.

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I used wd on mine, but I bet Marvel would work

I use good old 3 in 1 oil.

Any of the lighter oils will work fine.

And going on the adage that some lube is always better than no lube, you could use the heavier stuff in a pinch, but it imparts a frictional load on the core.

The stuff I'd make a real point of avoiding is the chain lubes; most dedicated chain goo(s) advertise on the can that they contain waxes, so as to stick better to resist imparted centrifugal (angular momentum) forces - getting slung off your sprockets.

I suppose that as a last resort - if you're ever stuck with a dry cable in the wilds of Nebraska, you could even drop by Wireman's place and get a real deal on a tube of Brylcream - he stocked up on *greasy kid stuff* back when he had hair...

Post edited by: Pterosaur, at: 2006/10/29 07:35

JMKZHI wrote:

This seems like one of those dumb questions, but I'll ask anyway.

What would be a good cable lube? - instead of buying, well, cable lube. Here's a list of lubricants I've got close at hand:

WD-40
Valvoline Penetrating lube
BelRay 6-in-1 spray
BelRay chain lube
3-in-1 oil
White lithium grease spray
Air compressor oil
10W fork oil
10W40 motor oil
30W lawnmower oil
80W90 gear oil
Wheel bearing grease

Thanks. JMK.

Did you check the bedroom?

Any light oil will work, wd40 is really a solvent and doesn't lubricate as well as plain oil. I run 5w 50 synthetic in my bike and use it on the cables and chain as well.

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JMKZHI wrote:

... Are there any hold-over chain lubes from the day that might be suitable? It would be handy to buy a spray lube that's useful for several purposes. JMK.

Utter bags of stuff.

There's all kinds of industrial chain/pin/bushing lubes, DuPont (as well as a boatload of others...) makes this stuff with teflon in suspension:



Any of which 'll work just peachy.

Another bright idea for cable maintenence is to remove the cable from the bike, pull the core and flush it out with WD40, mineral spirits, whatever's handy - depending on the age of the cable, you'll be *amazed* at what comes out.

Give the core a wipe with fine steel wool, lube the bejesus out of everything, re-assemble and viola - you'll notice a big difference.

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I don't remember exactly where I saw it but there was a picture of a cable with a paper cone..a funnel really that was just paper rolled up and taped to the end of a cable and pour a little oil in there and there ya go, it runs down into the casing on the cable. When you think its had enough pull the tape and the paper funnel off. Toss em and wipe off the excess is the idea .

pumps wrote:

I don't remember exactly where I saw it but there was a picture of a cable with a paper cone..a funnel really that was just paper rolled up and taped to the end of a cable and pour a little oil in there and there ya go, it runs down into the casing on the cable. When you think its had enough pull the tape and the paper funnel off. Toss em and wipe off the excess is the idea .

plastic sandwich baggie rubberbanded to the cable works as well....

I have a little aluminum block with a rubber insert. You use a screw to clamp it over the end of the cable and around the wire. It has a little port that you stick the tube of a spray like WD in and power the stuff in and it flushes out the other end. Then I just use a white Lithiun or light oil in the same port. I got it from JC Whitney or Dennis Kirk and have had it for years. Works great.