-63 Speedometer noise

Hi guys,

Spring is here and I finally got my baby back on the road, feels fantastic! But: The speedo noise is driving me nuts. I already changed the cable once, didn't help. What do I do next?

Thanks!

Lasse

Unhook the cable and use your GPS for a speedometer? Keeps the mileage down too.

How bad is it, does it bounce a little or is it swinging wildly? Check this link out for some suggestions;

http://forums.aaca.org/f169/speedometer-bouncing-fix-317715.html

Mine has a very slight bounce at certain speeds but not bad enough to tamper with at this time IMO. Guess it depends on how much you can tolerate and whether it is accurate enough to know the basic speed you are traveling at. Good luck.

You did not describe the noise. The bushing on the back of the speedometer probably needs to be oiled.

Remove cable to get to it.

The needle bounces pretty wildly, even in slow speeds. Hard to describe the noise, it's a loud rattle.

I' ll try Jim's oil trick first, let' see.

Thanks!

Lasse

Needle bouncing is from the speedo cable "winding up" when the bushing in the back of the speedo binds a bit (needle drops) and then the cable finally gets so wound up that it twists the bound bushing free and it rapidly unwinds (needle goes up). The cable keeps acting like a long coil spring that winds up and then releases. Do this long enough and the cable will break as the bushing gets harder and harder to turn.

The loud rattle you hear is the cable jumping around inside the speedo cable housing as it winds up and then releases.

Light oil on the back of the speedo at the bushing should do it. Remove the dash pad to get to where the cable screws into the speedo. I have done from below, standing on my head, but it's no fun. One advantage of removing the dash pad is you can go test drive it with the pad off and then get easy access if the first bit of oil does not fix it, add a bit more.

If it does not fix it, check for a kink in the speedo cable. You might have to remove the speedo to oil more stuff inside, but it is usually this bushing in the back.

This is common after a car sits a long time and in cold weather. The bushing is dry.

Done! And as usual, Jim nailed the cause and fix. A healthy burst of WD-40 (standing on my head) to the cable housing was enough. Thanks man.

A little off-topic, this was again a prime example of my tendency to over-analyze every problem. I was all geared up to pull the speedo and what not, didn't even cross my mind that a simple squirt of oil could be enough. I guess that's called "experience".

I was pretty sure that would do it. WD-40 is very light. It will penetrate but not last long. The next time you have the dash pad off for another reason, try to remember to get in there and put a few drops of light oil on that bushing. In America we have "3-in-1 oil", also "sewing machine oil". That's kind of what you need.

Yes, you mess with old cars long enough (break a few things, fix the wrong thing, etc.) and you gain "experience". :cool:

Lasse, my dad was a diesel doctor with an 8th grade education from the late forties to 1987. He grew up on a farm and could analyze almost any problem there was with a car or any mechanical, plumbing, or electrical device on earth and solve the problem.

He taught me to carve any problem up into the smallest bites possible and when you analyze the little problems think simple first, don't look for the big (read expensive/conspiracy theory) solution first. Then when you try a solution it will necessarily be the easiest to do and generally the least expensive. You may eventually get to the some big expensive solution but the it will be more likely the little fixes will solve it before it gets there. As Jim said it was just a little dab of oil and voila - problem gone, time to get to the next thing to fix.

Happy Motoring.

gord

It's a great part of this hobby (or should I say lifestyle) to gain this experience, bit by bit and problem after another. But I sure hope my learning curve was a bit more aggressive, this is tough on my wallet and mental health.

But; The Princess is back on the road and summer is almost here, life is great!

You guys are allright.

Lasse