ricosan Posted December 16, 2013 Share Posted December 16, 2013 I just took delivery of a 1932 8-125. I'm new to Marmons. Today was the first time I've been able to drive it other than just around the block. I got the tags today and drove it 5 or 6 miles. About half way through the drive an alarming sound came from under the car. The noise would come and go. I noticed fluctuations in the speedometer as the noise came and went. I felt the speedometer cable and it had a vibration. Is there any place to buy a speedometer cable for a Marmon What can I do? ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Speedometer cables can be made by any competent old time speedometer shop. I would worry more about a chewed up gear. Have you joined the Marmon club? The club website appears to be down now but if you call George Bradley at 717-350-6664 he could sign you up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 Hey Nickel,That's good news. I hope I can find a speedometer shop around here. I joined the Marmon Club but it looks like the Domain Name has expired. That was about a week ago. I don't understand why it's not back up.ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 ricosan,Our website has had some problems but the club is doing fine. What part of the country are you in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 I'm in Tallahassee. I've heard of White Georgia but I don't know where it is. I tried to find a speedometer company around here but Tallahassee is too small. Jacksonville is the nearest I found. It looks like the cable attaches to the rear wheel. Does this sound right?ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Layden B Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Simple things first, have you lubricated it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 Layden,No! How do you lubricate the cable. Do I have to remove it from the sleeve and grease it? what type of grease should I use? It does sound like a lubrication problem as I can drive a mile or two before the noise starts and then the speedometer goes wild. If I stop and back up a few feet I can then proceed without the noise for maybe a quarter of a mile. I've been looking for an owners manual for the 1932 so that I can learn how to service the car and maintain it properly. There was little information about this car when I purchased it and I have no records from previous owners. I'm rambling.ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Layden B Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Guessing here a bit but I think that if you unscrew the cable from the back of the speedometer head the inner core will slide out. Wipe off any old hard grease and check it for any frays in what is probably a wire core. Plenty of chassis grease into the housing and lube the core as you put it back. You cannot get too much inside only too little! You may have to unscrew the bottom drive end of the cable to free up the core for removal and to get the core into the drive when replacing the core. Easy job usually neglected and can be messy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Thanks Layden,I'm going to tackle this project today. ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I think it is likely that you have a lubrication problem here. When you get the cable out make sure you examine it closely for frayed areas and kinks. They make a special lubricant for speedometer cables or you can also use white lithium grease. be careful not to use too much as you don't want the grease to climb up the housing and get into the speedometer. The technical advice person from the Marmon Club for your model is Warren (Bill) Jaquiery, 203-481-9378. I would ask him about a manual as you will want one of those. White GA is a bump in the road on I-75 about 40 miles north of Atlanta. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 20, 2013 Author Share Posted December 20, 2013 Good morning Nickel,I got the cable removed from the spedo head but the cable want come out. I've used moderate force to try to pull it out. It won't come out. Do I need to release something from the other end?Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I am not familiar with your model but I would go to the other end and unscrew the housing. Try taking it out from the other direction. I am assuming that you have checked to see that it turns inside the housing. What brand of speedometer is in this car? If still a problem try posting a couple of pictures of each end. Don't hesitate to call Bill Jaquiery and ask him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 Good morning Nickel,The shaft turns freely in the sleeve and without noise. I'm thinking that the trouble may lie with the speedometer itself. I removed it yesterday and I plan to devise something to stick into the end so that I can turn the speedometer at speed to see if I can generate the same noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 21, 2013 Author Share Posted December 21, 2013 Here are some photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nickelroadster Posted December 22, 2013 Share Posted December 22, 2013 Did you try and take the cable loose from the other side? I would still try and get the cable lubed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted December 25, 2013 Author Share Posted December 25, 2013 Good morning Nickel,Merry Christmas! I attached a drill to the back or the speedometer yesterday and ran it up to 60 or 70 MPH. Although it didn't make any noise, and I didn't run it for long, it is still suspect. It appears to have had someone inside the speedo before. As soon as I can get a lift (my brother has a garage with a pit in it) I will disconnect the cable and remove it for lubrication.ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricosan Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Hey guys,Here's an update to the end of this story. I sent my speedometer to "Bobs" last month. Good turn around. I got the speedometer back in less than 2 weeks from the time I shipped it off to Bob. It works great but it was very pricey!I still haven't had a chance to lubricate the cable.ricosan ricosan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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