rusty brake cable

[Lloyd]

Guys
any tips on freeing up a a rusted e-brake cable. what i've done so far is to put a 5/8 heater hose over the end that connects to the caliber, disconnected it . Put a hose clamp so i get a good seal on the cable. I then proceeded to fill it with a combination of Marvel mystery oil, PB blaster, wd40, and other assorted oils. i have raised the oil end as high as possible hoping gravity would be my friend. after 3 days still frozen. and no sign of the oil on the inside of the car.
tried tapping on the cable. leaving the cable with tension from e-brake. nothing short of replacing the cable at this point. the car is 6 years old with the brake being obviously not used much.

LLoyd

 

[Phil]

Lloyd,
sounds like you have done all the usual tricks already, and you may be looking at a new cable.
I can't recommend a source for you but I can tell you that anything short of a stainless cable with Teflon liner is a waste of money.
The only thing that you didn't do was apply pressure, I have seen guys force lightweight grease down a cable, but hooking up a gun to the end is the problem, usually resulting in a shower.
Good luck with whatever you try
Phil

 

[Bill Musarra]

Lloyd,
My suggestion is to apply heat to the cable. If it is a steel jacketed cable use a direct flame from a MAP gas or similar device. Be sure to keep the end submerged in your witches brew. As it cools it will suck the oils down into the cable channel and with a llittle luck it will reach the rusted portion and start to free it up. If this doesn't do the trick, invert the cable and try from the other end. If it is a plastic lined cable housing such as on bicycles and throtle cables, use a heated blow gun on low heat setting or use a hair dryer if one is available. It will take a while for the heat to reach the cable inside so patience is the word.
The only alternative to these methods is to use a product like "Dry Slide" which the bicyclist use on their cables. shake it up to get the graphite particles in suspension. Aim the skinny metal aplicator end into the cable mouth and squeeze it gently to get the fluid suspension started. Keep the cable vertical allowing the graphite particles to flow down the inside of the cable. Heat won't help much here. The graphite needs the liquid to get down the cable. I had a throtle cable that would stick at mid throttle from being pinched by one of the seats. The "Dry Slide" did the trick and now it moves freely.

Bill

 

[Bill Jones]

Guys
any tips on freeing up a a rusted e-brake cable.

LLoyd

Try disconnecting cable at wheel end and rolling cable into a small diameter loop. Then twist, bend, manipulate, fondle (?), the rolled cable as much as you can, then unroll and roll up in the opposite direction (opposite direction of bend) and do the same again. Then reconnect to brake and try out.

Good luck

 

[Bill Jones]

Guys
any tips on freeing up a a rusted e-brake cable.

LLoyd

Try disconnecting cable at wheel end and rolling cable into a small diameter loop. Then twist, bend, manipulate, fondle (?), the rolled cable as much as you can, then unroll and roll up in the opposite direction (opposite direction of bend) and do the same again. Then reconnect to brake and try out.

Good luck

 

[Dimi Terleckyj]

Once they have started rusting nothing will be a permanent solution other than replacing it with a stainless new one.

In the scheme of things a new cable will give peace of mind and the secure knowledge that when you need it it will work, the price for a new one is only minor.

Dimi

 

[Lloyd]

Thanks for the followup i was able to get a little movement with a heat gun. i think the only real solution will be replace it with stainless. im going to have to find out where era has them made and see if i can talk to them about stainless replacement.
Lloyd