The Never Ending Speedometer Noise Story, or is it....
 

First off, I have to apologize that I went through this repair and never took any pictures to add to the thread. I have a 91 Pickup and have been fighting the speedometer cable noise off and on for probably 5 years. Once the weather would turn cold the dash would start making a horrible whirling noise. When I finally couldn't take it anymore I would tear the dash apart to lube up the cable. Sometimes it would help for a year sometimes 2 but the noise would always return. Well this year it started happening when it was even 45 degrees outside. I started to have a hunch that it might not only be the cable. So yesterday I tore the dash apart and went for a drive without the gauge cluster in the dash and there wasn't any noise. When I turned around, I put the gauge cluster back in the dash and drove home. The noise immediately returned.

I took the gauge cluster in the house (where it wasn't 20 degrees like in my shop) and spent the next couple of hours working on it. It took a little while to figure out how to remove the speedometer from the gauge cluster. On further inspection there was some gummy old oil on the gear that operates the odometer. I used some rubbing alcohol and a sewing needle to remove all the old oil from the gear. I had some light weight lithium grease laying around and lubed up everything. Once everything was reassembled I took the Gauge Cluster back to the pickup and left it there for the night so that it would be cold and ready to test in the morning.

This morning I got up and went out to the shop. I started the pickup and went for a drive with the gauge cluster out, still no noise. Installed the gauge cluster, NO NOISE Woohoo. After I reassembled the entire dash I took it for another drive and the noise didn't return and there wasn't any bounce in the speedometer either.

I figured i'd throw something out here so people are aware that it's not always the speedometer cable that causes the issue. Has anyone else seen this issue? If the noise comes back I'll report back. Thanks.

Justin