TheSamba.com :: View topic - "How-to" thread on lubricating a speedo cable

Sat Feb 15, 2014 11:58 am

I checked the FAQ for a procedure to re-lubricate a used or new speedo cable. Nothing found. Has anyone had any experience with adding lubrication to a used or new speedometer cable? What would be the preferred lubricant? Grease, thick oil or dry or powder lubricant? I haven't looked at one up close in a while, but I'm guessing that the inner cable can be somehow removed from the outer sheathing and lubricated... If one exists, point us all to the "how-to" thread please.

Bill

Sat Feb 15, 2014 12:08 pm

Bill-I used to hang them up in the shop and fill the little cup at the speedo end with ATF. I kept refilling as it drained out until gravity won and it started dripping out the spindle end.

Then, when I found a trashed speedo I cut off the threaded part and tapped the end for a zerk. I used some lithium grease that I also used for wheel bearings to fill the cable and never had a problem.

As an aside, I used a needle adapter on my grease gun to fill the bearings with this lithium grease. This saved a bunch of time, trouble and mess. Of course I filled the hub by hand, also, but it was way easier to pack the bearings this way.

Sat Feb 15, 2014 12:41 pm

Awesome "Cru62"! I have a buddy whose Dad was a factory-trained dealership mechanic for many years and still owns/runs a VW repair shop several States away. His Dad made a screw on fitting for a grease gun like yours that he could use to inject some lubricant (a grease I think?) into the cable. I'll have to ask him what they use? I suspected before starting this thread that I could hang the cable and drip a thick motor oil into the top (speedo) end and keep dripping more in until gravity (and spinning the inner cable) worked the oil down to the bottom end. Then let the excess oil drain out for a while, then install.

Thanks again for sharing your methods/ideas! I like the use of the needle adaptor to inject grease well into the bearings while packing them.

Bill Bowman

Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:28 pm

2 others thread I found doing a title only search on speedo* cable
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=348975
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=165025

Sun Feb 16, 2014 9:52 am

Thank you Everett!

I'm going to see if the new cable I have for installation in my '59 DC has a circlip or ? that can be removed to allow the removal and re-greasing of the internal cable. Otherwise, I'll just hang the whole affair up and drip normal motor oil in there and let it work all the way thru before installing it in the DC.

Bill

Sun Feb 16, 2014 10:01 am

BulliBill wrote: Awesome "Cru62"! I have a buddy whose Dad was a factory-trained dealership mechanic for many years and still owns/runs a VW repair shop several States away. His Dad made a screw on fitting for a grease gun like yours that he could use to inject some lubricant (a grease I think?) into the cable. I'll have to ask him what they use? I suspected before starting this thread that I could hang the cable and drip a thick motor oil into the top (speedo) end and keep dripping more in until gravity (and spinning the inner cable) worked the oil down to the bottom end. Then let the excess oil drain out for a while, then install.

Thanks again for sharing your methods/ideas! I like the use of the needle adaptor to inject grease well into the bearings while packing them.

Bill Bowman
I made a fitting by cutting the part of the speedo off and putting a grease fitting on it. I tried to pump straight grease into the cable and it blew out the sheathing of the cable. I gave up at that point. it probably needs a lighter grease.

Mon Feb 17, 2014 8:16 am

I used Clara's suggestion for the steering box and mixed up oil with grease. Not "paste" but way thicker than just oil. Carefully and very slowly pouring and spinning until I figured it was enough. Eventually it will find its way all the way down. Granted, a slow tedious process but it's not like greasing the front end every 1200 miles per maintenance specs. 8)

Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:43 am

Isn't a new cable like $10?

Mon Feb 17, 2014 10:51 am

The cable broke. Replaced it with a new $10 Juan. It broke too!!! :x

After fixing the speedo which seized causing the breakage in the first place, decided to oil up the new cable. Found out that the broken new cable had very minimal oiling to begin with. :roll:

Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:40 am

pyrOman wrote: The cable broke. Replaced it with a new $10 Juan. It broke too!!! :x
After fixing the speedo which seized causing the breakage in the first place, decided to oil up the new cable. Found out that the broken new cable had very minimal oiling to begin with. :roll:
Ditto here. I broke two speedo cables in 10 days before realizing that the speedometer was frozen. Took the speedo in for a rebuild (which was only $87). I hung the speedo end of the new cable from the rafters in the garage and slowly worked 3-in-1 oil down the cable. Drip some oil in, twirl the other end of the cable and let it sit. Repeat twice a day. It took about 4 days before oil started coming out the hub end. Now all is good: the speedo is accurate and does not bounce and the cable is quiet.

Mon Feb 17, 2014 7:24 pm

campingbox wrote: Isn't a new cable like $10?

True and I think they are in a teflon sleeve.