So I'm getting a frustrating clicking noise at the speedometer head or the top section of the cable. The speedometer needle is bouncing and vibrating mostly at lower speeds. Was a new cable at the rebuild. I've had the drive cable out twice, have cleaned and lubed it with white lithium. The needle settled down some, but it's still clicking. I initially was worried it was a lifter, it sounds exactly the same.
Disconnecting it at the speedo.... the sound is gone.
Is it the cable or speedo? Maybe the drive?
Any thoughts?
And while I'm at it, have I routed it correctly inside the car? Loops up nicely from the trans under the passenger floor, up and across passing through the firewall at the correct 4 speed cable dimple grommet.
Then up and through the cutout in the the brake and clutch pedal support, making a fairly tight turn downward into the speedo cable receiver.
You can see the bullet and gear wrapped in plastic at the crossmember,
Speedo. Old grease Id say and does it when cold I bet.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
I do have a spare (crappy needle), but I'm not up right now for taking the dash apart to replace it.
Maybe I'll just try some light penetrating oil from the back of the head, get some between (blue arrow) the brass cable receiver that spins (red) and the fixed bronze bushing (yellow)?
I should also take a good look at the driven gear at the trans.
I should report that the brass cable receiver was noticeably stiff (compared to the spare head) when I spun it in my fingers. The speedo head now in the car came out of a dash bezel that had been barn stored for years and years, I'd put the original odometer from the Laurentian in it for the correct mileage on the body.
Some Gibbs oil at the junction with some back and forth and it seems much more free.
Also, I'd noticed that the nut on the cable end was not all that tight on the head, allowing the cable sheath ferrule (behind the nut) to kind of wiggle around and hang down. Kind of making the cable come out at a small degree, not straight out.
Tightened up as best by hand so the sheath is tight, a quick road test shows the tick is gone and the needle, while still shaking a bit, is smoother.
Thanks Don!
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65 Laurentian post, 67 Grande Parisienne 4 door HT.
Mine is fussy when cold and I have a new cable. Cold is below about 15C. I have Painless wiring that I hate and an excellent used stock harness and one of these days I may pull my dash and do the wiring and the speedo.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
There might be enough cable protruding from the transmission side that you could attach to a cordless drill. Get a helper to run the drill while you listen to see where the noise is coming from. It's easier to diagnose when you don't have to drive at the same time. Hopefully your drill isn't louder than the noise! You could also do this with the cable disconnected from the speedometer to determine if it's the cable or the speedo.
I've found another long term solution to those noises; my age, I hear less and less of these kinds of noises now!
I can relate to that. My wife and I were out in her car the other day and when backing out of a parking spot she said hear the squeak from the brakes, thats what I am talking about . Truthfully, I couldnt hear it. So a brakes service is in my future.
I was reading your post about the your RPM and speed. 2200rpm @60mph with 3.36 gearing seems terribly low.. My Rag has the same gearing with 225/70R15's and at 60, she spins @ 2800. @70mph, she is spinning @3100rpm. My wagon with 245/70R15's with the 2.56 spun @2300rpm at 70mph.. Did you use your phone as a GPS? A good working tach? My Rag is GM injected so I use the Tech 1 scanner.
My Phoenix with 3.08's, 215-14's and a 5-speed from an S-10 spins @2100.
Maybe the speedo head is an issue or the gears in the transmission? Just thinking out loud.
I find my needle to be a bit jumpy but the brand new cable (off ebay) seems to be fine. It was jumpy exactly the same way with the old cable/3 on the tree before I massacred my car by putting a 4 speed in it.... (a friend always says I "massacred" my car).
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1966 Strato Chief 2 door, 427 4 speed, 45,000 original miles
1966 Grande Parisienne, 396 1 of 23 factory air cars
I have 3.08s and 28 inch rubber, it runs around 23-2400 at 60mph on gps.
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63 Parisienne sport coupe (The Big GTO), black, maroon interior, 409 4 speed; former owner of a 59 El Camino, 63 Corvette SWC, 62 Chev Bel Air SC. 1963- Pontiac top selling car in Canada
Mahone Bay, NS Still not old enough to need an automatic
