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Speedometer Noise...Cable or Cluster?? 120-130

My '65 122 speedo gets really noisy when its cold. Can this be remedied?

I'm wondering if it's the cable or the gears in the cluster (if there are gears?) I was under the impression that the speedo cluster was magnetically driven, but maybe not the odometer??

Thanks for any clues, ...before I explore this one.

Mark Sloo
Minneapolis, MN








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Speedometer Noise...Cable or Cluster?? 120-130

The speedometer in my PV has been doing the same thing - it made a racket when the weather got colder, which would, eventually, go away after driving about 5 miles. Because the trip counter had ceased functioning as well, I just finished taking the thing apart and replaced some of its innards with bits scavenged from other speedometers. BTW, that works only to a certain extent because there are some subtle differences between early and later speedo units which limit the possibility of exchanging parts. I don't know if the transplants were a success because I haven't got around to putting the unit back in. Next confession: I don't really know where the racket came from. I'm assuming lack of lubrication -- either on the gears that drive the odometer, or perhaps on the shaft that spins the magnet that makes the cylinder (ribbon) turn -- could be wear in, or around, that shaft as well. The cable is new, and I loaded it with a mixture of anti-seize compound and engine oil, so I doubt that a dry cable was the cause. The rotation of a magnetic disk moves the cylinder against the resistance of a spring at the other end. There is a metal worm gear, spun by a gear driven by the end of the cable as it spins the magnet, that mashes with brass gears on a couple of shafts that move the plastic gears that move the number wheels in the odometer and trip counter. Each of the number wheels has a tiny spring-loaded ratchet in it to make the numbers advance only when the car is moving forward. In my trip counter the ratchet on the firtst, white, wheel was worn and slipped. I find it hard to believe that that was the source of the rattle because it's such an itsy-bitsy little thing. But, who knows. Anyway, I put a tiny amount of bearing grease on all the metal gears and am hoping for the best.
So, now you know all I know about these speedometers, which ain't much, but might help.
Good luck,
Bob S.








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Speedometer Noise...Cable or Cluster?? 120-130

From your location I suspect your problem may be associated with cold weather.
The lubricant in speedo cables becomes noisy in cold weather here in Oklahoma,
so I would assume that it would do so there in Minnesota.
You could pull the cable, clean it and lubricate it with light oil,
or you could put up with the noise and rest in the knowledge that when
it gets warm it will quiet down.

The speedo RIBBON is magnetically driven. The odo is a direct gear drive
from the cable.
--
George Downs Bartlesville, Heart of the USA!








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Speedometer Noise...Cable or Cluster?? 120-130

The 122 SW has a noise coming from the head. I have put in a new cable with no luck. This is strange, when cold, summer or winter it will make noise and will mostly go a way after a few miles but it comes and goes with as with a harmonic vibration with engine speed. Like some of the internal speedo parts are loose and just rattling around. As it is just 10 deg. above it will wait till this summer. Will post when I find out what is going on.
--
PTR; 850t-740t -145- 122-http://volvoadventures.com/220spec.html








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Speedometer Noise...Cable or Cluster?? 120-130

Although I do not drive my vintage Amazon in cold weather (a possible solution?) my spin on this problem goes back to when I owned an early 140 series, with the same ribbon/drum speedometer. The sound when cold was like "wo, woo, wooo, woooo, woooo" - you get the point. Likewise it would disappear when the interior got warm enough, so I would suggest it's just the effects of cold weather on the mechanism. I can't remember if the odometer stopped during this warmup, that might help to isolate the culprit! I remember removing the speedometer cable, in case it had a kink in the drive line, then lubricating it with a liquid graphite lubricant (still have the half-used can), with no improvements at all. I guess warmer weather is the only solution, other than parking your 122? Thanks for the trip down memory lane! Best of luck to all
--
Cam a.k.a. CVOLVO.COM







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