Lubricating the Speedometer Cable

[ChrisMinelli]

I was looking at the speedometer cable for the first time on my car, and I can't for the life of me figure out how to lubricate it.  I assume that white lithium grease is a good modern substitute for "Mopar Speedometer Lubricant."  Do I just lubricate the tip at the transmission and the tip at the speedometer?  Do I need to pull the whole thing out and lubricate that?  The service manual just sort of assumes the reader knows how to do it, and it just tells you when to do it.

 

Thanks!

[P15-D24]

Lithium will gum up over time. Use this instead: https://www.zoro.com/ags-kable-ease-cable-lubricant-05-oz-tube-mz-4h/i/G8235990/?pla=true&utm_source=google&utm_medium=surfaces&utm_campaign=shopping feed&utm_content=free google shopping clicks&gclid=Cj0KCQiA4feBBhC9ARIsABp_nbVTDa889NEXlU9vYxVrkuypma2KwdzUzQGcWXbAtWdZJR4NqRutnFcaAnTrEALw_wcB

[JBNeal]

additional information - speedometer cable lubrication 

[belvedere]

I have a small tube of speedometer cable lube I bought at NAPA probably 25 years ago. I would guess they still sell it.

[plymouthcranbrook]

And silly me just used a lightweight gp grease 15 years ago not ever knowing  a special one even existed. No troubles at all. I miss Don Coatney and his common sense.

Edited March 3, 2021 by plymouthcranbrook

[Young Ed]

I bought grease at Napa last summer that specifically called out speedometer cables on the package. The proper technique is to remove cable from car, clean liberally with brake clean or carb spray, and then grease the core as you feed it back into the outer housing. Not a pleasant job but the results of a quiet smooth speedometer are worth it.

[greg g]

You remove the cable assembly from the back of the speedometer.   Then maneuver the thing so you can pull the worm out of the sleeve.  It's a messy job so protect your self and near by carpets and upholstery.  Clean with solvent. Then apply the new lube to a few inches at a time as you thread it back in.  Make sure it's seated into the trans and then reattach the cable assembly back into the speedo.  Don't over tighten, infact leave it a thread or two loose till you get a few miles, then snug it down.

[50net]

what if the noise is coming from speedometer instead of cable? will spraying wd40 into it be ok?

[Marcel Backs]

WD could mess things up more than anything and could creep into the gauge  face. A noisy speedo usually needs to be cleaned and rebuilt by a pro. These are hard to replace components and taking a chance with a "quick fix " may not pay off. M

[busycoupe]

The speedometer has an oiling hole on the back.  You can try putting  few drops of very light weight oil into the speedo to see if helps.  I used a zoom spout oiler to reach up behind the speedo. 

[Kilgore47]

Thanks for the info about the oiling hole.  When I got the 47 P15 the cable was disconnected and the speedometer was stuck on 100 mph.  I tried connecting the cable and it made a lot of noise and the needle bounced around.  Disconnected it again.  Plan to remove the speedometer one day and try to fix it.  I use an app on my phone for now that uses GPS to show speed and distance traveled.  I'll try the oiling hole and see what happens.

[RobertKB]

10 hours ago, busycoupe said:

The speedometer has an oiling hole on the back.  You can try putting  few drops of very light weight oil into the speedo to see if helps.  I used a zoom spout oiler to reach up behind the speedo. 

 

I had a very noisy, squealing speedometer in my '53 Plymouth and figured I would have to replace or repair it. However, after reading about the oiling hole on the back in a different thread than this one, I lubricated the speedo as suggested and it has worked perfectly ever since. I also did the same to the speedo in my '51 Dodge D39 and it stopped it bouncing around which had become annoying. There is an absorbent material in the part that is removed from the hole and you need to make sure this is thorough soaked with oil. I just soak the whole thing in thin oil like sewing machine oil overnight.  It's at an angle and the oil wicks to lubricate the speedometer. I would not add much, if any, oil directly into the hole.
 

This is often an overlooked maintenance item and I highly recommend it!

 

EDIT - I went and got a couple of pictures as they explain better than words. Picture shows the back of a '51 speedometer.
 

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by RobertKB
Add pictures

[greg g]

Good posts on the oiling wick guys.  Mine has been lagging a bit.  Some sewing machine oil might just do the trick.  Wonder why that never made it to the lube chart?

[RobertKB]

4 hours ago, greg g said:

Good posts on the oiling wick guys.  Mine has been lagging a bit.  Some sewing machine oil might just do the trick.  Wonder why that never made it to the lube chart?

 

 Probably because it does not have one. It was my '51 Dodge that had the bouncy speedometer, not my '48. I went out to my '48 and checked it and my spare speedo for it and they do not have the oil wick for the speedometer. The pictures I posted above are of a '51 speedometer.

 

Sorry for any confusion I may have caused.

Edited March 6, 2021 by RobertKB

[Sniper]

5 minutes ago, RobertKB said:

 

 Probably because it does not have one. It was my '51 Dodge that had the bouncy speedometer, not my '48. I went out to my '48 and checked it and my spare speedo for it and they do not have the oil wick for the speedometer. The pictures I posted above are of a '51 speedometer.

 

You may have figured out why they added one though

[50net]

thanks robertkb for the info .i was hasitant to pull out and apart.so by the looks of picture i can just use a zoom oiler while its still in place {right where cable attaches}?

[RobertKB]

All you really need to do is make sure the absorbent material (see second picture) is saturated with oil. I wouldn’t put oil directly in as you can get too much. 

[Saskwatch]

Any suggestions on how to lube the speedometer that doesn’t have oiling wick?

   Thank you ,?

[RobertKB]

Carefully remove it from its case and apply a small amount of very thin oil on moving parts. I use a needle with a drip of oil on the end at any one place. Avoid getting oil anywhere near the odometer numbers. That’s all I’ve ever done. 

Edited March 6, 2021 by RobertKB