| Author | Message | ||
     Telewoodski |
I left the service manual at home, but just need to know what lube is recommended for the cables. I saw it in the manual with a part number, but I'm wondering if I can use something else that I can get at the auto parts store. The throttle is sticking open, which is kind of nice if you want a cruise control, but messes with some of the down shifts. | ||
| Rocketman |
Use a lightweight quality brand oil for the throttle and you'll get a lighter throttle action with better response. Oil the clutch cable frequently for longevity. Rocket | ||
| Duff24 |
also, check your throttle adjustment underneath the throttle assembly. you might be able to loosen it up a little bit so it doesn't stick... | ||
| Spatten1 |
You should get a Motion Pro cable luber, then you can use Tri-Flow or some other spray lube and force it through the cable. | ||
| Odinbueller |
I recommend Lubeit 8. It's teflon based so it won't bugger up your cable linings, and it sticks to the cable nicely for prolonged lubrication. Also, it comes in a tube with a narrow needle-like applicator, great for getting into the cable housings. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
I use Protect-All's brand. Comes with a clamp to put on the cable and insert the nozzle and spray. Works great. Any good bike dealer should have it. | ||
| Rocketman |
Do you guys have more info for us overseas weary on the Motion Pro and the Lubeit 8? I'm always keen to advance the contents of my tool box  TIA, Rocket | ||
| Road_thing |
Rocket: Got one of these? http://www.protectall.com/cable_life.htm rt | ||
| Bomber |
if not, get one soonest -- they're great! | ||
| Spatten1 |
That looks Basically like the same thing as the Motion Pro. http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/item.aspx?style=7922&department=646&divisio n=6&WT.MC_ID=80003 | ||
| Kevinfromwebb |
Do those cable lubers just fit on the cable housing or do you have to put them on the end??? I didn't know if they put in a pin hole in the casing to let the lube in or not... Kevin | ||
| Spatten1 |
You put them on the end of the cable, spray, and see or hear the lube come out the other end of the cable. | ||
| Kowpow225 |
I use the cable life stuff without that little adapter. I just attach the little red straw to the nozzle, lean the bike like you're making a hard right sweeper and douse it down in there to lube the clutch cable. Gravity should feed it through. Last time I checked the little metal thing was around 10 bucks. (Message edited by kowpow225 on May 26, 2005) | ||
| Rocketsprink |
That's the exact one that I have. Like I said, works great. Don't always have to use the clamp either. | ||
| Odinbueller |
Rocket, Try this link: http://www.tufoil.us/lubit8.htm I only mention it because the service manual suggests it. I've used it with no problems. The cable luber everyone is mentioning works great too. You can get one in a kit from Cable Life. I prefer the Lubit 8 because of the teflon base, and you don't need to use as much as other oils. | ||
| Rocketman |
Well gentlemen thank you but I'm not that impressed. Let me explain. I thought you were going to show me a cable oiler that forced oil down the cable - so what I want at least one of you Motion Pro or similar equipped dudes to do is a little experiment and report back here. You'll need a length of tube about 8 inches long and an internal bore size large enough to fit over a cable of choice including the inner cable end which must be able to move inside the bore freely. This tube needs to be clamped tight to the outer of the cable about 2 inches down from the end. You might want to use at least two clamps for this purpose. At the opposite end of the hose you need to fit an air line attachment in pretty much the same way to enable you to hook up to a compressor. See where we're going? Once all fitted up pour penetrating oil into the air line end of the hose until it appears full then attach the air line. You might want to consider two things here. How much pressure and where have you placed the opposite end of the cable? You don't need a huge amount of pressure and the cable will sit nice in an empty oil container. At some time whilst the air line is blowing the penetrating oil down the cable you should grab the opposite end of the inner cable and push and pull it in and out of the outer cable. Repeat this exercise several times then do it all over again with a suitable lubricating oil paying attention to make the last attempt the least amount of pressure so as not to blow the oil completely out of the cable. Finish oiling by hand by allowing oil to drain down the cable that should be vertically held for an hour or three. Tell me which cable feels fantastic? Motion Pro or home made oiler? i hope for my sake it's the home made experiment otherwise you guys 'll lynch me for wasting your time. Rocket | ||
| Rocketman |
Jeez cable oiling dudes. Would take half hour of your time for this little experiment. And there was I thinking we were gonna break down international cable lubing barriers!!!! Rocket | ||
| Odinbueller |
Interesting idea, but sounds like overkill. Too much pressure and you'll push the oil out without letting it adhere to the cables. Too much pressure can also do damage to the Teflon sleeve or inner jacket of your cable, so be careful with this experiment. For normal servicing, some drops of the Lubit 8 work fine, for neglected cables, the clamp-on luber like the Motion Pro or its kin are fine using a quality lube in a pressurized can. Plenty of pressure to get the lube through the entire cable. Maybe instead of an air fitting for a compressor-style hookup, try a replacement valve for a tire, using a low pressure tire pump or the H-D air suspension pump? | ||
| Jdubb |
Just as everyone else I have my own ideas. In the old days cables did not have a nice liner so you had the steel cable sliding on a steel liner. Modern cables utilize a special liner that not only works smoothly but is best not lubricated. Lubrication, especially oil based lube, tend to collect dirt and grime, forming a grinding compound type of paste. Most manufactures do not recommend any lube. Keep the rubber boots over the cables open areas and they should last for many years. On another related matter there has been a lot of discussion about clutch cable life. A clutch cable should last for many years and not break. If you examine any broken clutch cable you will see that most break right by the ball end. There is a simple explanation for this. When the ball end of the clutch cable gets dirty it no longer pivots smoothly in the lever. Proper maintenance dictates that if you take time to disconnect the cable, clean both the pocket in the lever and the ball end on the cable then re-assembler them using most any type of dry lube it will work smoothly, and eliminate broken cables. I use a bicycle chain lube called White Lightning, since it dries completely. In the case of a cable that sticks, I would be suspicious and trace it’s routing to insure it has not been pinched, causing it to stick. Past experience has shown that cable routing can lead to pinch spots like around a fork stop. | ||
| Court |
Hey...one of the FUUNIEST stories in the last 20 years of Buellin' had to do with clutch cable lubrication. It was at Daytona in 1997 and cost me about 2,000,000 credibility points. Remind me to tell you sometime! | ||
| Kowpow225 |
Oooh oooh. I want to hear this. | ||
| Metalstorm |
 Court, remember when you were at Daytona in 1997? Wasn't there some kind of clutch cable lubrication fiasco? Please do tell  | ||
| Court |
>>>Wasn't there some kind of clutch cable lubrication fiasco? Yeah...a BIG one. It involved me going off on some guy who was going on about Buell, owing to their HD lineage, leaking oil. I called him names, cited facts, engineering advances and stroki of pure geniousity....the world, I admonished him, was changed. Conversation ended I readied for a fitting exit. It would have been better had I not had a clogged vent hose that effectively drove all the oil in and around the clutch to the point of lowest pressure, which in this case happens to be the only opening where the clutch cable exits near the lever. I suppose, had I not been wearing a white shirt, it wouldn't have been near as spectacular nor exciting to the gathered crowd, fresh from hearing me preach, as I sat there looking as if I'd been hit with a golden black water balloon. There....that is the only Buell story I know. I have nothing more to say.  I lied. If you see me ask me about the customer I called an idiot and administered "therapy" to as a room of Buell engineers watched. I live for this stuff! Court | ||
| Metalstorm |
LOL Thank you, that painted such a vivid picture in my noggin. If ever I'm in NY I will purposely seek you out just to hear that next story.  | ||
| Cataract2 |
So, let me get this straight Court. You had oil coming out of the clutch cable housing? | ||
| Court |
Yes. Try pinching the vent hose. |
