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I am having a problem with the speedo on my 55. It bounces and makes a squaking sound as it does so at certain speeds. Can anyone help? Dan

First best thing to do is lubricate the drive cable.

Disconnect the cable at the back of the speedometer head (behind the instrument cluster). It's been years since I had to do this, but I believe its a threaded fitting that you have to unscrew. Drop the cable down below the edge of the instrument board where you can see to work on it.

Grab hold of the tip of the cable and gently pull it all the way out of the sheath (its a long sucker), wiping it off with a rag as you go.

If nothing looks out of sorts with the cable, feed it back into the sheath, applying a lubricant as you go. There are lubricants made specifically for speedometer cables, but I've always used Lubriplate with good results (for this and many other applications).

STOP with lube for the last couple of feet; there will be enough build-up in the upper end of the sheath by this time. Otherwise, the excess will end up in the speedo head - not good.

Reconnect cable to head, go for a test drive, and report back.

Good advice there Brian. I recently had to lubricate the head in my 400. I don't fit so well underneath the dash and hope I don't have to get that done again anytime too soon.

My 55 Patrician Spedo did something similar. I did not know about lubricating the cable. One day it went wild, and the needle came off! I had the speedo serviced, and that is when I found out about the cable lube.

Thanks. I already had the speedo out and i inspected it for rust-dried grease etc. at that time i tried to spray lube and oil drip the cable as i was unsure of pulling the cable all the way out. Getting under there is not fun but if it gets worse Ill have to try it. Until then 40 mph seems to be the trick.

A bouncing speedometer needle is an indication of a something binding until the tension in the spiral wound driving cable overcomes the friction.

Usually that binding is in the cable assembly and due to insufficient lubrication. Lubriplate is a thixotropic grease that is solid, but flows as it is worked - ideal for this application, IMHO.

However, the cable has to be completely removed from its sheath to properly lubricate it.

If there's no visible defect with the cable, and lubrication doesn't solve the problem, there could be an issue with the sheath or the speedo head itself.

Good luck and may God speed!