On Nov 27, 12:25 am, "Bert Willing" bw_no_spam_ple...@tango-
whisky.com wrote:
Yes. You don't lubricate cables in the first place.

If you're like me, you remember reading that advice in an old copy of
AC43.13, complete with references to long-obsolete lubricants like
"Par-L-Ketone." From memory, 43.13 said to not oil cables because
lubricants thin enough to get to the cable core will just displace the
factory lubricant and make them more, not less, susceptible to
internal friction and internal corrosion.

However, in the 1998 edition of AC43.13, Chapter 7 seems to have been
revamped, and makes several reasonable recommendations about
inspecting and lubing cables and what to lube them with (MIL-C-16173,
grade 4, or MIL-C-11796, Class I, if you can find them). It also
describes nylon-jacketed cables, which I believe is a newish
development.

My own recommendation would be to avoid thinned oils like tri-flow for
unsheathed cables. As much as I like Tri-Flow as a general lubricant,
it tends to leave a sticky surface, and its solvents might tend to
wash away more of the internal lubricant than it applies. Those waxy
dry lubricants now available for bicycles might be a good bet, since
they tend to leave a dry, tack-free surface that does not attract
abrasive particles. I use that stuff on the cables and pivots of my
climbing gear, and it seems to work a treat.

Thanks, Bob K.