See full version: How to lubricate cables
Many outers are pre-greased these days, and the way to fake that if you get cheaper outers is a grease gun. A syringe will work at a pinch, but it needs to be a small one or the force needed to squirt grease into the tiny hole in the outer will be extremely high. Trying to manipulate grease into a cable outer any other way is frustrating and I find it ineffective (I have tried!) more
What is the best way to lubricate gear and brake cables in their tubular housings? Up until now, I've used CRC/WD-40 with an extension tube and attempted to squirt the lubricant into the tube housings. However, I suspect that this is fairly ineffective because 1. WD-40 is not a great lubricant (judging by the other Q+A on this site), and 2. the lubrication doesn't travel very far into the tubes.
Using oil kind of works, but I find I need to re-oil the cables way too often. Grease works better. Teflon coated cables work even better, and the combo of teflon cables and pre-greased outers (or plastic-lined outers) is amazing. But not worth the $80 a set unless you're running 10 speed gears or something expensive (I use a Rohloff, and that doesn't care about fine adjustment, only cable friction).
Note that WD-40 is NOT a lubricant and should never be used for any type of serious lubrication. It does more harm than good. See also this related question. Buy a specific cable lubricant, which is designed for penetrating through the whole cable. If this is not available, any other light oil or grease will do.
Slide the cable housing back into the barrel adjuster and re-connect the brake. here
Most brake and shift cables these days have a plastic lining built into the housing, therefore eliminating the need for lubrication. However, if you ride a lot in wet weather, or have an older bike without the plastic lining, you’ll want to lubricate the cables to prevent rust. I personally believe that well-lubricated cables also improve braking and shifting.
Cable lubrication is recommended, especially if you ride in the rain or have old cable housings.
With the freewheel stopped from moving, shift your shifter all the way in the opposite direction, as if you were going to shift to the smallest sprocket. The rear derailleur should now be stuck on the largest sprocket, which will give you enough slack to fully release the cable from the frame. Pull the upper section of the outer cable down leaving a section of inner cable exposed. Lube the cable the same way as the brake cable, and then reconnect the outer housing. here
Now pull the lower section of housing free from the frame, and slide it away from the derailleur. Repeat the lubrication process and reconnect the housing. Don’t forget to move your rear shifter back to the largest sprocket before rotating the rear wheel. [links]
Most brake and derailleur systems have some sort of quick release system that allow you to release the cable from it’s stop. Here it is demonstrated on a cantilever brake, but other systems like sidepull, U-brakes, and V-brakes have similar quick release mechanisms.
When your shift or throttle cables get stiff, replacing them is always the preferred solution but unfortunately control cables are expensive and may represent an unwelcome stress on the household budget. Here's a temporary alternative that costs almost nothing and can keep you out on the water for an additional season or longer. The idea here is to lubricate the cable inside the jacket. Lubricants applied to the ends of the cable tend to penetrate only a short distance, often failing to deliver any meaningful benefit. To lubricate the entire cable, you must remove it from the boat. This can be dead simple or an all-day job, depending on how the cables are installed and routed on your boat. Control cables that are really difficult to remove and install make a strong case for replacement rather than the band-aid repair of lubrication, but if your cables are accessible, lubricating can be an expenditure-deferring alternative. here
With the cable out of the boat, insert one end (jacket and all) through a hole you make in a bottom corner of a heavy-duty zip-seal bag. Gather the bag around the jacket and tape it tightly with duct tape to seal the bag to the jacket. Reinforce the diagonal top corner of the bag with the duct tape. Poke a hole through the center of the reinforced area and use it to hang the bag so that the cable hangs down vertically its full length. Pour enough motor oil into the bag to fully submerge the end of the cable jacket and zip the bag closed. Place a container beneath the bottom end of the cable to catch the oil that should eventually drip out of the lower end of the jacket. Allow the cable to hang until the oil drains through. Slide and rotate the cable in the jacket, then give the bag a second shot of oil (it can be the same oil) to assure a thorough lubrication. Remove the bag, reinstall the control cable, and you should be good to go.
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This works better if you can pump our use positive pressure to get the oil to flow into the cable.
Tie the funnel and cable so it is the highest point and pour the mixture of CR & Marvel mystery oil into the funnel so gravity will cause the mix to enter the cable.
If the first one broke, make sure that the cable is the real problem. With the cable not connected, do the control levers move free and easy?
While the engine is idling and tied to the dock, can you shift the engine in and out of gear at the engine cable connection point?
Find a short piece of hose that fits over the cable end. Adapt or shim to have the other end of this hose go onto an oil can or a funnel.
Is the cable route from the shift box to the engine proper without any sharp bends or kinks?