Cleaning and lubing speedometer

BigFitz's write-up on cleaning and lubing a speedometer says to clean it with mineral spirits or paint thinner. I don't have either of those and would really like to use something in a spray can. Can I use brake cleaner or electrical contact cleaner? I"ll follow with a silicone type lube after it dries.

Thanks,
Stacy

 

You can, but be careful. "Hot" solvents such as brake cleaner or contact cleaner will attack some plastics and the paint/printing on the instrument face. This is why I recommended mineral spirits/paint thinner, because it's not as aggressive and is therefore less likely to do any damage.

If you insist on using brake/contact cleaner, apply it to a rag or Q-tip, don't directly spray the instrument guts.

You can get paint thinner/mineral spirits virtually anywhere.

 

Whatever you spray on to clean with, make sure you let it dry completely before lubing. Otherwise, you'll spray the stuff all over inside when you start moving....

dave

 

Thanks guys. I used brake cleaner so that I could spray it into places I can't reach with a Q-tip or rag. I was careful not to get it on any painted or printed parts. I let it dry for an hour or so and then applied some silicone spray to the points shown in the write-up and then some silicone grease on the gears. The needle did seem to move easier after doing this. Maybe my speedometer will be more accurate now. Thanks.

 

As long as the brake cleaner didn't get into and melt any of the delicate internals of the odometer dials then you should be fine.

I recommend against it primarily because it's so easy to inadvertenly damage something with too "hot" of a solvent and not everyone is as precise and careful.