Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Early V8 (1932-53)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 05-30-2014, 05:36 PM   #1
Old Henry
Senior Member
 
Old Henry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 5,762
Default Best speedometer cable lube.

Anything better than the graphite oil called "Speedometer Cable Lube"? I'm just installing a new one and there doesn't seem like much "substance" to that stuff that the cable vendor recommended. Anything wrong with some kind of light grease?
__________________
Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome)
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness
Old Henry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 05:37 PM   #2
4dFord/SC
Senior Member
 
4dFord/SC's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 1,579
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Vaseline works for me.
4dFord/SC is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 05-30-2014, 05:58 PM   #3
flatford8
Senior Member
 
flatford8's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Lyman,ME.
Posts: 2,612
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

What ever you use can't get too sick when it gets cold.
__________________
I'm thinkin' about crankin'
My ragged ol' truck up
and haulin' myself into town.
Billy Joe Shaver
flatford8 is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 06:09 PM   #4
Old Henry
Senior Member
 
Old Henry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 5,762
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Quote:
Originally Posted by flatford8 View Post
What ever you use can't get too sick when it gets cold.
That's for sure. I drive Old Henry in some mighty cold weather in the winter. Maybe that's why the vendor only recommends the graphite oil so as not to create too much friction in the winter.
__________________
Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome)
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness
Old Henry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 06:30 PM   #5
Fe26
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Sydney, Australia
Posts: 949
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

No other lubricant can function at the extremes of temperature that Graphite can.
Fe26 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 06:31 PM   #6
Henry Hopper
Senior Member
 
Henry Hopper's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: N.W.England
Posts: 439
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
I used CopperSlip .....it cured my squealing speedo cable and so far so good ,it hasn't reoccurred .......that's probably jinxed it saying that.
Henry Hopper is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 06:31 PM   #7
TonyM
Senior Member
 
TonyM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: West Hammond, Illinois
Posts: 2,785
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Where do you apply it?

I'll be taking my car apart again soon so I figure I'll lube up that cable when I have it off of the gear housing.
TonyM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 06:33 PM   #8
37 Coupe
Senior Member
 
37 Coupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,835
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Napa Sil-Glyde
__________________
"Never complain,never explain"... Henry Ford II
37 Coupe is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 07:17 PM   #9
Old Henry
Senior Member
 
Old Henry's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Orem, Utah
Posts: 5,762
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Quote:
Originally Posted by TonyM View Post
Where do you apply it?

I'll be taking my car apart again soon so I figure I'll lube up that cable when I have it off of the gear housing.
The graphite oil is so fluid that you can disconnect the cable from the back of the speedometer under the dash, hold the connection "cup" upright, and squirt the whole container in there slowly. Or, you can pull the inside cable clear out of the housing from that end and squirt it in fast then quickly put the cable back in. No need to disconnect the end on the torque tube.

If you're going to put some kind of thicker grease on the cable it has to be pulled out, grease applied, and put back in. But, apparently, that's not recommended as it would cause too much friction in cold weather driving.
__________________
Prof. Henry (The Roaming Gnome)
"It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” *Ursula K. Le Guin in The Left Hand of Darkness
Old Henry is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 07:37 PM   #10
TonyM
Senior Member
 
TonyM's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: West Hammond, Illinois
Posts: 2,785
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Thanks Old Henry.
TM
TonyM is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 07:42 PM   #11
VeryTangled
Senior Member
 
VeryTangled's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: (Not far enough...) Outside of DC
Posts: 3,386
Smile Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Hey Prof. Henry, Nice to be able to add to one of you threads again. Been following your posts and they always, well usually, make me smile! Recent pictures of your friends and family have been very touching. Give those ladies a gentle hug from me!

I've had to pull and lube our cable more than a couple of times so I'd like to hear of a good solution. For a few hundred miles touring PA last year I just ran with it pulled out because I was troubleshooting a chirp and wanted to eliminate the spedo cable as a cause. I had the GPS for speed, but it irritated me that I wasn't turning the odometer.

I've sometimes wondered if adding 'graphite power lubricant' to the graphite oil would be a silly thing to try? I've never done this. I searched for it and found several products, add the 'lubricant' or else you'll find some art supplies.

I remember decades ago having a tube of that stuff that I could puff into a door lock and it did the trick... for as long as that car lasted.

I like the graphite idea, but the oils I've seen don't seem to have a lot of graphite suspended in them. If one added some powder to the oil, would it work better? I'd hope the oil would carry some powder, and when the oil sorta wears out or drains down, some power is still helpful.

Just spitballing here. Probably several simple reasons why it will never work will be revealed in the next three posts.

-VT/JeffH

Last edited by VeryTangled; 05-30-2014 at 07:50 PM.
VeryTangled is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 07:53 PM   #12
Kurt in NJ
Senior Member
 
Kurt in NJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: on the Littlefield
Posts: 6,140
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

I have used constant velocity joint grease, ---the consistancy is between chassis greas and oil, the coloring suggests graphite or moly, I last lubed my cable over 25 years ago, same cable for over 40 years, never any problems or noise
Kurt in NJ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 08:51 PM   #13
alan
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: UPSTATESC
Posts: 669
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

synthetic grease--light weight, won't freeze up in winter, stays on the cable--a little messy to apply but works great
alan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 09:11 PM   #14
elwood
Senior Member
 
elwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Dallas
Posts: 1,046
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

I second Vaseline
elwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-30-2014, 10:01 PM   #15
TStiles
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Kitsap Peninsula, Western WA
Posts: 276
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

I always use the graphite lube
TStiles is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2014, 03:13 PM   #16
37 Coupe
Senior Member
 
37 Coupe's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 1,835
Default Re: Best speedometer cable lube.

Here is a picture of NAPA Sil-Glyde application and it shows for speedometer cable. I like especially the melting point hopefully will not get that hot if it does I am bailing out. Won't ruin your white bucks like graphite did to mine,hopefully someone remembers white bucks besides me and Pat Boone. The -20 degrees on the cold side won't be me driving.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg 002.JPG (156.4 KB, 31 views)
File Type: jpg 004.JPG (161.3 KB, 28 views)
__________________
"Never complain,never explain"... Henry Ford II
37 Coupe is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:12 PM.