Throttle Cable Freeze-up

K

Kevin Martin

New member
All,

The throttle cable on my longtail mud motor freezes-up every time the temp falls below freezing. Anyone have any ideas as to how to prevent this. Cable has a poly/plastic coating/cover. Its obviously the cable ...if necessary I can push the throttle linkage with my finger and it runs just fine. However, not my preferred method of running up and down the river. I asked the maker (won't give him the benefit of free advertising) but he's does not want to help.

Thanks
Kevin
 
Kevin,

I use a silicone spray lube on the throttle cable on my ice auger. If the cable has been lubed before, it may have been lubed with the wrong choice of product. Regular oils will get too gummy in cold weather plus they will attract dirt. Any automotive parts store should carry a product specifically designed for a cable lube.
 
I got up and down the river this year by flexing the cable by hand on my shorttail to break up the bond. The throttle would work but wasn't real responsive after that.
The main thing (stating the obvious here) is to keep moisture out. I keep mine covered except when running so it wasn't too bad.
I imagine I will deal with it tomorrow though. I put a space heater in the boat overnight when its this cold.

I will try the silicon spray as a preventitive measure. How do you get it inside the cable?
 
A motorcycle shop will have what you need...maybe a snowmobile place up north. There is a lube kit for it. Putting a dab of thick grease at the ends of the sleeve will help keep moisture out of the whole thing, as will tying a 'loop' in the cable (loosely, about 4-5" in diameter), and zip tying this loop so that it sits above the rest of the line. This needs to be done on the linkage end of your cable on a shorttail (as they tilt forward when stored) and on nearer the throttle end of the cable on a longtail, since they are typically stored handle upwards...either way, you want to use the loop to prevent gravity from allowing water to seep down the whole length of your line while not in use. You can generally break loose 4-6" length of frozen cable, but not the whole thing. A loop will prevent that.
 
Try this stuff, Ballistol... Might help... I am in love with this oil.....

http://www.firehawktech.com/Ballistol/index.html
 
All,

Wish to thank everyone for comments/recommendations. Sorry that I have not had a chance to reply...as shortly after I sent my original post my doctor put me in the hospital to get a tumor removed from my left leg. Looks like it turned out OK.

Unfortunately things got worse (with my mud motor). Just when I was beginning to think that I had the throttle cable problem solved...I motored 2 miles up river where the geese were coming back to after feeding. When it came time to go home I found that that the key holding the engine drive shaft to the universal came off and I had NO propulsion. Yes, I was pretty PO'ed after dragging my boat 2 miles back upstream (current was too strong to make much headway paddling). So when I got home I crated up my mud motor and sent it back to the dealer. I'm still waiting for my replacement.....

Kevin
 
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