Oiling throttle & clutch cables.

[Flyingpony]

Decided it's time to properly oil soak my throttle and clutch cables.

Think the best way to go about this is to remove them from the bike, pour some clean motor oil into them and then let gravity do the rest.

Haven't done this type of disassembly before, so is there anything I should be aware of such as tiny preloaded springs which just love self-propelling themselves across my garage into random black holes etc?

Heard some bikes are tricky to do, is the FXR 150 one of those or rather straight forward?

Are there any tricks required for reassembly of components because I’d hate to find myself stranded, especially if it rains and I’ve to use my bicycle.

While I'm at it, I'll also be adjusting the control positions for better ride comfort - following on from FROSTY advice many months ago.

Thanks.

[marty]

there is a fitting that you can get to clamp onto the top of the cable after it's removed from the lever, then you spray crc/wd40 under pressure into the cable until it comes out the other end. have a look in the motomail cataloue - the fiting does an awesome job. i think (know) engine oil would be too heavy.

the other way is to get a piece of clear tubing (probably 8mm inside diameter, or if smaller you could heat it up) about 20cm long that will fit over the cable end. tie-wrap it onto the outside of the sheath. fill a 50cc syringe up with crc/wd40, and tie-wrap the tubing onto the syringe. pressure feed the crc into the cable (slowly). cheaper than buying anything, or should only cost $5 at the most. tubing at $1/m at benchmark, tie-wraps $2 for 1000 at the $2 shop, can of crc, free from work....

[Ixion]

..
the other way is to get a piece of clear tubing (probably 8mm inside diameter, or if smaller you could heat it up) about 20cm long that will fit over the cable end. tie-wrap it onto the outside of the sheath. ...

Wot y'need is a condom (new or used, up to you). Make a little hole in the nipple end (NB - don't reuse that conDom for it's original purpose, eh). Fit the condom over the cable end, and put a bit of string round the nipple. Hook the "big" open end of the condom over a convenient hook or projection (use your imagination)with the cable hanging down under it. Fill the condom with light oil. Go have a beer.

[ManDownUnder]

Wot y'need is a condom (new or used, up to you). Make a little hole in the nipple end (NB - don't reuse that conDom for it's original purpose, eh). Fit the condom over the cable end, and put a bit of string round the nipple. Hook the "big" open end of the condom over a convenient hook or projection (use your imagination)with the cable hanging down under it. Fill the condom with light oil. Go have a beer.

Good tip!

I used to park the bike so the cable was in the sun (warming and thinning the oil) form a wee "funnel" out of blue tack and pour some oil in there.

The heavier the oil the better (stays lubed longer) so a little sun warming is needed.

I wonder if you could use the CRC fitting already mentioned and force chain lube through it - that'd be the ultimate!

[wendigo]

Arrangement I use is an old chopped up tyre valve rubber from a tubless tyre epoxied into the neck of a small coke bottle. When you cut the metal valve off, the resulting hole is a nice snug fit over the outside of the cable you want to oil.

Then all you have to do is detach both ends of the cable (while leaving it in place on the bike), fit the bottle/valvetube arrangement to the higher end of the cable, fill it full of lubricant of choice & leave it overnight.

Gennerally start of by using a light solvent based lubricant (WD40, CRC, Innox) etc, as this dissolves all the crap that builds up over time on the insides of the cable tubes. Once this runs clear, I pour in gearbox oil & leave the whole lot overnight. By morning gravity will have done its thing & the heavier oil will have perculated down the tube & displaced the light oil at the same time.

[Pixie]

Get one of those cable oilers that have been on the market for yonks.
I used one recently.They are brilliant
Motomail have them for $15

This will allow you to pump motor oil through the cable with an oil can in minutes

[Flyingpony]

Like walking through a candy store, so many ideas.
Thanks people.

Looks like I'll have to rethink my oiling idea and go on the prowl for some extra bits and pieces.

[trumpy]

Get one of those cable oilers that have been on the market for yonks.
I used one recently.They are brilliant
Motomail have them for $15

This will allow you to pump motor oil through the cable with an oil can in minutes

Wot he said. Brilliant.
Spent many hours trying all sorts of convoluted methods to oil the cables on my dirt bike. All time consuming, messy etc. Bought a cable oiler from my local bike shop for $12 now I can do both cables in about 10 minutes. Just hold the button on the can 'till the lubricant flows freely out the bottom of the cable casing. Bonus..you only need to unhook the top end of your cables. Works on the road bike too.

[inlinefour]

I have an old squirt can thing that you pump oil out through the tube/nozle. I work the cables and at the same time stick oil on the top of the cable. Through working the cable the oil runs doen the sheath inside. Have never had any problems with cables since doing this. I was allways told that CRC is too fine an oil, just just cheap clean engine oil. I oil the chain on my pushbike with the same device.

[JMemonic]

I know this is a few days old now but hey why not add to the discussion

CRC etc is far to light, but it is good for cleaning out all the general rubbish, however far cheaper is good old kerosine, use one of those cable oiling rigs and an oild can pump kero through, then some oil, the choice of which is up to you, if you want to spend money CRC do a teflon spray, works a treat but this is for those with fat wallets.