Clutch cable

[Zombie Master]

84 R100
So is it a sin to lubricate the OEM cable? If not what would you use for this nylon lined cable?

[Rob]

Yes, it is a sin.
Thou shalt buy a new OEM.

[Airbear]

Yea, verily, etc ... and thou shalt find a way to carry the old cable on the bike as an emergency backup for yourself or another poor bastard.

ps: Three Hail Marys and a small donation to Duane should cover the intended blasphemy.

[tsa]

If the inner cable runs roughly, and you are going to bin it anyway, I think there is nothing to loose by trying to lubricate it (time & cost of oil excluded!). I once did that when my K100RS clutch cable became grabby; it cleaned it out, and made it work nicely, for the next four or so years I had that bike. If that made any nylon lining swell, it may have been worn away sufficiently for the inner cable not to catch any more.

I guess you could use anything from gun, sewing machine, gear (thicker, so won't drain out as quickly) general 3-in-1, or whatever oil your local store has? So far I haven't seen anyone selling clutch oil . . . for airheads.

YMMW or whatever.

[Kurt in S.A.]

Tri-Flow is a great lubricant if you wanted to give it a try.

Kurt in S.A.

[dougie]

Tri-Flow is a great lubricant if you wanted to give it a try.
Kurt in S.A.

+1.

[Zombie Master]

I've got some Tri-Flow....good idea! I'm not seeing any loose strands at either end of the cable

[Wobbly]

These are teflon lined cables, I believe. And the one lubricant your DO NOT want to use is anything with molybdenum, such as Dri-Slide. Teflon and molybdenum apparently don't like each other.

At work I use ATF dribbled from an old 3-In-1 oil can that works well. RemOil or Tri-Flow (teflon loaded gun oils) would be excellent.

[Zombie Master]

Thanx!

[Roy Gavin]

If you can attach a pressure pack you could clean it first with a cleaner like WD40, then a lubricant - I like Brownings Legia spray which is made to keep their auto shotguns sliding and works well on my electric razor too!