Speedometer "chirping" while driving

[Grizzle33]

On my way into work this morning my speedometer started making a noise and jumping around, any ideas?

[fordman]

the cable is dry inside of the main cable. take it out and grease it up.

[Grizzle33]

This will be my first time diving into something like this, is it pretty simple? I would guess I would have to take the cluster off and find it under there? Or is it tucked up under the dash?

thanks in advance.

[fordman]

i cant remember which end it coems out of. i want to say it coems outof the cluster side. but it may come out on the transmission side. the trans is easier to get to. you could unscrew it and see. if not remove the cluster and pull the center out.

[Thunderfoot]

It comes out of the cluster side, sometime you can reach up under the dash and unscrew it off the back of the speedo but it is easier to just pull the cluster to get to it. Check with your parts store they make special graphite lube for the cables, some have used Luberplate grease but you don't want to use anything thick like axle grease, as it will make the cable worse as it will have to much drag from the heavy grease and get even worse yet in cold weather.

[Grizzle33]

I have taken the cluster off, unscrewed the cable and do I just squirt some of that oil down there? Or is there a cable that I pull out, from the main cable? Does that connect to the Tranny if so?

Thanks in advance.

[Thunderfoot]

Yes, the cable will just pull out of the housing, it is not connected at the trans. Pull it out and clean it with some brake or carb cleaner to get the gunk off and then lube it as you put it back in. If it is real gunky you may have to clean-lube-insert a few times to get it working smoothly.

Picture of cable removed.

[Grizzle33]

I pulled the cable out and greased it up, now upon trying to re-insert the cable it sticks out about 1-1/2 and I cannot get it back in the flush. I've tried to twist it as it's going in and it just wont budge.

Any ideas?

[fordman]

the cable is square on the bottom end and usually you can turn it and it will go back in. but not always. get underneath and take the other end of the cable off of the trans. and then the inner cable will slide right in to the outer cable. than put everything back together. it is just having a hard tiem lining up is all. unless it is pushing old gunk that is inside the outer cable housing. then you can probably still push it out with the trans end off of the trans.

[Grizzle33]

I was afraid of that!

[Grizzle33]

Actually, that was very easy. It was so greased up I couldn't see that it was simply like a bottle cap you screw on and off.

Thanks for all the help

[fordman]

yea i knew it was easy.