speedometer
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 253
Likes: 4
From: peace river alberta
speedometer
I had read some posts and thought I would grease my cable for the speedometer as it was noisy and the needle was bouncing around. I pulled it out used graphite powder and synthetic grease and placed it back in . the noise got quiet but the needle still bounced around , and then when I was going faster at sometime the red part of the needle just fell off and now is somewhere in the speedo cluster . I can still see the small chrome needle bouncing around and it makes a bit a noise still. I phoned around here in alberta and british Columbia , Canada and nobody touches them . I want to maybe just replace it ant tips on a budget . also where is it best to disconnect it meanwhile at the transmission or cluster . do I need to cap the transmission side and or if I disconnect at speedo will the cable tangle up my wiring or something or do I just loosen it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,777
Likes: 105
Originally Posted by 409/409
Disconnect the cable at the transmission end. It won't leak any fluid.
Last edited by babbah; Apr 6, 2016 at 10:11 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 18
From: Dixon California
speedo cable
I did the same but...used my old tach cable....cut the cable and used the nut(with plastic bag inserted in the nut) screwed the nut on the tranny port....then put baggie over the disconnected speedo cable with a rubber band....ty wraped the speedo cable to any attachement point and didn't let it just hang....
I had read some posts and thought I would grease my cable for the speedometer as it was noisy and the needle was bouncing around. I pulled it out used graphite powder and synthetic grease and placed it back in . the noise got quiet but the needle still bounced around , and then when I was going faster at sometime the red part of the needle just fell off and now is somewhere in the speedo cluster . I can still see the small chrome needle bouncing around and it makes a bit a noise still. I phoned around here in alberta and british Columbia , Canada and nobody touches them . I want to maybe just replace it ant tips on a budget . also where is it best to disconnect it meanwhile at the transmission or cluster . do I need to cap the transmission side and or if I disconnect at speedo will the cable tangle up my wiring or something or do I just loosen it.
I had read some posts and thought I would grease my cable for the speedometer as it was noisy and the needle was bouncing around. I pulled it out used graphite powder and synthetic grease and placed it back in . the noise got quiet but the needle still bounced around , and then when I was going faster at sometime the red part of the needle just fell off and now is somewhere in the speedo cluster . I can still see the small chrome needle bouncing around and it makes a bit a noise still. I phoned around here in alberta and british Columbia , Canada and nobody touches them . I want to maybe just replace it ant tips on a budget . also where is it best to disconnect it meanwhile at the transmission or cluster . do I need to cap the transmission side and or if I disconnect at speedo will the cable tangle up my wiring or something or do I just loosen it.
Pro
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 633
Likes: 36
From: Cincinnati Ohio
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 253
Likes: 4
From: peace river alberta
I just finished reading a bunch of forums and was wondering after calling around for a rebuild. If my speedometer is done or not. my trip meter was working and was my odometer , my problem was it was noisy from car sitting 5 years and the cable was not lubed and dry. I took the cable inside out at speedo and put some synthetic grease and graphite powder on it betwwen my fingers and inserted it back in the casing. it got much quieter but needle was bouncing around and eventually the red part of needle fell off inside the gauge. I have read that maybe I tightened it too much and read a guy loosened it a bit at a time until it settled down perfect and no issues. I refuse to pull the dash out again and gamble however on this as I absolutely hated this task of taking out the cluster but a new speedo is expensive too any thoughts on this would be helpful. thanks
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 253
Likes: 4
From: peace river alberta
even though the red pointer on the needle fell of the little chrome or metal needle about and inch is still on the speedometer and sitting at 70 miles or something -I disconnected the cable at transmission. why did it not go to zero ? if it broke is it internal ? I was thinking since I read about just loosen the cable a bit at a time to find sweet spot and then sometimes the bouncing needle problem goes away - that maybe if I hook it back up and loosen the cable a bit behind speedo it may still function and be o k , I also did not check the other possibility I read about a gear on the transmission side. ( is it worth a shot and then I can fish out the needle and unfortunately take the cluster out again to put the needle on if it settles. totally wishfull thinking but what you guys think. the odometer was working fine still and trip too
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Pro
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 633
Likes: 36
From: Cincinnati Ohio
This is just my opinion, but I think your speedometer is OK. It sounds like the cable being old, crusty, weak or whatever is binding and jerking and that's why the needle bounces. The speedo must come out to replace the needle anyway. I would buy a new cable, use the old cable (cut a 2" or 3" piece from the speedo end and put it in a drill motor to spin the speedo. If it works to your satisfaction, reassemble. If not, send it out.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 253
Likes: 4
From: peace river alberta
I just went and checked the plastic gear on the transmission for missing teeth and they seem to all be there it is a Muncie transmission and the gear is orange. how do I pull it right out kind of in there I can move it around and that but not out. also is it supposed to sit in there somewhere and don t get how it works if its just flopping around, any idea. (maybe the cover I took off holds it straight and then the transmission gears engage with it or something , I just think it should contact something with the gears and can t see in there. )
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 253
Likes: 4
From: peace river alberta
well after looking at the orange gear and it looked good to me I just put the cover back with the gear inside the round part and put the 7/16 bolt back in and tightened the cable at the transmission. I tried the cable out with a drill and adjusted the nut behind the speedometer while my girlfriend was on the transmission end spinning it and I watched the needle move and seemed pretty steady while I adjusted and no noise . I just went with the SWEET SPOT I fluked out and found and it seems to be working fine. The problem is getting my needle that fell off the red long part back on if it just fell of or broke off . the chrome back side is still there. (does anyone know if it broke off or did it fall off and can be put back on from the jumping and vibration. I can t see inside where it fell but would it be in there somewhere and re usable. any help on this be awesome . thanks for your 2 scents it worked out I didn t need to replace the speedo . I wish I would have read the forums before and just adjusted the nut off. DAMN!!