'79- speedo "chirping" noise- suggestions?

[cslix]

can someone tell me after i get behind the dash.. and i find the wire.. where do i put the lube..

[greywolf]

Originally Posted by BillyJack

I've always used LubriPlate white grease on speedo cables and tach cables on both cars and bikes. Never had to do one twice.

Bill

I'm with you, Billy, on the LubriPlate. I think WD-40 is to thin to last very long.
As far as what screws to remove-
- there are some screws under the top edge of the dash and the lower corners to take off the front face. But take the headlight knob off first.
- then there are four 10mm nuts that hold the gage cluster to the dash. They are really buried deep, I use a 6-in extension on my ratchet to get there.
- with those four nuts off you can pull the gage cluster out a little, sneak a hand behind it and unplug the wire harness connector plug behind the lower right corner of the gage cluster. On mine the speedo cable has more slack than the wire harness, so once the wire harness is unplugged I can pull the gage cluster up farther and unplug the speedo cable. It's straight behind the center of the speedo, with a funky spring clip that holds it to the speedo. Press that spring clip toward the gage cluster to loosen the cable.
(working from memory here, haven't had to pull that for a while) If there's something else, you'll see it.
You should be able to reach all that without removing the steering wheel.

[cslix]

thanks you going to attempt this today.. hope i don't mess anything up..

[cslix]

yeah ***.. i just spent like 5 hours taking everything apart.. real hard.. and when i unscrewed the four bullets holding the whole dash on and pulled alittle my guages started bugging out so when ever i hit the car alarm they would shoot and move..

[cslix]

**** i got nothing but bad problems from doing this.. my dash looks a little off set loose but everythings right and tight.. i was driving home with my lights on and i put my high beams on and the lights on the right pannel didnt light up? do you think a short? loose wire..? ***..

[greywolf]

Originally Posted by cslix

**** i got nothing but bad problems from doing this.. my dash looks a little off set loose but everythings right and tight.. i was driving home with my lights on and i put my high beams on and the lights on the right pannel didnt light up? do you think a short? loose wire..? ***..

OK deep breath--relax and think through it
I took my own apart this weekend chasing a short so my memory is a lot clearer now
You noticed when you pulled the gage pod that the connector plug was fixed to the dash and the gages are just supposed to connect as bare tabs on the printed circuit rest onto the contacts on the connector plug. If it's even a little crooked funny things will happen, like the gages reacting to your alarm.... On mine the clock stopped running as I just loosened those nuts.
And it's not necessary to pull the knob off the headlight switch first (oops). But I was replacing the switch this weekend also.

I've posted a couple times in the electrical forum how when I first got the car the gages were wonky and a warning light would sometimes come on. Beat myself up for six months chasing the problem and even paid the Chevy dealer's shop big bux to misdiagnose it. The real problem was that connector plug was not making good contact to the printed circuit on the gage cluster. A litle contact cleaner and a light once over with scotchbrite pad on both that connector plug and the printed circuit and all has been well for years.

And yes, your high beam indicator light is also fed by that same connector on the dash. Sounds like you need to loosen those nuts that hold the gage cluster to the dash and line it up to sit squarely on the connector plug. But now you've got experience...
Wish you well with it.

[andreman]

my cable did this, then it broke.

[steelybill]

It's also possible that the rear bearing on the speedo where the cable goes in, has run dry. A dab of lube on that while it's apart may help.

[steelybill]

It's also possible that the rear bearing on the speedo where the cable goes in, has run dry. A dab of lube on that while it's apart may help.

I use lubriplate also.

[79elkyproject]

i have a 79 elky royal knight as well and i have the same problem, mine even bounces. im just doing away with the whole gauge cluter its self and running all autometer gauges in the dashboard.

[d_oller]

This is what I did and it totally stopped the chirping.

Undo the speedo cable at the cruise control box that comes from the dash.
Stand it straight up, I tied a rag around mine to avoid a mess.
Pour the cap full of transmission fluid and let it stand there until it seeps into the cable, this may take overnight.

I did this twice and I have not heard that noise in over a year.

[Rix85]

Kind of an older post and I hope all have solved their issues. If not, there are three places to look... Gauge, cable and gear. Easiest is the gear, unscrew the cable and take out the gear from the trans. Visual examination will tell if the gears is worn down. If no wear is apparent, move on to the cable. Disconnect it from the dash end and the trans. Twist one end and see if the opposite reciprocates. If not, replace the cable. If the cable seems to bind, but turns, try hanging it up and squirting graphite and silicone lubricant down the cable sleeve. Reverse the hang and repeat. Screw the end into a cordless drill to distribute the lubrication. If these simple tests don't resolve the issue, next stop is the removal of the speedo from the dash and a trip to your local speedo repair shop. Speedo repair is not really something to do at your garage. Good luck my brothers....

[Rix85]

Kind of an older post and I hope all have solved their issues. If not, there are three places to look... Gauge, cable and gear.
Easiest is the gear, unscrew the cable and take out the gear from the trans. Visual examination will tell if the gears are worn down. If no wear is apparent, move on to the cable. Disconnect it from the dash end and the trans. Twist one end and see if the opposite reciprocates. If not, replace the cable. If the cable seems to bind, but turns, try hanging it up and squirting graphite and silicone lubricant down the cable sleeve. Reverse the hang and repeat. Screw the end into a cordless drill to distribute the lubrication. Sometimes a frayed cable will cause a " hitch", if so you're looking at replacing the cable.
If these simple tests don't resolve the issue, next stop is the removal of the speedo from the dash and a trip to your local speedo repair shop. Speedo repair is not really something to do at your garage. Good luck my brothers....

[bazthespazz]

I had to lube mine on my old '76 SS and I pulled it loose on the transmission end and pulled the inner cable out of the housing and lubed it with regular bearing grease and that worked great. The only tough part was lining up the inner cable to get it matched up with the speedo.

[pbouker]

Yes, I would agree leave the speedo end with the pros.
Please tell whats generaly involved with replacing the "gear" on the tranny end.
So many of us have this nasty issue. Lets put it to bed - with this thread?
Thanks much.