Greasing Bowden cables.

Benderthe.evilrobot

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Oct 22, 2016, 5:19:09 PM10/22/16

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Had mixed results using a screw-piston type cable oiler to pump grease into
motorcycle cables - the grease is too sticky in most cases.

Just tried it with a bicycle cable - of course they usually only have a
nipple on one end, so I did it with the inner removed. Quite a bit of the
grease came out as I pushed the inner back in, but I ended up with a really
slick cable.

DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH

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Oct 22, 2016, 8:43:25 PM10/22/16

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goo.gl/wJDC6j

finish line dry lube works n doesn't over stick when temps go into low 50's

also renews when a drop or 2 adds to the open ends.

use able for cable/housings specified for not using internal lubricants

Sir Ridesalot

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Oct 22, 2016, 9:18:55 PM10/22/16

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Be wary about greasing coated bicycle inner cables as many times the greas (or oil) will attack the coating and cause it to gum up inside the housing quite badly to the point that performance is compromised.

Cheers

Benderthe.evilrobot

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Oct 24, 2016, 1:00:34 PM10/24/16

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"DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH" <avag...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5dd48c60-01dc-4345...@googlegroups.com...

With motorcycles; it was mostly a battle to stop water accumulating in any
dips in the cable run.

Water in the cable silently rusts it away, and in winter can freeze the
cable solid.

The No1 objective was to fill any voids and deny them to accumulated water.

Increasingly; cables were supplied as sleeved inner types - oil or grease
became more important as a corrosion inhibitor than lubricant.

Just bought some more PTFE coated cables - oil is pretty much irrelevant for
lubrication, its all about stopping rust on the un coated outer.

Occasionally I've had bicycle cables freeze up in winter - but its usually
easier to avoid cable runs with dips that trap water.

cycl...@gmail.com

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Oct 24, 2016, 1:50:58 PM10/24/16

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The PTFE coated cables usually are steel cables with this covering. They rust at the ends that connect to the derailleurs and brakes where the lock bolts break through the coating. Eventually they break there.

Shimano and Campagnolo cables are stainless steel and if not abused during installation will last the lifetime of the bike.

Joerg

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Oct 24, 2016, 2:13:28 PM10/24/16

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I just oil mine. For that I let the bike "rear up", put chocks at the
rear wheel and lean it into a garage corner. Brakes set slightly pulled
(rubber band plus wood piece) so I can apply drops to the cable right
behind the levers, cotton balls tightened above the calipers. Then I
occassionally go in there and add a drop of good oil until the
respective cotton ball starts to show oil.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

Benderthe.evilrobot

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Oct 24, 2016, 4:36:59 PM10/24/16

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"Joerg" <ne...@analogconsultants.com> wrote in message
news:e771a5...@mid.individual.net...

The Haynes workshop manuals for motorcycles used to suggest forming a
plastiscene funnel on the end of the cable. Then you hang it up and fill the
funnel with oil.

The screw-piston cable oiler does the job in a few minutes.

Either method can avoid oily ends with bone dry in the middle.

DATAKOLL MARINE RESEARCH

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Oct 24, 2016, 6:32:18 PM10/24/16

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disassemble n clean

dribble Finish Line dry lube on cable

fill housing with dry lube ....one end stopped.

let dry

then reassemble.

cables require cleaning .....basic preventive maintenance.

Benderthe.evilrobot

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Oct 25, 2016, 2:51:30 PM10/25/16

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<cycl...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:5ab71474-0e65-425e...@googlegroups.com...

The Clarks PTFE inners I bought are completely black like a non stick pan -
the only bare steel is the tiny little bit of the butt end where I cut off
the excess length.

The cheap inners from a local discount store are all stainless steel - they
aren't absolutely corrosion proof; acid rain is exactly the right kind of
acid to corrode stainless.