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Triumph TR6 - speedo cable lube

Have the speedo and tach out this winter
for repair.
Question is what have people had success with lubing the tach & speedo cable. I noticed a bronze colored
lube on the tach cable believe it's a graphite based liquid lube. I think just regular oil may have been used on the speedo cable which seems to have gummed it up a little. Anyone know about a bronze colored cable lube and where I might find some?

On the instrument side, the tach was sticking from time to time, found what appeared to be gummed up workings. Found a decent replacement inner workings. Question is when replacing the back workings and reattaching the needle does one just wind spring to supply reasonable swing back or is there a defined procedure?
Ian Kinaid

Hi Ian

Most cable problems are wear at bends in flex tube and extra lubing unless specified by manufacturer just slightly prolongs replacement. The small bit of lube supplied is for ends only. I think the stuff your seeing is called copperite?

On the tach I don't know of any info and haven't taken one apart. Try driving full tach cable with your variable drill gently. Should give you same effect and save taking it in and out and adjust as neccesary. I am not sure how its clutched though. RPM of most drills should be around 800 to 1700 rpm.

That last suggestion popped into my head because Charlie Ballard was over today helping with my frame and mentioned working on his speedo cable. Shooting the bull and lifting steel he mentioned his drill was capable of 50 miles per hour.:)

Bill


Bill Brayford

Bill....We just got the speedo & tach installed today, and testing found my Ryobi does 55! Wife hit me when I asked if that was akk it would do!

Rod
Rod Nichols

Thanks.

may sound stupid, but do you run drill in reverse?
some reason thinking Brit engines run backwards.
Ian Kinaid

Ian,
Yes you run your drill in reverse, use a red robertson bit extension and on high speed you should hit about 50mph..watch out for the cops though.
Charlie
Charlie

Also remember
No drinking and "driving"! yuk yuk
Rick Crawford

Charlie I noticed rods Drill will do 55. Maybe if you balanced and polished the chuck do ya think you could blow the doors off that Ryobi.:)

Bill
Bill Brayford

Bill,
I'm sure if I SUPER charged my Makita I can hit 60 ! haha
Charlie

During last winter, I had Nisonger's, just east of New York City rebuild my speedometer. A gear that drives the big mileage digits had stripped a tooth - but the trip odometer was still working so I knew exactly what the accumulated mileage should read.

I asked Nisonger's to put it up (advance) the 4200 miles that it was missing on the true total miles. They said it was against the law in NY State to change the mileage. I explained that I wasn't asking them to turn it back, just to reassemble the digits to indicate the "true" mileage.

It came back and they had not moved the mileage forward. So I connected an old speedo drive cable in the chuck of my Black and Decker drill and screwed the other end into the back of the speedo.

It ran at about 50 mph and after 3 and a half days, I had the mileage up to where it wanted it.

Why, you may ask ? Well I have a log of everything done on "TRusty" and I wanted to have the true mileage. There is no advantage to having a lower mileage as there is no chance that I'll ever sell my TR. On February 14th, 1958 (St. Valentine's Day) my TR was "born" in Coventry in 1958 and I've owned it since May, 1958.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Don
Coming up on 45 years...that is neat! I do not think there are a LOT of car owners in this world that can claim what you have done. You have owner "TRusty" longer than some of the guys on this BBS have been alive! I am not one of them :(
As usual, you have come up with another interesting story to share with us.
Nope, I can not see u selling TRusty.
So, is that drill still working or did u burn up the brushes?
Rick C
Rick Crawford

Rick - I'd guess I've had the drill about 20 or 25 years. Never changed the brushes. I used it during the 3 years it took me to re-do my TR3A. I use it regularly these days on the TR3A (total body off) that I'm restoring for Frank Redmond of Toronto. There were more holes than good metal left in the rear clip.

I keep things of value for a long time. TRusty for 45 years. I have the same 3-speed CCM bike I bought in 1951 (no it was second hand - new in 1949). I use it to pedal into Montreal a few times every year via the Gilles Villeneuve Race Track. The cedar picnic table in the garden has been there for 34 years and looks brand new. I met the lady I live with 50 years ago and we've been married for 37 years (still looks brand new too) and we've lived in the same house for 34 years. I bought it because it has a 20 x 26 foot heated garage under the house - great workshop area for TR's.

Must be the Scottish side of my father's family that makes me save things of great value.

Don Elliott, 1958 TR3A
Don Elliott

Good stuff Don

As this is a drill thread my eldest son now 35 bought me my 3/8 B&D when he was 3 for Christmas. Have others but mostly use it. Never repaired. Most of my tools are 30 years old and things like my try square and punch drill are closer to a hundred inherited.

My daily driver is a 1978 GMC halfton frame off rebuilt by me slightly Rodded. Well actually a whole bunch rodded. But a sleeper on the road. Unless you hear the 3 inch pipes rumbling.

Other vehicles 72 TR6, 1940 Chev halfton Rod. Buick T-Type in family since new survived a number of kids and will get a rebuild soon I hope.

Noticed from some other sights neither one of us wastes a lot of time or money shaving.:)

Bill



Bill Brayford

This thread was discussed between 03/02/2003 and 07/02/2003

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