The Ford Barn

jbc · 05-29-2011, 10:23 PM

i just bought a 1931 deluxe roadster. After driving for about a mile, I started getting a loud noise from what appears to be the speedometer cable. It changes pitch with my speed. Below 20 mph the noise goes away. Above 20 mph the noise returns. I put my hand on the speedometer and I can't feel any vabration, leading me to suspect the cable or drive gear at the torque tube is the problem. any suggestions.
Thanks

ford1 · 05-29-2011, 11:04 PM

pull and lube the cable use a very lite grease, use just enough to lube the cable to much and it could work its way up to the speedo head and freeze it up, if lubing the cable doesnt stop the noise check for kinked or crushed outer housing, make sure there are not any sharp bends or tight cable clamps pinching the inner cable, if noise is till there my guess is in the speedo head and you will need to have it serviced by some one who knows how to do that

Geo. H · 05-30-2011, 12:37 AM

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I had the same problem in my 30 coupe. I tried lubing the cable. Didn't help. I bought a new cable. Didn't help. Figuring nothing ventured, nothing gained, i removed the speedo, and found a round disk sort of like a freeze plug next to where the cable goes in. I dug that out and found lots of hard, cracked grease. I dug that out, filled the cavity with new grease and all's well again.

05-29-2011, 10:23 PM	#1
jbc Senior Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: ocala fl Posts: 160	speedometer noise i just bought a 1931 deluxe roadster. After driving for about a mile, I started getting a loud noise from what appears to be the speedometer cable. It changes pitch with my speed. Below 20 mph the noise goes away. Above 20 mph the noise returns. I put my hand on the speedometer and I can't feel any vabration, leading me to suspect the cable or drive gear at the torque tube is the problem. any suggestions. Thanks

05-29-2011, 11:04 PM	#2
ford1 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: oroville ca. Posts: 1,554	Re: speedometer noise pull and lube the cable use a very lite grease, use just enough to lube the cable to much and it could work its way up to the speedo head and freeze it up, if lubing the cable doesnt stop the noise check for kinked or crushed outer housing, make sure there are not any sharp bends or tight cable clamps pinching the inner cable, if noise is till there my guess is in the speedo head and you will need to have it serviced by some one who knows how to do that

05-30-2011, 12:37 AM	#3
Geo. H Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 374	Re: speedometer noise Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I had the same problem in my 30 coupe. I tried lubing the cable. Didn't help. I bought a new cable. Didn't help. Figuring nothing ventured, nothing gained, i removed the speedo, and found a round disk sort of like a freeze plug next to where the cable goes in. I dug that out and found lots of hard, cracked grease. I dug that out, filled the cavity with new grease and all's well again.