How to lube your clutch cable (a proper job with pictures)

[Norbert]

or you could just spray it with wd 40 or would that not work:noworries:

wd-40 is not a good lubricant. it's a good degreaser and cleaner. it will lubricate over the short term, but in the long run it will leave things drier.
it's better to use some proper cable lube.

 

[blitzcraig]

this product works very well. Will not attract dirt like your 3 and 1 oil and you don't have to go thru that whole mess of taking everything apart. Take of clutch lever, insert needle, squeeze and wait for it to come out he bottom. It's a 5 minute operation.....


https://www.russack.com/view_product.php?product=DSL250&searchlink=yes&search=&page=

I have this stuff too, it's awesome. I use it on the clutch and throttle cables. Just give it a good shake, stick the needle down into the sleeve and give it a couple good squeezes. When it drips out the bottom of the bike, quick wipe-up and job done. It literally takes a minute or two. You don't even have to take off the clutch lever.

 

[Peter Biker]

Excellent post. Very detailed.

Cheers

 

[seb101]

Another way to do it is to use small syringe (20ml or so) and needle and just punch the needle all the way in the same hole as the cable is and move it up and down, repeat it couple of times and whola.

Mixture for lubricating would be an engine oil + fuel.

While the engine oil is good lubricant it's not gonna float down the inner lines and then comes the regular fuel in help, after the lubing the fuel will vaporate quickly and the engine oil will be stuck inside.


I just did it myself yesterday, it's quick and works like a charm i repeat it with the throtle cables aswell.

 

[MoBiker]

Crystal clear instruction Nell. Never done any serious dismantling like that myself, but it tempts me to. Perhaps this will make me understand my babe better

 

[hoston1765]

Another way, perhaps oversimplified is to simply (on the center stand) turn the front wheel to the right, it will elevate the clutch lever and cause gravity (along with the "wicking" action of the cable) to draw lubricant down the cable. Rotate the clutch adjusting nut so that the slot is pointed up. I use a small syringe and needle from an HP 45 printer cartridge refilling kit filled with full synthetic 10-30 engine oil (A Yamaha manual option). I squeeze the clutch handle and place 5 or so drops of oil in the slot then release the clutch. That pulls the oil into the cable housing. I repeat the process slowly 5 or so times and by then there is excess oil coming out the other end of the cable. If the rubber nipple on the engine end of the cable comes off for any reason it is easy to reseat it by pushing in and spinning it at the same time. The clutch adjusting nut can then be returned to it's original position. The clutch was sticky, now it's like silk and no disassembly is necessary. The same process can be used for the throttle and return cable with removal of the bottom plate, working from below the housing. On other bike cables I have used teflon (Slick 50) and Moly (Bike aid ingredient) with good results.

 

[socker77]

Well that went fantastically. I still have my gloves on because of how easy and helpful it was!

 

[FinalImpact]

Nice Write Up Nelly!

I looked in the manual to see what Yama'rs wanted in there and to my surprise it was Engine oil of 10-30wt (Apply Yamaha chain and cable lube or engine oil SAE 10W-30 thoroughly). Although I'd be cautious of "chain lube" as some forms of it can be so sticky! Not on the throttle cables!!!

I devoted some Mobile 1 synthetic 10w to the cause. As noted by others, I would not recommend WD40 as it will simply dissolves any remaining lubricant and evaporates. :thumbdown:

 

[Kaisersoze]

Awesome post...very useful.

thanks,

- Marc

 

[dean2287]

This is a great post, thanks. Got my clutch cable lubed and adjusted tonight, easy job with the given advice. I used motor oil with a bit of gasoline mixed, worked like a charm. Much smoother clutch response. :thumbup:

 

[Jacobien]

I did the method mentioned by Hoston1765 and it works great for a month or so. The problem is that there are tons of crud in the cable housing than must be "blasted" out using pressurized aerosol oil or cleaner.

I used the long method. Filled with 10W-60 (too thick), now 3 months on it is sticky again.

Go the long route first, use 10W-30 and your clutch will be silky much longer...

 

[mayassa]

I use white lithium spray grease an a cable lubber tool.

 

[vinmansbrew]

Kinda draggin this back up but I use an old method. I am used to older bikes and so use older tricks.
I take a tennis ball, cut it in half and drill a small hole in it and put the end of the cable in the hole. Then fill the ball part was with lube, 3-1 is ok. light motor oil is ok too. I then let it hang there for a few minutes and gravity pulls the oil down and through the cable sheath and if you let it drip for a bit, it can clean things out a little too.

Slid the cable a few times and you can be sure the entire cable is lubed fully.

I am more used to Hondas and they use a teflon liner in the sheath so lube is not needed. Yamaha doesn't do that?

 

[ChevyFazer]

Well since it has been drug up....

If y'all have never herd of a product called kroil before, find a local HVAC supply shop or a local gun shop and see if they have it. It is hands down the best penetrating lube there is, no joke. Having working in commercial HVAC for a few years I've learned that it is worth it's weight in gold for seized up parts, pipes, bolts, cleaning, and lubricating some parts. If you have access to some, find the nastiest, rusted up bolt you can and spray It on the threads right above the nut or what ever it screws into, and don't blink. Right when you spray it, it goes to work some how being sucked down into crevasses that are not even viewable to you, as if there's a vacuum on the other side! That's what I use to lube my clutch cable and that's it, no need for fancy tools or old school tricks, just a little spray up top and a little spay down bottom. You really don't have to spray it on the bottom end but if your like me and like instant results then go ahead and hit the bottom too. Now a small can isn't cheep, I think $17 but it last for a long time and it's one of those things that a little dab'll do ya....

I think I should be a kroil salesman....

 

[valkesz]

Pls pictures.

 

[ozgurakman]

Hi, photos are deleted so can you re-post again?

 

[yourebarred]

Pics expired?