Choke and throttle cables 🥶

[Jay Fetters]

So... I just purchased an 1862. The previous owner stored the machine outside and the choke and throttle cables keep freezing after use. I have to warm them with a propane torch to thaw them for use. And when I get one thawed, the other refreezes. I pulled them both off and have them in the house now. My question is, what to lube them with. I've never had this issue, but I always keep my machines inside. I typically use graphite, but I'm not sure if it repels moisture. Wd40 and the like will freeze up as well, so they are out of the question. What do the rest of the northern guys use?

 

[mgonitzke]

LPS1
PB Blaster brand "garage door lube"
Any other dry teflon-based lube

WD40 is generally a crap lubricant. It makes a great cutting/drilling lube for aluminum though.

 

[Jay Fetters]

I have some dry Teflon in the garage. I'll let these cables stay the night inside to hopefully dry. Then tomorrow, I'll see how much spray I can get in them and hopefully be done with this issue. Thanks for the tip!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Preventing cables from freezing is one of the only uses I have found for WD40. I used to have issues with the throttle and choke cable freezing up on my #2 125. They would get quite wet from using the snowthrower. Then one year I decided to give the throttle and choke cable a good spraying of WD40 before winter to prevent them from freezing up after using the snow thrower. (It is supposed to be for Water Displacement.) The pre-winter spraying would last all winter. Other than that I have no use for WD40. Not sure how well it would work after the cables are already wet.

 

[snicklas]

Since it sounds like you have them out of the tractor, I would hang them vertically and if you have a woodburner, or a kerosene heater, hang them close (or even if you have a forced air furnace, hang them over a register) and allow them to get warm, to help evaporate the water in them.

I know someone that uses a similar trick with emergency brake cables on Ford Pickups. He would hang them near his woodburner, so they would get nice and warm, and then use a thick lube, like 80/90 gear oil and drizzle a few drops on one end, and use the heat in the cable to make the lube flow better, until the lube would emerge from the sheath on the bottom end of the cable. Kept the e-brake cables working well.....

 

[kphill]

I have a spray can of cable lube made for motorcycle cables... What else works well to lube and free up tight cables is Hoppes No. 9 gun solvent...

 

[cubs4lifeofme]

I have a 5 gal bucket filed with used oil, i put cables in it and most always a frozen cable comes out working good. just my .02 $

 

[Jay Fetters]

What I've done so far, I let them soak for about an hour in isopropyl alcohol in a bucket, thinking maybe that will remove the moisture inside the cable, then I hung them off the mantle above the fire place over night and they are hanging there till I get home today. I'm thinking the dry Teflon spray will be my best bet. This spring, these cables will get my standard treatment, along with my other tractors.
Kraig- another use of wd ìs to spray on a rag, then wipe your weather stripping in your door jam to keep the doors on your vehicle from freezing shut.

 

[rfunk]

My experience with heavy oil lubing cables, my 1980's VW clutch was very stiff in cold weather. I could try to drop the clutch, it would just smoothly engage! I'm a fan of dry, water-repelling lube for these cables. BTW, in the middle of replacing my throttle cable. It broke just as I was finishing up blowing my yard. Had to figure out why it stalled and wouldn't restart. Inner cable broke inside the jacket. Once I figured it out, used a string on the governor spring to start and run it uphill into the shop . . .

 

[dsarow]

I don't use my 125 in the winter so this past fall,I lubed with a motorcycle cable lube.I now about once a week,as I walk by in my garage to get my car,I work them.I have found that keeping them free is easier than getting them moving again or replacing if they break,thats just me.

 

[Ken Black]

havent seen said so far...

i know sometimes the tips will break when you try and str8en them back out at the ends. but if u heat the end up with fire a little..

pull the wire out of the spring. sand it down then spray X into end of spring. or soak for awhile.
it will work like brand new.

X is your fav oil or spray or whatever...

 

[Jay Fetters]

I think they are fixed. I soaked them in isopropyl alcohol and let them hang over night. The next day I sprayed them with dry Teflon lubricant until it ran out the other end of the cable. The fluid coming out was clean, so that's a plus! I let them dry for about 3 hours on the mantle above the fireplace, ţo give the Teflon a good chance of drying before putting them back in the tractor. I installed them Thursday evening and they got tested Friday afternoon, it was around 15° for a high here, and they both moved freely! I blew the four inches of snow we got, then parked it. I went out to the shop this afternoon, our high is right at 9°, and they both still move! Now to blow the new snow we got last night! I'm really liking this cyclops, I told my wife, the only problem with it is I didn't buy 2! Thanks for all the tips and help guys.

 

[1811Cub]

I'm really liking this cyclops, I told my wife, the only problem with it is I didn't buy 2!

That's a relatively easy thing to correct. Around here, there are many Cyclops era tractors for sale at any given moment. Some reasonably priced, some astronomical. These Cubs are definitely addicting.

 

[Jay Fetters]

That's a relatively easy thing to correct. Around here, there are many Cyclops era tractors for sale at any given moment. Some reasonably priced, some astronomical. These Cubs are definitely addicting.

It's a good thing I don't live near "cubsylvania!" Finding anything up here sucks! I drove 5 hours one way for my 1650, 3 years ago. Shortly after, I told my wife I was buying a cyclops. 3 years of searching craigslist, and my wife checking market place, this 1862 popped up, the first 1862 I seen in 3 years! Then I looked for other machines a similar distance away, found one 1864 in Southern Minnesota, it was a bit high on price, and I didn't like the guy very much. That one was 6 hours one way, the 1862 I bought was over 7 hours one way, 14 hour round trip! But it was the machine I wanted, so well worth the wait, and drive!

 

[digger]

All these post over something that could be fixed with Kroil, PB Blaster or WD40 in 30 seconds.

 

[Jay Fetters]

All these post over something that could be fixed with Kroil, PB Blaster or WD40 in 30 seconds.

When there's frozen water inside the cable, none of those will do the trick. The question was how to get the moisture out, and what to lube with that won't freeze, like wd40, pb blaster, or kroil. The cables weren't rusty, or broke or any of that, they were frozen with water trapped inside. Those would be fine in the summer, and then the following winter, after the lube had evaporated. But in the winter, the lube freezes.

 

[digger]

When there's frozen water inside the cable, none of those will do the trick. The question was how to get the moisture out, and what to lube with that won't freeze, like wd40, pb blaster, or kroil. The cables weren't rusty, or broke or any of that, they were frozen with water trapped inside. Those would be fine in the summer, and then the following winter, after the lube had evaporated. But in the winter, the lube freezes.

Your barkin up the wrong tree telling me I don't know what I'm talking about on how to handle cables man.

I've been dealing with it for over 20 years with NO issues using one or those 3 products.

 

[Jay Fetters]

I'm happy that adding fluid to ice helps in your situation. It didn't in mine, I was probly doing it wrong

 

[1811Cub]

WD-40 is primarily a water displacer, hence the "WD".. it's a pretty poor lubricant overall. The original Blaster is primarily a rust penetrant, with some lubricating properties. Works as designed with rusty hardware. They do market and sell an actual bonafide spray lubricant. The Kroil excels both as a penetrant and lubricant.

 

[kphill]

Hey Digger, Is your garage where you keep your snow tractors heated or unheated like many of ours are?..