1970 442 with cruise control: My speedometer emits a clicking sound about 50% of the time when I am driving. Neither outside temperature nor the speed I am going seems to make a difference as to when the speedometer clicks. It either clicks or not, upon start-up.


When I first checked the connection at the gauge, there seemed to be plenty of a greasy cloudy-colored lubricant in the connection. So I cleaned it out and re-lubed the connection with distributor cam lubricant with no improvement.


I read in another post here tonight that liquid graphite is the proper lubricant.??


Two other questions:
1) would having the additional (shorter) cruise control speedometer cable have any special effect on how it works or how it should be lubricated?
2) should I lubricate both or all, cable connections?


Any ideas would be appreciated.


Frank O'Donnell
Fox Loves Cars

 

Are you saying that it clicks when the car is not moving?

- Eric

 

Eric:
"...when I am driving." Each time I drive the car, I don't know if the speedometer will, or will not make the clicking sound.


Frank

 

If it's clicking the cable is bent or worn out. Don't know what part of the system is bad so you will just have to unhook each section and determine what is bad.

 

Pages 4B-24 and 4B-25 of the 1970 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual covers diagnosis of the speedometer system. Ten circumstances are shown which can cause noise. Repair procedures, including lubrication, are shown for each condition.

 

Ozzie:
I overlooked that section in the Chassis Service Manual. I did not know you could pull the whole cable out of the shaft to inspect and service it. I was only lubricating the two ends and the coupler at the gauge.


Follow up question: For our style of car, what is the best speedometer cable lubricant to use?


Frank

 

Page 0-14 of the same manual says that A.C. ST640 or A.C. 1518 should be used. I don't have the specifications on these lubricants. Probably other "speedometer cable lubricants" could be used irrespective of what make they were intended for. Speedometer cables are similar for most makes. I have used "light" molybdenum grease successfully in the past as a substitute.

 

You could just use speedometer lubricant:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/CHI0/91812.oap



Or see this discussion:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...ricant.468798/

- Eric