Author Topic: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?  (Read 2761 times)

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Offline krksquared

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Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« on: May 08, 2018, 09:57:47 pm »
I just replaced the A cable (pull) with a new Honda OEM cable so now I'm back in riding business. However I didn't lube it. It feels fine dry. Am I asking for trouble? If I should lube, what to use? I found a can of Liquid Wrench Chain & Cable lube in my garage. Also found Dupont Chain-Saver wax-based chain lube and Blaster white lithium grease. Maybe mix'em all together and see how fast I can rev. ;D
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Offline dave500

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2018, 12:49:24 am »
leave it as is.

Offline Deltarider

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2018, 01:09:01 am »
You shouldn't lube genuine Honda cables as they are teflon lined and teflon and oil is not a good marriage. BTW, the genuine cables are best quality you can buy.
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Offline Bodi

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2018, 03:55:32 am »
I can't agree. Teflon is famously non reactive and won't be harmed by normal oil. It's also very slippery so probably oil is not useful if the cables are actually teflon lined. I'm not convinced that the lining is teflon, just as likely to be some other plastic that might with some petrochemicals.
I have a kit for glueing sheet teflon to things and the teflon surface etchant has more hazmat warnings on the label than anything else in the shop, hydroflouric acid if i recall correctly. Teflon is very resistant to chemical attack.
If the throttle works freely and snaps closed when released, all is well with or without oil. If it binds, look for misrouting -  that causes most cable binding. I think light oil would be fine, typical cable lube that has grease dissolved in a volatile solvent not so good: on a long thin throttle cable the grease could add relatively a lot of drag... trivial on a brake or clutch cable where the grease drag is a tiny fraction of the working pull required.
I use a cable lube with a lot of graphite in a thin liquid for the tach and speedo drive cables, don't recognize the solvent odor.  Seems to work. And plain motor oil dripped into the held high ends on brake and clutch cables. Also seems to work. The lightly loaded throttle cables have not had a problem with binding although I may have lubed them...

Offline 70CB750

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #4 on: May 10, 2018, 04:23:26 am »
I use gun oil on every cable I install.

Offline Deltarider

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #5 on: May 10, 2018, 05:00:22 am »
I use gun oil on every cable I install.
Cancerogenic.
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Offline WhyNot2

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #6 on: May 10, 2018, 06:44:54 am »
I just put new ones on my 750, and what a difference.

Throttle snaps back like it should, feels great. I kept fiddling with the routing cause I thought that was the issue.

Cause with them off the bike and straight they seemed fine, but on the bike they wouldn't snap back.

New cables are great, and I didn't lube mine either, thought about taking them back off and doing it.........but, I'm not.
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Offline dave500

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Re: Should I lube my new throttle cable?
« Reply #7 on: May 10, 2018, 11:35:40 pm »
don't lube em,under the throttle tube use graphite powder on clean and dry surfaces only,you might puff a little graphite down the top side of the cables where they first bend out of the throttle assembly.

Offline spotty

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2018, 04:55:06 am »
I use gun oil on every cable I install.
Cancerogenic.

That's a worry  we used to use gun oil to lube the wheels and stuff on wheel in oven racks from bakery ovens, over a week or so it would burn off and the wheels would start to seize up.
Ah well, if I get lung cancer I can blame that instead of 30 plus years of smoking tobacco and other various herbal substances
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Offline DickL

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2018, 03:49:08 pm »
Dont drink the gun oil!
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Offline dave500

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2018, 05:43:43 pm »
or get hit by a bullet with traces of gun oil on it!

Offline kghost

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #11 on: May 12, 2018, 12:34:22 am »
don't lube em,under the throttle tube use graphite powder on clean and dry surfaces only,you might puff a little graphite down the top side of the cables where they first bend out of the throttle assembly.

I lube new cables. Teflon doesn't care what you use on it short of acid.
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Offline Deltarider

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2018, 02:45:04 am »
don't lube em,under the throttle tube use graphite powder on clean and dry surfaces only,you might puff a little graphite down the top side of the cables where they first bend out of the throttle assembly.

I lube new cables.
Why would you, if the manual doesn't prescribe it?
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Offline dave500

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2018, 03:54:03 am »
don't lube em,under the throttle tube use graphite powder on clean and dry surfaces only,you might puff a little graphite down the top side of the cables where they first bend out of the throttle assembly.

I lube new cables. Teflon doesn't care what you use on it short of acid.




you can use egg yolks,they don't stick to Teflon fry pans?

Offline rotortiller

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2018, 01:21:15 pm »
Quote
Why would you, if the manual doesn't prescribe it?

Because some people prefer to think outside the box. The manual is a guide, exactingly written instructions for monkeys. LOL  ;D

Offline 754

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #15 on: May 12, 2018, 01:27:00 pm »
 Because it isn't worth paying a tech extra money to spend more time on the cables..
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Offline Deltarider

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #16 on: May 12, 2018, 01:39:34 pm »
Back then I was advised by a mec at a Honda workshop NOT to lube.
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Offline RAFster122s

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #17 on: May 12, 2018, 10:55:43 pm »
Titanium dioxide is slippery, exceeding that of Moly____ Disulfide...  Moly is one of the slippery-ist  substances out there...  Titanium Dioxide or is it DiSulfide is exceeds its having an even lower coefficient of friction.  But,  I am not going to put either on my Honda cables. 

If you buy an aftermarket cable like Motion Pro, you DO need to lube those before use and at least once a year is their recommendation.
David- back in the desert SW!

Offline Deltarider

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #18 on: May 13, 2018, 12:18:59 am »
Quote
If you buy an aftermarket cable like Motion Pro, you DO need to lube those before use and at least once a year is their recommendation.
Which is a PITA job. Not hard to decide to buy genuine IMO. Moreover Honda offers two different lengths (partnumbers!) for either US or Euro bars. Look at the details shown in the pic - in this case the CB500 clutch cable - how well they're made. All my Honda cables have served > 50.000 km and never had one break.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2018, 12:27:31 am by Deltarider »
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Offline 70CB750

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Re: Should I lube my new trhottle cable?
« Reply #19 on: May 13, 2018, 09:23:15 am »
I lubricate my cables, because I know better than manuals.