M1009 Speedometer question

[HeisenBob]

The speedo lube came in and it was basically a graphite oil. I lubed up the cable really well and it slide back into the housing no problems. However, my speedo is way off and it's bouncing. It says I'm doing about 65 when going 40. I opened her up on the highway, not sure how fast I was actually going but the indicator was well past 85mph.

Could my cable be moving too freely without enough restriction/friction? I have some red grease for bearings...maybe I should try that stuff?

 

[cucvrus]

Do you have the little gear box of the end at the transfer case. I am assuming you are working on an M1009?

 

[HeisenBob]

Do you have the little gear box of the end at the transfer case. I am assuming you are working on an M1009?

Yes it's an M1009. Are you referring to the little gear box that the speedo cable plugs into? I took that apart and cleaned it up. There was some grease left in the housing that was clean so I used it to lube the little gears.

It goes speedo cable, little gear box, then it screws into a housing that holds the little yellow gear.

 

[cucvrus]

Probably the speedo head unit is bad. That is my guess. I had some scream and go almost 1/2 way around the second time. Lubed the head unit on a few and replaced the speedo head on a few more. Common issue on old vehicles.

 

[HeisenBob]

Probably the speedo head unit is bad. That is my guess. I had some scream and go almost 1/2 way around the second time. Lubed the head unit on a few and replaced the speedo head on a few more. Common issue on old vehicles.

When you replaced the head, did you have to reset the mileage to reflect what was on it or did you just start at zero?

 

[cucvrus]

I looked in my stash of parts and found one speedometer head unit that was as close as possible to what mileage I had and went from there. Or don't worry about it at all. In PA old vehicles are exempt from mileage statements as they can not be confirmed accurate. I mean a 35 year-old vehicle that shows 12K miles is that 112K or 212K. Unless it has been locked up in someone barn for 25 years I would question the mileage and ask if it really matters. I have a caged/ locked up 12K M1009. Been locked up since 1995-96. The speedometer works perfect and I know its accurate. Look at the grain on the steering wheel other wear items. You can tell. Good Luck. Be Safe. How many miles on the odometer are you looking for? Maybe.

 

[HeisenBob]

I looked in my stash of parts and found one speedometer head unit that was as close as possible to what mileage I had and went from there. Or don't worry about it at all. In PA old vehicles are exempt from mileage statements as they can not be confirmed accurate. I mean a 35 year-old vehicle that shows 12K miles is that 112K or 212K. Unless it has been locked up in someone barn for 25 years I would question the mileage and ask if it really matters. I have a caged/ locked up 12K M1009. Been locked up since 1995-96. The speedometer works perfect and I know its accurate. Look at the grain on the steering wheel other wear items. You can tell. Good Luck. Be Safe. How many miles on the odometer are you looking for? Maybe.

Yeah I guess the mileage really is irrelevant in my case. It shows 23,8xx. Given the dents, dings, and a few rust spots underneath...it’s probably at least 123k. The interior is missing lots of trim and the windows that open/close all need new rubber. The engine runs pretty good but there’s no telling how long the speedo wasn’t working before I got it. If you have one you’d be willing to part with, shoot me a PM. I think Brother’s has them new for $149 but I’m pretty sure I saw a couple in the pull a part yard last week.

 

[HeisenBob]

Used speedo installed with 22,xxx miles. Took it for a spin today and the needle bounced from 0-45 then it stayed steady. Mileage was pretty accurate from stop sign to stop sign, which is a mile on the road by my house. Then the needle started jumping at all speeds. Not sure if the cable just needs more lube or replaced. Not going to mess with it for a while.

 

[cb88]

Used speedo installed with 22,xxx miles. Took it for a spin today and the needle bounced from 0-45 then it stayed steady. Mileage was pretty accurate from stop sign to stop sign, which is a mile on the road by my house. Then the needle started jumping at all speeds. Not sure if the cable just needs more lube or replaced. Not going to mess with it for a while.

The cable could be broken... which would cause it to sometimes drive the speedo and sometimes to slip.

If you can drive the transmission end of the cable at a constant speed with a drill etc.... and it jumps but you can drive the speedo directly with a drill and it doesn't jump then there you go. I suspect a square drive bit might fit in the speedo...