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| | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 | The speedometer on my ’53 3600 swings widely (up to 20 mph) when I am driving a constant speed. Sometimes it stays fairly stable but not others. What could cause this and what would be the cure?
John
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 400 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 400 | Speedo cable binding up- replace speedo cable | | | | | Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 698 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Sep 2010 Posts: 698 | You can lubricate the cable if you don't want to spend the $$. But it's a dry cable doing it. It should also be making a whining noise as it binds inside the casing. If I remember correctly you unscrew the cable from the back of the speedo and can pull the cable out from there w/o breaking it free from the tranny. We used white lub on the cable as we pushed it back in. The last little bit you need to turn the cable to get it to match up to the tranny. Then just re-attach it to the speedo. Of course if it's all rusted this ain't gonna work.......
Last edited by cletis; 09/30/2010 9:37 PM. Reason: Language
My Fleet: 19411953195919651966 1953 Willy's Pickup John Vegetarian- old Indian word for bad hunter
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 400 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Feb 2009 Posts: 400 | You can also use graphite powder inside to lube the cable. | | | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 | It is a new cable but I assumed that it was lubed. My mistake.
Thanks for the feed back.
John | | | | | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 946 | It's new and it wasn't lubed? Hmm, I guess I should lube my new speedo cable before installing it. So you literally pull the cable out of the casing? Is it hard to pull out?
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 Cruising in the Passing Lane | | Cruising in the Passing Lane Joined: Jul 2001 Posts: 3,887 | if it's a new cable, that's not the problem, it's the speedo itself gummed up - I wouldn't use any kind of grease on a cable, dry graphite only and only if you're sure the cable is binding, which would mean you got a defective new one
Bill | | | | | Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: May 2010 Posts: 144 | I pulled the inner cable out and lubed it, reinstalled and test drove. It works fine now.
Thanks
John | | | | | Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 56 Wrench Fetcher | | Wrench Fetcher Joined: Oct 2008 Posts: 56 | Mine did that. I took it to a speedometer shop. They said the only thing bad with it was the odometer. They put in a new odometer that was close. The numbers weren't centered perfectly, but the speedometer/odometer worked great even past 90 mph when I buried it. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 637 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 637 | Mine does that, lubricating the cable did nothing, still does it. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2006 Posts: 9,671 | If the bearing in the head is stiff the speedo will just read slow. If the head is in decent shape then just replacing the cable probably isn't enough. The cable housing wears inside and allows even a new cable to flop around. This is usually the cause of a bouncing needle if lubricating it doesn't help. You should replace the cable and housing at the same time.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL
Denny G
Sandwich, IL
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