reassemble. Enjoy.
Local home-owned hardware stores are real treasures. Get to know them. Patronize them. They will listen to you and do their very best to help you.
 
Is it making any noise? Some times it's just the cable needing to be lubed.
My thoughts. Yours may differ?
 
If lubing the cable does not stop the swing/noise you can carfuley remove the back of the spedo and lub it. This could save a rebulid cost.
 
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The cable should be removed from the housing, wiped clean with a rag and coated with fresh cable lubricant.

I sent the following email to the Lubriplate Lubricants Company:

What type of grease should be applied to automobile speedometer cables?

Response from Lubriplate: We recommend LUBRIPLATE Aero.
 
my speedo started jumping all over and was making a loud knocking noise. I didn't have any graphite lube. the only thing I could find at the time was sewing machine oil. I removed the cable from the back from the speedo and poured some down the speedo cable. It worked for me as it has been over a year ago and all is still working
 
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