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cable luber?
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I bought one of those cable lube devices that you clamp on the cable end and
then stick a spray lube straw into.
No matter how I adjusted or tightened/loosened it, the lube seemed to go
everywhere but inside the cable housing.
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If the cable is frozen or nearly so, a section of the tube is probably
completely plugged with rust or congealed lubricant. I have clamped a plastic
tube to the upper end of the cable and left it full of penetrating oil
overnight. This is identical to the bag trick mentioned in other posts. You
can sometimes save a cable like this, but you never know how many strands of the
cable are broken or when it will fail. It will fail at the most inconvenient
time.
I once had a clutch cable snap just as I was unloading a dirt bike from a
trailer to begin an all-day trail ride.
If a cable is completely frozen, replace it. If it's just stiff, try to lube it
but go ahead and order the replacement. You're going to need it sooner or
later.
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I finally gave up and used my old method which involves wrapping a rubber
band tightly around a syringe and needle inserted between the cable and
housing. This has always worked fairly well but I thought I would give this
other thing a try.
Has anyone gotten one of these to work well or are there any "tricks" to
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Thanks but it's neither frozen nor in need of replacement. It's a fairly
new cable that just feels a bit sticky and needs to be lubed as a part of
routine maintenance and because I really like the way a clutch lever feels
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In that case, do the plastic bag trick and while oil is being gravity fed
through the top end of the cable, work the cable from the other end to help
distribute the oil throughout the entire length of the sheath.
I got lucky on the broken clutch cable. It broke right where it exits the
sheath on the bottom end. I was able to shorten the sheath, bend the cable back
in a loop, and tie a piece of wire from the clutch pivot to that loop. I rode
all day expecting each shift to be my last, but it held and lasted after that
ride long enough for the replacement to arrive.
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when a clutch cable is properly lubed.
On this bike, my KLR-650, I carry a spare clutch cable zip-tied to the frame
so that if I have something happen like you describe above, I can still
ride. The ends of the spare are sealed with some silicone caulk to keep the
dirt out.
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I usually use shrink wrap electrical tubing. Slip it over the cable,
shrink it onto the cable housing, then twist and shrink the end
above the nipple to form a tight seal.
Incidentally, my cables have nylon (?) liners and you are most
definitely not supposed to lube them for fear of softening the liner.
Always make sure that lubing a cable is really appropriate.
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Go the plastic BAg YEAHHHH!
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Ed Chait
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using one?
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Never even seen one. I've used hydraulic lubers, which work fine, but
if you poke the cable end through the bottom of a small plastic bag (a
coinage bag works just fine), and seal the hole with some tape or a
cable tie, and pour oil into the bag and just hang the cable up
overnight, it works just as well. And costs nothing.
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You need to make sure the rubber completely encases the sheath and wire. I
had a Yamaha tool that seemed to work ok on them but when I went to a Suzuki
wasn't able to make it seal and went back to the bag trick. Might be a
slight difference in size.
Most of the work is freeing the cable so unless somebody comes up with one
that will lube with the cable installed I'll be sticking with gravity.
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Ed Chait
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