speedometer lube for 48 DeSoto

[marcapra]

I am going to lube my speedometer cable today. The shop manual says to unscrew the oil tube and saturate the wick with Mopar speedometer oil. The screw is a small Allen type and I don't have the right size wrench. Is it OK to just put some drops of oil down the hole to lube it? And what type of lubricant should I put on the cable. The manual calls for Mopar All-weather speedometer lubricant.

[Rusty_OToole]

I would use light synthetic motor oil.

[marcapra]

I was going to use a white lithium grease, but maybe that would be too thick?  

[marcapra]

After watching several how to videos on YT, they, including Dave Welch, the Chevy truck guy, seem to prefer Vaseline or Red and Tacky grease on the cable.  

[Bloo]

I wouldn't use white lithium grease on anything. It was the best lightweight grease around a few decades ago but that was then. It turns into something like concrete when it gets old, and requires periodic cleaning out. Vaseline would be infinitely superior in this regard. Almost anything would.

 

Old fashioned speedometer cable lube wasn't white lithium anyway, it was lightweight grease with some graphite in it. You were only supposed to put it on the bottom 2/3 of the cable because it creeps, and you don't want it climbing up into the speedometer head. Today I would look for something modern and synthetic that won't turn to concrete or goo like white lithium would. I probably used Redline CV-2 on mine. Plenty of others would work.

 

This is for the cable. If there is an oil wick, use oil on it.

 

Edited April 20 by Bloo (see edit history)

[marcapra]

Ok, I will take the cable out and clean the lithium off of it.  I saw guys use wheel bearing grease.  Thanks for the tip about the bottom 2/3 of the cable.  For some reason, probably other cars I have worked, I thought the speedo gear would down low on the trans.  But on a 48 DeSoto, it's way up on top right behind the trans solenoid.  And my original rubber cups that went over the solenoid,  and interrupter switch were cracking due to age, so used some new EverDry spark plug covers as substitutes.  Looks like they are a good fit.  

[marcapra]

I routed the speedo cable over the exhaust shield with the trans. wires, then up the bell housing to the engine, and back into the cowl hole for connection to the speedo when I install it Monday.  Is that right?  

[24Chry48]

Do not use oil on a speedometer cable. Over time it will only gum up the cable and cause it to not work right. I was always taught to use a powdered graphite only, and that's what I would recommend.

[Rusty_OToole]

I bought a tube of speedo cable lube at the auto parts store for 79 cents in 1968. Still half full, you don't use a lot of it. The usual method of lubing a speedo cable is to disconnect at the transmission, pull out the inner, wipe it off and smear on some lube. Do not lube the top 6" to 12" of the cable you do not want the lube to work its way into the speedo. Slide the inner back into place and reconnect. Recommend you do this every 20 to 50 years.

 

The cable should hang in easy curves. You do not want it to be bent or kinked. The inner must be able to spin freely.

[marcapra]

On my DeSoto, you can't pull the cable out at the transmission because there is a collar at the gauge end.  I had to pull the cable out at the gauge end.  

Edited April 20 by marcapra (see edit history)

[c49er]

Inner cable is pulled out from the top.