Deuce Speedometer going nuts

[ARMYMAN30YearsPlus]

Just the other day when I took the deuce out the speedometer started going crazy like spinning around the whole dial and due to the short suspense I had to make I had to keep driving. Now the thing seems to have settled down but I do not know if it is really showing my SOG. Is there a common reason this happens and is there a remedy or do I need to look for a new speedo?

Thanks

 

[clinto]

There is a lube point on the speedo cable, I'd try that first. Look for the zerk.

If that doesn't fix it, then I would look for kinks.

If that doesn't fix it, I suppose you could pull the cable out of it's sleeve and inspect it.

On my Mopars (and let's face it, a speedo is a speedo, regardless of whether it's in a Road Runner or a Deuce), when the speedo needle started flopping around, the speedo needed cleaning or rebuilding.

I am faced with the same issue with my deuce's tach cable and I haven't had the time to look into it,

 

[houdel]

Try all of the above, and then use a GPS to verify your speedo readings. My speedo reads about 10% low compared to the GPS, the odometer is about 5% low. I have an 11:00-20 speedo adapter which I bought from Saturn which I'm going to install to see if I can get more accurate readings.

 

[WillWagner]

My speedo was kind of doing the same thing...kinda. It would work OK, then lose speed, then all of a sudden, pop to 60 or so MPH and go back to "normal". I greased it and it is OK now.

 

[JDToumanian]

Hmmm... To grease or not to grease? I just replaced my speedo cable, with a new one from Antelope Valley Truck. Neither the maint. manual or lube order mentions lube for the cable, and Norm at Antelope Valley told me it is to be left dry. "Dry graphite only, if you insist", he said. The only zerk fitting in that area on my truck is for the speedo drive adapter, not the cable.

So, is grease a way of rejuvenating a worn cable? Should the cable always be greased? Graphite? I didn't pay good $$$ for a new cable to have it fail prematurely. What's the deal?

Regards,
Jon

 

[WillWagner]

Ya know, you're right. The fitting is on the adaptor. There should be a seal between the adapt. and the cable inlet end...Good piont Jon, kind of makes me want to take it apart to see wassup.

 

[clinto]

Hmm..........mine actually has a zerk in the middle of the cable. I will take a picture when I get home tonight.

 

[jasonjc]

I had a speed that would show 60mph in 2nd gear took it a part and found that it was full of eng oil and also all over the back of the dash was oily.Note donot use brake cleaner to clean inside of speedo it cleaned it and got the oil out and made it work but it took off all the numbers on the odomator opps.

 

[DrFoster]

Lube, good idea always, but remember that gauge is triggered by a passing magnet overcoming the force of a retaining spring, so either one of two, or both things happened: the magnet and the needle stuck together, or the spring is broken and it somehow "snagged" in there returning the readings to semi-normal for now.

Either way, the gauge should be replaced

 

[clinto]

Pictures deleted by author, who was apparently having another one of his slow moments.

 

[Boatcarpenter]

Clinto, are you sure that isn't your parking brake cable?

 

[jasonjc]

I hate to tell you this but that is the parking brake cable

 

[clinto]

You guys ignore me, I have been drinking.

 

[OPCOM]

and I thought I was going crazy for I have traced that cable.

 

[WillWagner]

Funny thing, my PB cable doesn't have a lube point. I have the ratchet type PB lever.

 

[tjcouch]

Shortly after getting my deuce the tranny self-destructed. $2,700 later, I have it back and am starting to work on my punch list.

So - my speedo has never worked. I assume I should follow the cable from the dash through the firewall and down to the ?_______? Transfercase? Drive shaft?

Oddly enough the speedo is the only gauge that is constantly fogged up - does that mean anything?

 

[Barrman]

As pointed out above. A speedo is a speedo. My M715 speedo would jump like crazy for about 2 miles and then break the cable. After spending all the time and money to clean the cable housing, installing a new cable and having the same thing happen, I took the speedo apart and used compressed air only to clean every bit of anything that wasn't metal out of it. Worked great from then on.

 

[sermis]

Well my tach did the same thing when the temp droped. It sprung and does not work now.

 

[Hookin1]

After my tach and speedo quit working i pulled the cables the tach was bad and had broken the tip og the cable off at the tach...the speedo cable had bound up in the housing and twisted itself in half....when i put the next cable and tach in i pulled both cables apart,cleaned them and put graphite lube on them....if the speedo or tach starts jumping it usually means the cable is binding up somewhere....the cables are wound up like a spring so they will flex.....if your speedo or tach is bouncing i would take the cable apart and lube it....i don't use grease as it has a tendency to get really stiff when cold

 

[TheBuggyman]

The speedo in my old Deuce was going bonkers and I found the square drive in the rear of the tach had wallowed out and was now round. I'm not an engineer but a square tach drive in a (now) round tach fitting just did not seem right. Long story short, I had to replace the tach.