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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / November 2005lubing your speedo cable
Hi all- I saw the relatively recent thread on lubing the speedo (at least I think it was here), and tried to lubricate mine today. The problem I has is that the housing on the end of the cable was sealed so that I coudln't get any of the spray lube to go into the cable. Anyone have any ideas on how to get the lube into the cable without removing the plastic housing?? Or is there a way to remove and reinstall the plastic?? -alex- Using spray lube of any kind on a speedo cable is a bad idea. A spray lube will get gummy over time, and normaly does not spread down the entire length of the cable if the lubricant is applied from the top end of the sheath. The best lubricant for speedo cables and locks is powered graphite. I do not know if it is possible to properly lubricate a speedo cable on a Miata. It is a little messy if done properly because you must remove the cable from the sheath, clean it, and wipe it with graphite lube. > Hi all- > I saw the relatively recent thread on lubing the speedo (at least I think [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > there a way to remove and reinstall the plastic?? > -alex- Well, I think I was the recent poster on this. I found several people who said that they had successfully accomplished this. Gennerally something like: disconnecting both ends, using a drill to spin it fron the tranny end (no prob) and feeding some sort of lubricant from the up side. I gave it my best shot but the cable seemed to have like a waxy substance pretty much clogging the end of the cable. At least 2 auto parts stores looked at me like deer in the headlights when I asked them about cable lubricant. So I tried good ol WD 40! Not completely successful but I think a bit better, I never heard anyone claiming to have removed the cable from the sheath. Hhhmmm, could work I guess. Let us know, Chris 92n99 > Using spray lube of any kind on a speedo cable is a bad idea. A spray lube > will get gummy over time, and normaly does not spread down the entire [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >> Or is there a way to remove and reinstall the plastic?? >> -alex- Many years back, "Preparation H" was recommended to lube speedo cables. No foolin'. > Well, I think I was the recent poster on this. I found several people who > said that they had successfully accomplished this. Gennerally something [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > >> Or is there a way to remove and reinstall the plastic?? > >> -alex- > Well, I think I was the recent poster on this. I found several people who > said that they had successfully accomplished this. Gennerally something [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Chris > 92n99 I have a spare speedo cable that I just took off of the car tonight, (Mr. Saturday night party animal that I am). I will see if it can be taken apart without damaging it and how hard it is to do. It won't be a big deal if I ruin it in the attempt. I'll let you know what I find out. Chris, did you change your e-mail address? I put you in my killfile and yet I still see your posts. ;-) Pat Well it's a moot point now - sold the car this past weekend and got a 2005 Nordic Green LS... But thanks for the feedback anyway!! -alex- > Well, I think I was the recent poster on this. I found several people who > said that they had successfully accomplished this. Gennerally something [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] >>>Or is there a way to remove and reinstall the plastic?? >>>-alex- > Well it's a moot point now - sold the car this past weekend and got a > 2005 Nordic Green LS... Good move, Alex. Since nobody smokes anymore, a full ashtray can no longer be relied upon to let us know when it's time for a new car. Noisy speedometer cables should serve nicely, though. :-)  SignatureLanny Chambers '94C, St. Louis http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html > Good move, Alex. Since nobody smokes anymore, a full ashtray can no > longer be relied upon to let us know when it's time for a new car. Noisy > speedometer cables should serve nicely, though. :-) Should I let my wife know it is time to buy her a paddle-shift 6-speed automatic NC to replace her noisy '90 speedometer cable? Good lord, I would love to. SignatureKen Lyons '97 Brilliant Black/'90 Classic Red Inside the Beltway [Remove the first two digits to reply] Well I was close to getting an NC, but the dealers out here in Vegas think I wanted to gamble with my buying a car from them. ...but they lost the hand and my money went somewhere else! I'm really glad I did because I love the fact that there isn't too much difference in the NB from my NA. I can tell the gas mileage is a little off, but it's nice having a quiet car that has lots of nice features... If the speedo cable were the true indicator, I should have gotten a new car a great many miles ago (at least back into 1999, too). Cold WI winters made that cable squeal!!! Being in a warmer climate helped some, but not all the time... Ken you should work on the wife a little - it is much easier to take the car in for warranty work than climb under it in the garage (or parking lot in my case) and try to fix it!! ;-) -alex- >>Good move, Alex. Since nobody smokes anymore, a full ashtray can no >>longer be relied upon to let us know when it's time for a new car. Noisy [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > automatic NC to replace her noisy '90 speedometer cable? Good lord, I would > love to. >Using spray lube of any kind on a speedo cable is a bad idea. A spray lube >will get gummy over time, and normaly does not spread down the entire length >of the cable if the lubricant is applied from the top end of the sheath. This is a pretty broad statement, given the number of spray lubes on the market. LOTS of spray lubes won't EVER turn gummy. Triflow would work well. LPS3 would be fine. >The best lubricant for speedo cables and locks is powered graphite. I do not >know if it is possible to properly lubricate a speedo cable on a Miata. It >is a little messy if done properly because you must remove the cable from >the sheath, clean it, and wipe it with graphite lube. Dri slide would be a decent choice. It will make it all the way down the tube. Take a look at this link for several products made especially for lubing speedo cables. http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=speedometer+cable+lubricant&hl=en > Dri slide would be a decent choice. It will make it all the way down > the tube. Dri Slide would be my recommendation as well. I still have a can from my old motorcycle racing days. Graphite lock lubricants are essentially the same thing. SignatureLanny Chambers '94C, St. Louis http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html I have a mostly annoying problem that happens only in the colder months and goes away after some time of driving the car, but will return without fail when the car is cold again. It sounds like a plastic bag that is tied on one end and is being blown by a decent amount of wind. The faster I drive, the louder it gets. I've had this problem the whole time I've owned the car, could this be a speedo lub issue? The car now has 226,000 miles on it, I bought it with 112,000 Full maint. history is at http://mechlogs.com/maverik if that helps. Thanks, Karl Kittler Karl, That sounds like a funny way to describe the sound I've heard from mine but I suppose one's imagination could come up with that comparison if one's imagination was .............imaginative enough! Seriously, it could be the same problem. I'd try clearing my head of the plastic bag in the wind theory and listen to it new again trying to imagine it being that pesky cable spinning. Might be. Good luck, Chris >I have a mostly annoying problem that happens only in the colder months > and goes away after some time of driving the car, but will return [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Thanks, > Karl Kittler |
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