Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Control cable care

Putting my green machine up for the winter and most of the guidelines say to lube the control cables. I didn't do this last year, but my storage this year is a little less hospitable and I am trying to be more thorough. (Any body that enters that shed's gonna tear up from the naphtha fumes.)

Anyway, anyone have newbie instructions on how to lube cables? What kind of lube (graphite, wd40, oil)? The cables obviously need to be removed for this, but do the cable slack adjustments need to be re-done, or do they persist through the uninstall/reinstall?

Thanks.

I would suggest a cable lube kit, with the clamp doo-hickey and a can of spray.

http://www.scootertherapy.com/clubepage.html

Some minor adjustment may be required after re-installing the cables. I shot mine mid Summer, and could feel the difference in the throttle side.

{psst -- Some forms of naptha are carcinogenic}

Thanks for the link Martin. I bought the same luber from some other mob but they didn't have the instructions you put up. I figured as much but having the instructions set out properly with photos etc will make my job easier come time to me using it. thanks

Thanks Martin. I did see some of those kits on the web...I appreciate the stories of personal experience to validate my oft-misguided perceptions.

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{psst -- Some forms of naptha are carcinogenic}

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Thanks for the heads-up. The only things that enter that shed though are me, my inanimate toys, and varmints. I don't care if the varmints get tumors.

The cable kit I bought came with PJ1 spray in a green and black can. The good news is it isn't snotty like their gawdawful chain lube product. It's more the viscosity of WD 40.
Printed on the can is "Harmful or Fatal if Swallowed," so it must be good.

Anybody have thoughts on using WD 40 as a cable lubricant? I know it is a water displacement formula and a penetrant, but this seems to be something that it would work well for.

I am a bad example for this issue too. I have never in my life lubed a cable and they seem to last just as long.

My understanding is that you're not supposed to lubricate modern cables, as they have a silicon sleeve that acts as a lubricant which can be contaminated by using other lubricants.

Silicon or teflon, I agree. Unless you clean (?) and lube them religiously, any lubricant will attract dirt and increase corrosion and wear. The lube of choice may also degrade the inner sleeve material.
I never lube my cables but to each his own, as they say.

err yeah.. teflon, that's it.

Some slippery stuff, anyway..