I pulled the cluster from my '79 Catalina this afternoon and am going to do the drill test to see if the head needs rebuilt. Before I do it, I wisted the spindle that the speedometer cable goes into with my fingers. The needle will go up to around 50 or 60, then stall, and fall back down before rising again and wiggling like mad. If I stop spinning the spindle, the needle stays at some speed other than 0. Sometimes it will return to 0, and I hear a ticking sound. Does this sound like a worn speedometer head, or should I go ahead and do the drill test to be sure?
Do the drill test, then send it to United Speedometer, Riverside, CA for repair.
I did the test. The needle more or less wags like a dog's tail and only stays steady in a certain range. I assume that means it's broken