450 Door Handle Cable Lubrication

[tolsen]

There are good how-tos on both reference sites but here is how to get your lube of choice to penetrate and wet the whole length of the internals of the control cable.

There is very little clearance between the inner control cable and outer sheath. Most grease or oil applied will only be on the outer surface and all over your hands and very little will enter the internals.

Use vacuum:
Pull off rubber seal at handle end of control cable and immerse outer sheath of handle end in the lubricant. Suck on other end until it literally sucks. Of course, handle end of control cable has to be unclipped from door handle to do this.

Lubricants:
Mineral oils or greases will make rubber seal grommet swell leading to water ingress. I therefore use silicon based oils or grease. Also less chance of causing the plastic cover on cable to swell when using silicon based lubricants.

[tolsen]

Have tested 3 different Comma spray lubes on a stiff 12 year old outer door handle cable.

Test result:

1. Silicon grease spray. Turned out to be a lot worse than no grease at all.
2. PTFE grease spray. Slight improvement over silicon grease spray but no better than how it was before this exercise
3. White grease spray. Same or now worse than PTFE grease spray.

Concluded the plastic coating on inner wire is disintegrating so have to replace it for satisfactory operation.

[Evilution]

If you are going to suck lube into the bowden cable, choose something tasty.
The metal wrap inside the plastic rusts which binds on the cable passing through. Lube just makes the rust lubricated.
You should try the electrical de-rust method on it and see if it works.

Silicone spray is generally too thin to be useful for anything except for rubber seal maintenance and incredibly small mechanics.
It's not bad to use on your sharpening stone either.

[tolsen]

The handle has improved since yesterday. Probably because most of the solvent has flashed off. The lubes did not taste particularly bad. Silicon grease is almost tasteless. The PTFE spray tasted very much of mineral oil. White grease quite palatable.

I shall try the electrical derust method soon when sorting out my rear axle and drum brakes. Have already invested 99p in a kilo of Tesco soda crystals.

[cougar7609]

Hi all and Merry Christmas

There are some pushbike shops that can make up cables by pressing the ends onto the cable, Ive recently had some made for a specific bike that doesnt fit the normal cables. The length isnt relevant and so perfect if you need to repair the door cable. That may be an option.

[tolsen]

I think the bicycle shops buy in the cables ready made and only trim them to required length once installed. Some crimp a protective aluminium sleeve over the end to protect the cyclist and cable end from fraying.

[Thrumbleux]

Making cables isn't difficult (was doing it when I was a kid) providing a few points are observed. Sourcing what's required is the hardest part.

[tolsen]

1.2 mm gear change cable is readily available and cheap, even stainless steel cables. It is the end terminations that is the problem. Impossible to source.

[Thrumbleux]

Improvise! Brass rod, lathe......
Wrap brass/copper wire around cable and solder. It only has to be (silver) solder compatible with steel and not pass through a hole!

[tolsen]

Improvise! Brass rod, lathe......
Wrap brass/copper wire around cable and solder. It only has to be (silver) solder compatible with steel and not pass through a hole!

You are teaching grandma to suck eggs!

[Thrumbleux]

Then this:

It is the end terminations that is the problem. Impossible to source.

wont be problematic then....

[cougar7609]

The ends on those cables arent that special.... one is a kind of Tee piece on the end and the only a ball or cylinder from what I remember. You can get bike cables with the round or cylindrical end fairly easily. The other end can then be crimped, finding the end may be difficult however.... the older peugeot bikes made in the 60s had a tee piece on the end of the cable for the rear braking system. You can replace the tee piece by finding someone who has a crimper and one of the tee ends. It may not be easy but you can do it. The brake system I refer to had to have the piece crimped on to the end of the cable as the cable travelled through the frame.

[tolsen]

Cylindrical bike end pieces are too large diameter so won't fit. End piece at lock case is special too in that it locks on.

[Mike T]

Make one out of molten lead, in a ceramic or wooden mould? That is what Peugeot 404C club members replacing window winder cables have done.

[tolsen]

Good advice Mike. Worth testing out. I wonder whether a lead end piece will be sufficiently strong. The cylindrical end piece at handle end only measures 8 x 4 mm with 4 mm cable engagement. Might just work but I think the cable has to be frayed open to ensure good hold.