1) do i have to remove the dash to get at the speedometer?
2) is the speedo cable housing removable from the back of the speedometer or is it fixed/attached?
3) If I chose to remove the speedo cable from the speedometer by removing it at/from the transmission (700R4), is it did is it difficult to reinstall it from the trans point?
Think i need to relube cable.

 

1) No. Only the dash pad and instrument panel.
2) I don't think it's removable but I've never had a reason to try it.
3) Why would you ever want to do that? What would be the point. Disconnecting and re-connecting the speedo cable to the transmission is easy. ...

 

1. No, but lowering the steering column and removing instrument cluster is about easiest way I have found.

2. Yes, it is removable. A clip holds it to back of speedometer.

3. No, not difficult. You can pull the cable itself out from transmission end, lube it, put it back in. This may not apply if you have the old 2 piece cable though.

 

When the car is cold, and I begin driving, there is a noise coming from the speedometer. No noise in warm weather. I will remove the cable & lube it with white lithium grease as I have done to another car years ago.

 

Is your odometer clicking and not moving when it's cold? I used to have that a while and once the interior had warmed up, it disappeared and the odometer started working again.
I guess that was some clearance issue between contracting and expanding plastic parts.

 

NCC-2569
speed work just a little noisy when cold.

 

IIRC, the speedo cable will only come out from the dash side. The cable has a collar on that side that prevents it from sliding into the housing. I used to remove the cluster and spray lube down into the cable housing by partly pulling the cable out. You can see the collar at this point.

 

Was just thinking about this today and I believe you are correct about the collar preventing from coming out bottom. Last one I put in my Camaro had that collar I think.

 

Does the car have cruise control? If so, there are 2 speedo cables, and the one making noise is probably not the one going to the transmission...

 

There is only one speedo cable & I have cruise control. speed is controlled by a cable connection to the carb from the vacuum box ( for lack of another word) when cruise is activated.

 

1982 and 83 used the old 1960s type cruise control with 2 pc cable. Firebirds use electronic speedo starting with most '86 models except base cluster though '87 or '88