5 Minute Maintance series: Throttle and Clutch cable lubing

I've been putting off lubing my throttle cable. I think like many people I 'just wanted to ride' - and perhaps I didn't really enjoy it... Other common comments on the subject; it certainly looks complicated and what if I did it wrong?

Fear not young wrenchers! Both of these cables can be properly lubed in 5 minutes, and the difference will simply amaze you. (Particularily those of you who brought the bike and have NEVER lubed the throttle cable - YIKES!)

First a comment on why you lube your cables:

1) A lubed cable feels better. A really heavy notchy feel on your throttle isn't going to help you ride better at all. Lube it - it'll feel like butter and I bet you're confidence and smoothness will both improve.

2) A lubed cable lasts longer. Ok no scientific work on this one - this has been the common thought on the matter for quite some time. It makes sense too - the lighter cable pull should put less wear on the cable.

Tools of the trade:

- Can of spray lube
- Cable luber
- 5-15 minutes
- roll of paper towel
- a philips screwdriver
- a block of wood

Clutch cable

1) move the rubber boots away from the clutch lever so you can properly see the cable and lever mechanism.

2) Note how many threads you can see between the locknut and the handlebar clutch cable tensioner nut. If you remember this later you won't have to guess where it was before - meaning less time sorting out the clutch cable length later!

3) Pull the clutch lever all the way in. Slip the block of wood between the clutch lever arm ( right hand side above the oil sight window). This stops the clutch returning... leaving the cable nice and slack.

4) Line up the grooves in the tensior nut and the locknut.

5) Pull the cable back from the lock nut and slip it out of the groove.

6) Slip the little nub of the clutch cable out of the clutch lever. Note the little sleave on the nub. It helps it turn in the lever without cutting the nub off the cable.

7) Put the cable luber onto the cable. The sheath goes in the big end - the cable and nub stick out the other end. I noticed pulling the cable into the luber that it did pull the rubber of the cable luber off center. This did cause it to leak. This is where the paper towel comes in handy! Cover the luber with the paper towel before spraying!

8) Give it short ( half second to a second) bursts of cable lube. Keep applying until it comes out the other end. More paper towel.

9) Clean up the excess lube quickly - apply a bit of the excess lube to the sheath on the cable nub.

10) Reassemble - adjust the clutch tensior screw to the same position it was. Pull in the clutch lever and remove the wood from the clutch arm lever.

11) Clean up properly


Throttle Cable

This one, although you might think otherwise before doing it, is EASIER to do than the clutch cable.

1) Remove the two phillips screws from the bottom of the right control assembly.

2) Split the control assembly carefully.

3) Slip the cable nub off of the throttle sleave.

4) pull the cable out of the lower control assembly gently

5) remove the sleave on the cable - leaving it on will cause a big leak when you put the lube to it.

6) Gently pull the throttle cable so that enough cable is exposed to get it into the cable luber.

7) Clamp the luber down and wrap it in paper towel. Again - short bursts of lube will be less messy.

8) When it comes out the other end - stop - paper towel down the work area.

9) Put the sleave back on the cable. Put the cable back through the lower control assembly.

10) Reattach the cable nub to the throttle sleave.

11) Put the control loosely back together. Rotate the control assembly level again.

12) Tighten the phillips screws firmly (without stripping them!)

13) Properly clean up the area - you don't want slippery controls!



That's it - both controls should work much more smoothly than before - and keep doing so for many miles.

Cheers,
woot.

One comment on the cable luber and it making a huge mess. I've had more luck with the cable luber with thinner wired cables. I beleive CTSommers was having the spraying problem - it happens sometimes it seems - however - even when it was making a huge mess most of the lube was going down the cable. Just cover it with paper towel and spray away. Certainly you can reduce the spray back by perfectly aligning the cable and pinching both ends but it's not 100% nessisary to keep it perfectly clean.

 

Re: 5 Minute Maintance series: Throttle and Clutch cable lub

Good tips. I'll do my cables while I have the bike apart anyway. So, cable luber you say? *goes off googling*

 

Try the search on this forum - it came up a month or less ago

Should be in stock at your local dealer - they can even recommend oil

 

For cables, I would avoid oil as it tends to collect and hold on to contaminates (bad). A powdered or dry graphite spray is best to prevent the gumming that follows an oil lubing (dry graphite is powder and won't hold particles). 'Tis a tale of woe, I know first hand the laments of sticky cables. Nice write-up Woot! You ought to start up your own how-to column. Now there is another idea for the site! Sno, you out there?

 

Found the thread. Thanks.

One more thing to buy - I'm starting to think this bike is like a boat or airplane - A hole in the water/sky that you put money into. Not that I've spent a LOT but I just feel like every time I turn around I'm buying something. . ..

 

You'll find the bottom of it all, I promise (been there too, still counting). There is a return for the investment. That little luber jobby will find use on all your vehicles (car, bicycles, so on). I love mine, worth every penny.

 

PJ1 multi-lube -- works great as a general purpose lube. Specifically states it's for cables too. It's what most bike dealers/shops use.

 

i thought i was the only one,

but i use graphite too!!

it works great!

 

I think mine is an oil based product... actually I know it is. It was what was dealer recommended many moons ago. I haven't had any problems with it yet. I agree oil is a dirt magnet, but with the covers in place I thought it would be difficult to get dirt in there - also - I thought that oil being naturally hydroscopic it would be good at stopping water getting in it.

I'll have to try graphite on my next cables as I don't think you can mix them?