Lubricating throttle cable...

[rzgkane]

Anyone have the down and dirty for how to effectively lubricate a throttle cable in my 65 Dream? Where do I introduce the grease? What type of lubrication is best? White lithium lube?

Also, are all of the fittings that look similar to zerk fittings just that? Zerks that will accept the modern grease gun?

[48lesco]

I've used a "Cable Life" kit with good success. It comes with a clamp device that you put on the end of the cable, then spray the lube in until it comes out the other end. You have to get access to both ends, but its a little more convenient than removing the cable. Most cable lube products are a mixture of lube and solvent. The solvent helps it through the cable, cleans it a little then evaporates. Having said that, if this is the first time your throttle cable is being lubed in 30 years, I would take it off the bike completely and clean it good. No telling what goo is in there.

Or if that's too complicated just try and get Blaster or WD-40 thru the cable any way you can with duct tape and rags. Note that some will try to come out the adjuster...

You can make the Dream throttle operate smoothly by cleaning and lubing the cable and parts under the throttle tube, and proper routing of the cable, but it will never "snap back" like other throttles. They weren't designed to - think of it as a kind of cruise control.

Yes on the grease zerks, but again there may be years of petrified stuff in there that prevents grease from flowing. Best to take apart and clean the first time.

[rzgkane]

I've used a "Cable Life" kit with good success. It comes with a clamp device that you put on the end of the cable, then spray the lube in until it comes out the other end. You have to get access to both ends, but its a little more convenient than removing the cable. Most cable lube products are a mixture of lube and solvent. The solvent helps it through the cable, cleans it a little then evaporates. Having said that, if this is the first time your throttle cable is being lubed in 30 years, I would take it off the bike completely and clean it good. No telling what goo is in there.

Or if that's too complicated just try and get Blaster or WD-40 thru the cable any way you can with duct tape and rags. Note that some will try to come out the adjuster...

You can make the Dream throttle operate smoothly by cleaning and lubing the cable and parts under the throttle tube, and proper routing of the cable, but it will never "snap back" like other throttles. They weren't designed to - think of it as a kind of cruise control.

Yes on the grease zerks, but again there may be years of petrified stuff in there that prevents grease from flowing. Best to take apart and clean the first time.

Thanks for the info, 48. I haven't yet gone all in with the cable lube. Just took apart the throttle/handlebar assembly and cleaned it out pretty good. It made a huge difference. Went from no throttle return to pretty free. I can still hear what I think is some binding around the headlight area and I will investigate that soon.

What I did notice in this one hour I spent tinkering is that the grip itself has a protrusion at its outer end that actually slides into the handlebar bore, and that that contact between rubber and metal causes binding as well. If you slide the grip back 1/2cm to get that part of the grip out of the bore, it's at least 50% better. I suspect a good throttle cable douching will make a difference as well.

Is there a way to pull the cable completely out of the housing/sleeve or is there a barrel at both ends that would prevent that?

[48lesco]

Glad you're making progress. There are a few mysteries to the Dream throttle to which I have no answer including the nub on the inside of the grip, and the machined OD at the end of the handlebar... Anyway, no the throttle cable won't come out of the conduit. I think that if you slide the throttle tube out, you may have trouble lining up the other throttle parts with the cutouts in the handlebar (including the wiring). Installed "correctly" the grip also hangs up on the other end where the switch casing halves go under it.

I wouldn't worry too much about the throttle returning completely on its own, as long as the slide in the carb is free and follows the position of the throttle grip. You'll get used to that fairly quickly (if you're not already). A stuck slide can be an attention-getter however.
-48

[rzgkane]

Glad you're making progress. There are a few mysteries to the Dream throttle to which I have no answer including the nub on the inside of the grip, and the machined OD at the end of the handlebar... Anyway, no the throttle cable won't come out of the conduit. I think that if you slide the throttle tube out, you may have trouble lining up the other throttle parts with the cutouts in the handlebar (including the wiring). Installed "correctly" the grip also hangs up on the other end where the switch casing halves go under it.

I wouldn't worry too much about the throttle returning completely on its own, as long as the slide in the carb is free and follows the position of the throttle grip. You'll get used to that fairly quickly (if you're not already). A stuck slide can be an attention-getter however.
-48

48- No slot in the handlebars on my bike. I thought that was an early setup. My throttle cable is the common type that feeds right into a round mechanism and pulls on the cable. Two screws took it all apart, I cleaned it with a wire brush and some emery cloth. Need some light grease in there as well. I figure a little lube into the cable housing, maybe decrease any kink in the cable and I should be as good as I'm ever gonna get.

[48lesco]

Hmm... What you're describing is like the early setup ('61-'62), except if your mirror screws into it, I'm not sure what you have (might be an aftermarket part). "Late" models after 1962 had the internal throttle cable and slider mechanism. No reason the early arrangement won't work, it just won't be "correct" for a '65 (to the best of my knowledge). Higher authorities please chime in here...

[rzgkane]

Hmm... What you're describing is like the early setup ('61-'62), except if your mirror screws into it, I'm not sure what you have (might be an aftermarket part). "Late" models after 1962 had the internal throttle cable and slider mechanism. No reason the early arrangement won't work, it just won't be "correct" for a '65 (to the best of my knowledge). Higher authorities please chime in here...

Sorry. I was mistaken. The mirror does not use the throttle housing as its base. It uses the brake lever bracket to mount on. Here's a pic of the actual setup.


IMG_0529 by rzgkane, on Flickr