# Do you lube cables ?



## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

I have seen a few comments as to lubing Honda snow blower cables during maintenance. I personally do not lubricate Honda cables (only the end buttons). Honda cables are coated and I feel adding anything to lube the inside is only going to create a build up that will cause trouble over time, a gunk that will prob be negative in cold temps. I have never had cables get sticky. Do you lube your cables? What do you use?


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## 43128 (Feb 14, 2014)

no, most cable are dipped or coated with some sort of clear coat to prevent rust on quality machines, though i doubt mtd models are coated. every honda i have worked with has had coated cables


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## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

My Honda has rubber bellows that prevent moisture from entering the sheave so I don't bother. For my other machines I spray a little WD40 in to the top of the sheave at the end of the season for good measure.


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## UNDERTAKER (Dec 30, 2013)

* Or they are encased in a plastic sheeve. so no don't go a lubeing.k:k:k:k:k:*


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## Prime (Jan 11, 2014)

43128 said:


> no, most cable are dipped or coated with some sort of clear coat to prevent rust on quality machines, though i doubt mtd models are coated. every honda i have worked with has had coated cables


Ya MTD is another story. A cable coated with ...looks like a plastic / no outer sleeve. thay run over plastic guide wheels. Simple system. Cables usually dont have a very long life. Most times they break at the button. When I ran MTD blowers I always kept spare cables on hand.


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## 524SWE (Jan 20, 2017)

Prime said:


> Ya MTD is another story. A cable coated with ...looks like a plastic / no outer sleeve. thay run over plastic guide wheels. Simple system. Cables usually dont have a very long life. Most times they break at the button. When I ran MTD blowers I always kept spare cables on hand.


Cheap insurance for sure, I do the same.


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## 2badknees (Jan 28, 2017)

My Honda choke cable, with liquid/dust caps, locked up this year. For some reason, the rediculously heavy snow fall caused water to enter the the choke cable and it froze.

I don't have a whole lot of faith in claims from manufacturers that oil based lubricant will cause unwanted wear to the cable liners. But, spray silicone, to me, seems a good alternative. I don't want to tic anyone from this site off, but, wd-40 is a cleaner. Nowhere on the can does it say it's a lubricant. It was created to clean electrical contacts.


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## justintendo (Jan 2, 2017)

wd40 is a good cleaner, and sucks as a lube.
past few years ive become a big fan of sea foam "deep creep" oil for lubing cables. been using it for a long time on motorcycle cables with great results. i always have a dirt bike set up with studs for winter use so it performs in the cold too. i use it on several throttle cables, clutch cables, brake cables, snow blower/mower cables, etc etc..
deep creep is also an awesome penetrant for unseizing things, and takes heat well. does a much better job than pb blaster.


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## BeansBaxter (Feb 17, 2015)

WD-40 is not a lube but it does contain lubricants. It is also performs water displacement, hence the WD in the name.

It was originally created to protect against rust and corrosion for the aerospace industry.


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## RAYAR (Mar 7, 2015)

WD-40 works when first applied, but it will dry up and become a sticky mess making things worse than before being applied. I use transmission fluid (especially the older types) for lubricating or as a penetrating oil. Another product I use is Maxfilm, a Royal Purple product, not cheap, but an awesome synthetic lubricant or penetrant.


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## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

I'd rather call WD-40 a penetrant than a lubricant, IMO 95% penetrant, 5% lubricant.

Automatic transmission fluid is the same, a better penetrant, a very good cleaner, IMO a very poor lubricant.


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