Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

[Joe R.]

Gentlemen,

This subject has come up many times and there are many threads discussing this subject. BUT I'm going to state this again as it will save everybody some time and money.

Do not lubricate your speedometer cable or tach cable with a pressure gun and wheel bearing grease!

If you do sooner or later the speedo and or tach will not function as intended or at all!!!!!

There is a lubricant called "Cable Ease" that has been recommended before on this forum.

It works very well but DON'T use it in a pressure gun or slop it on the internal cable.

The best recommendation would be to throw your old cable away and purchase a new cable that has the proper lubrication. They cost very little and are serviced by all Corvette warehouses.

Following this advise will save you time and money in the long run!

Thanks for listening to my rant!

JR

[Joseph S.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Sounds like you're restoring a speedo or tach that's full of grease! Great advice.

[Joe R.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Yep, have done probably a thousand. Just chunk them and put in new guts, calibrate and they are on the road again.

JR

[Jim D.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

To add to what Joe said, sometime after 1965, a seal was added to the speedo adapter in the trans. to keep fluid from working its way up the cable and into the speedo. If yours doesn't have the one with the seal, I highly recommend that you get a new one. They're about $15 and easy to replace.

[Joe L.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

To add to what Joe said, sometime after 1965, a seal was added to the speedo adapter in the trans. to keep fluid from working its way up the cable and into the speedo. If yours doesn't have the one with the seal, I highly recommend that you get a new one. They're about $15 and easy to replace.

Jim------


GM #345215.

[Jim D.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Jim------


GM #345215.

Joe, Do you know when the seal was added?

[Joe L.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Joe, Do you know when the seal was added?

Jim-------


I believe the inner lip seal was added in 1965, possibly late in 1965. It was GM #3869910. It used to be available separately from GM but is now discontinued. Available in the aftermarket, though. Or, one can just buy a new fitting.

[Jim D.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Jim-------


I believe the inner lip seal was added in 1965, possibly late in 1965. It was GM #3869910. It used to be available separately from GM but is now discontinued. Available in the aftermarket, though. Or, one can just buy a new fitting.

If it was in 65, it must have been late in the model year. My first 65, built in April, didn't have it and here's a pic. of the result. 90 weight fluid up the cable and into the speedo. I also have a May 65 car that doesn't have it either but I haven't gotten far enough into the "body-off" to see if it did the same as the other one.

[Joe L.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

If it was in 65, it must have been late in the model year. My first 65, built in April, didn't have it and here's a pic. of the result. 90 weight fluid up the cable and into the speedo. I also have a May 65 car that doesn't have it either but I haven't gotten far enough into the "body-off" to see if it did the same as the other one.

Jim-------


GM says the GM #3869910 seal was first used for "2nd design 1965". Just when that design came into use for 1965, I do not know.

[Richard M.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

JR, I feel your pain.....

[Jim D.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Jim-------


GM says the GM #3869910 seal was first used for "2nd design 1965". Just when that design came into use for 1965, I do not know.

I'm guessing that the change in the 65 model year to a pass. side speedo drive, with the angle of it pointing downward allowing trans. fluid to drain off the gear stem and into the cable housing, necessitated the added seal but it took a while to discover the problem.

[Mark E.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

From a PM perspective, does it do any good to disconnect the tach cable at the distributor, hold it up, and drip some Kable-Ease into the casing?

Or is removing the cable from the tach end required?

[Don H.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

From a PM perspective, does it do any good to disconnect the tach cable at the distributor, hold it up, and drip some Kable-Ease into the casing?

Or is removing the cable from the tach end required?

Good question, can the "big end" (with the piece added) have to go on the tach end or can you have that end at the distributor? I usually see it at the tach end but would be much easier to remove at the distributor. Thanks, Don H.

[Joe L.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Good question, can the "big end" (with the piece added) have to go on the tach end or can you have that end at the distributor? I usually see it at the tach end but would be much easier to remove at the distributor. Thanks, Don H.

Donald------

The tach inner cable can only be removed from the instrument end. Unfortunate, but that's how it is.

[Mark E.]

Re: Speedometer/Tachometer Cable Lubricant and Maintence

Donald------

The tach inner cable can only be removed from the instrument end. Unfortunate, but that's how it is.

Yes, but I was wondering about the effectiveness of adding Kable-Ease from the distributor end without removing the cable from its casing.