Lubricating stiff outboard throttle and gear control cables 

Best marine repair and maintenance channel on YT.

This guy is a excellent instructor, explained everything very down to earth.

Thank you so much for doing this video. This is why I love RU-vid. I was going to spend $600 to have my cables changed out on my boat because I couldn't get it to go into reverse. I did this today it cost me $22 and it's fixed.

The steering cable on my boat almost seized and according to the manufacturer they are unserviceable. Well at over $300 and only 3 years old that's crap. This guys expertise is spot on - there are many amateurs showing you how to solve this problem and some are hopeless. This guy is spot on and the crazy thing is - he's just down the road from me. Thanks mate - great advice!!

Great video. I had a completely seized up cable and used this method to solve the problem. I used a clear tubing which made it easier to check and refill the the WD-40 oil. I started with 70 PSI due to the heavy rust and ended up with 40 psi for deep slow cleaning. Thank you

Sorry for replying to such an old video, but damn, that is another brilliant idea. I’ve replaced so many seized cables over the years. I can see this technique being applied to any coated cable. I really appreciate the instructional simplicity and effort you put into making your videos.

I watched this video and I have to admit I was a little skeptical, not only did it work but it worked relatively quickly . I had one control cable that was stiff and one completely frozen and this technique WORKED. Not only did it free up the frozen cable but they are both now working great. This is the second time you saved me a lot of $$$$$ (the aluminum patch video) and I really appreciate you taking the time to share you knowledge. Thanks for the videos and I will keep watching the older ones to find more bits of wisdom.

The first one took a few hours to force the oil through, occasionally working the cable from the engine end. Pressurized with a valve stem and about 45cm of rubber hose. The second one was quicker using a nitto fitting instead of the valve so it was under constant pressure. Great technique!

I have been having this issue on my boat for a while now and began pricing out replacing the entire setup to include the cables. It’s a 1988 SeaRay and yeah, the cable and throttle are 35+ years old and it’s probably due for a replacement. However, nothing else is wrong with the engine, throttle, or mechanically broken. This video and solution cost me a few bucks in parts and now my shift handle, button, and cables are functioning with what I feel is normal tension without catching when I’d shift from FWD or REV. Appreciate the video. NOTE: My hardware store had 3/8 tubing rated at 45 psi, I ran the process at 40. If I have to do this again, I’d probably get a higher rated psi tubing and run it at 50 psi or maybe 60. At 30-40 psi, the process took about 2 hours to run multiple cycles of WD40 and oil and I had to move and “wiggle” the cable a bit to get the fluid moving. I feel like a slightly higher psi would have done the trick and made the process a bit easier and faster. I’d also use a syringe or devise a different way to fill the tubing. Taking the adapters off and on or trying to funnel or squirt the oil into the tubing through the air adapter was a huge hassle and at times made a mess. It worked, but there has to be an easier way to refill the tubing.

We. the public are extremely lucky you are willing to share your expertise...

Just used that technique to lube an almost seized shift cable on a Mercury 3L Alpha One inboard and it worked perfectly! Will eventually need a new cable (which means removing the whole drive unit), but in the mean time it saved the rest of the boating season.

Dangar Stu, Thank you so much for this video. I have a restoration project of a Broom Speed Boat with a 350 Volvo Penta Outboard. I watched your video last night and went straight to the boat to give it a try. I took the control box and cables off and set up a rig using vise, a garden hose and a compressor that is part of a booster pack (to jump a dead battery)- it gave me about 60psi. Applied WD40 first and then oil as you advised and it worked like a charm. Within 1 hour I had both cables, which were completely seized, loose and able to move them freely by hand. You saved me the cost and hassle of trying to find the correct cables for this old beast and the joy of making something come back to life. You are a genius- God Bless you Dangar Stu!!

Thank you Dangar, if I had seeing this video when I first got my vessel You would have save me a few headaches . You have given me knowledge which I’ll teach my kids and anyone else that will listen. So bottom of my heart Thank You Mate. Robert

Thanx for the video i had a seized cable and i tried your method after about 20mins works like new...saved myself 150 bucks cheers keep the videos coming

I followed this link to here from your latest video, Jan 6th, 2020. Thank you so much for including it, I wasn't following your channel way back in 2014 and I would never have found it otherwise. I have 5 boats and all of them would cost a lot of money to replace the cables. They range from a 14 ft skiff to a 40 ft sailboat so you can see I have a lot of control cables. I am retired and boats are sorta of my hobby but I do have a somewhat limited budget to work with, so anytime I can save some money in one place I have that to spend somewhere else. BOAT: A hole in the water to pour money into! BOAT = Bring on another thousand! LOL and I am sure other truths I haven't heard yet. I find you viedo's so easy to follow and your explanations step by step very informative. Be sure that I will be recommending your channel to everyone. Thank You Orville

So many people are using this method and showing on youtube way after you did. You have the best video and method hands down. Thanks bud

Excellent. It has inspired me to have a go at my throttle cable - right now with our Mercury 50 bigfoot we only get 2 speeds - slow, and then shudder into fast(ish). I don't have a compressor, so I was thinking of trying a foot pump (for tyres), or just leaving a funnel full of oil with some height to let gravity do its thing. Might take up the suggestion of using WD40 first - it's been a number of years since anyone has paid any attention to this cable.

Your a star great video and also using the compressed air technique you can save a load of time by not removing the cables from the boat just disconnect at the control box end.

the best cable oil video on YT. ive used it two times with my cables. i found having different sizes of tubing around helps and using clear tubing is best so you can see how much oil your using. also i just use a portable air tank instead of tieing up my main compressor. and i use lucas engine treatment because it is thicker and will last longer... gday from america

just got myself a boat, and the fwd controls seems a bit stiff....im going to give this a go & your other video about dissembling and cleaning fwd controls have been verry helpful....have actually just been watching all your videos of late, some really good advice, keep it up mate.

I took me 3 days to unseize my steering cable oj jet boat under 40 psi continuous pressure using wd 40 Fast Degreaser . The Cable was not renmoved from boat . disconnected cable from helm side and attached it to hose like you did. 👍👍👍👍👍 It was sooooo slow bcz of mud inside cable housing

Love your channel. I grow up on the water but first time owning my own boat. Your channel has helped me a lot. Please keep the videos coming.

Thanks for the tip, watched lots of your other videos as well. So much good advise and well executed, no irritating music.......Thanks from South Africa, Mossel Bay

Wow! Such a simple method. Brilliant! Thanks, I'll be lubing up my 58 year old cables this weekend. Probably clean first with WD-40 and or lighter fluid 🤔

This actually works, did it right there on the boat without removing the cables. Thanks!

Thanks for this video! I did mine earlier today while still in the boat, I didn't have any old oil/grease to push out but the fresh oil is in there now.

Hello Stu, Thanks so much for the great tip. I ended up using some two stroke oil combined with de watering spray along with 50 psi air pressure to push it through from the helm end. Worked a treat after about 6 hours or so to restore a seized throttle cable on my Yamaha 60 outboard. I'll run some more oil through tomorrow as it seems to be more of a water / oil emulsion escaping the cable atm. Once more, thanks a heap and keep up the great work. Thrilled to bits about the success !!!!!

Gracias por el curso de mecanica Nautica en general que haces 👍🏻. No entiendo muy bien el idioma pero como lo explicas no hace falta 😁 Sobre todo para novatos como yo 😬😅. Gracias y un saludo desde España 😉

saw a YT video doing same job. They added some powdered graphite to thin oil mix. To add to slipperiness.. Great videos . From Tassie. Doing this job on a boat I bought next week.

You are a legend mate! Helped me revive a 1957 mercury shift cable for my 1957 mercury Mark 55, this cable is no longer made. Add a pop up that says you prefer ATF fluid, as i had to sort through the comments to find the answer. cheers

Definitely going to try this. I'm even considering trying this on my steering cable. I have a narrow boat and the last time disconnected the steering cable, I had to remove the motor from the transom. Hopefully I won't have to do that this time.

Thank You Stu! I have been dealing with a stiff throttle cable on my starboard engine for a few years. It works, but takes muscle and its hard to get the revs to match the port engine which works well. I rigged this up with junk from my shop and forced some 10w40 through the cable. Now its easy and smooth. Zero cost! You are the best Stu and I really enjoy all of your videos.

Thanks from cardiff mate, just bought our first boat, doing it basically from the ground up - this beats buying a new throttle cable by miles. Just have to get it running properly now to actually use the cable too. :D

Love your channel! Watch all the time. You have saved me so much money! Going to make a donation. Another awesome video. I want to know who the kid is in the video?

Fantastic thanks for that. My cables are very stiff so I will be giving this ago when I get to that part on my boat engine restoration.Thanks again.

You’re the man dangar! Helping all us do it ourselfers!

Great video. Trying to lubricate my control cable using gravity (don't have a air compressor) and probably is why no oil is coming out the other end. I was told to use transmission oil, you are using regular oil. Which is best and should I try a thinner oil so it can travel easier? Will also try WD40 and then oil.

I tried this trick. It takes lots of patience but does work.

Thanks, got my boat shifting like butter 👍

8 years ago but today I could help someone with this, nice!

Awesome vid mate… I am not getting any air or wd40 coming through after about halfa…cactus cable?

Your instructions worked perfectly. Thanks for taking the time and effort to help.

Just fabricated that genius device and used it on my stick steer cable, saved over $200!

Man i love your ideas!! You make my thoughts come to life..

I'm gonna need to do this soon. The throttle and gear assembly for my merc is rather stiff as you get to a certain point in forward gear. It shifts into neutral, forward and reverse easy. And going into reverse isn't stiff at all...but once I go into forward gear and travel about 25% of the way, it starts getting quite stiff and requires a fair amount of force to open up the throttle. It's not gritty feeling, and it doesn't feel like the cable is catching or rubbing on anything...it's just really stiff from about 25% throttle to max throttle. I tried adjusting the throttle friction knob that's on the front of the remote box, but I can't sense that it's doing much of anything. I've read that this is used so vibration doesn't alter the throttle's position and thus the motor's rpm, which would be useful for precision trolling and stuff like this...but honestly I can't tell that it's doing much at all. It still feels stiff when I've got the knob backed all the way out to the point of being loose. So this leads me to believe the cables need to be lubricated. I'll probably do it at the end of this season and have it ready for next year. It's not a big concern right now because the throttle is still perfectly functional, it just takes a little more elbow grease than I'd like. I'm hoping that the problem isn't so much the cables but within the box, and maybe I can clean and lube things up inside and get things moving more freely.

Excellent video...works great! Just came from the video you released today (2020/01/06) and find that your clock is actually working fine here in the past :)

Another excellent video. If no compressor is available will gravity be enough to push the lubricant through the line overnight?

Love your Videos,i am using a lot of your ideas.I am In Nova Scotia ,Canada.Recently got my hands on an old 13.5ft Sun Ray Speed Boat,made in Quebec Canada.It had no Helm or steering cable.Not wanting to spend a fortune on a new one,I came across an old Helm and Cable set up....and when i say old,im talking 50s or 60s.Its the type where the cable has no exit,it only raps around on the inside.That being said,i hooked it up to the 1991 30hp Mariner that was on the boat and by god it moved the motor back n forth with the BRUT force of a 240 lb man,almost completely seized.So yesterday i watched this video,found the things that were compatible for my boat,to try your method.Holy Shit MATE!!!,It WORKED out.THANKS and Happy Boating in Austraila

Mate you are a legend! have helped me solve every problem I have encountered since I've bought my boat. keep up the good work

Thank you man.. Helped me alot You will go to Heaven... Marine section of heaven...

Thank you once again for an insanely useful tip. God bless!

Thank you, brilliant, no more new cables. Regards from Bangor North Wales UK

Great video stu I will try this technique this week hoping it will work so I won't need to replace it what sort of oil should I use ???

Thank you for the demo Dangar. I'm wondering if you think any particular type of oil would be better than another for protecting cables.

I need to do this to my cars shift cables. Thanks for sharing your method.

Great video stu I'm going to try this technique this week and hopefully I won't need to replace the cable was going to ask what oil should I use ???

Awesome. I assume you need some kind of high pressure hose?

gday stu i just seen a thing on ebay called a cable luber so cos there cheap i bought one to see if it does a similar job have you seen them before cheers daryl

Just did this to my throttle and shifter cables. Huge difference! Thanks a lot from the US!! Also, I used a CLP gun lube and it's been great so far.

Great tutorials, keep them coming. What would be the best quick fix for a dirty carburetor to help get your boat motor through the season.

Dangar Stu - professional boat mechanic that thousands look to for advice searches everywhere to find a screwdriver making the average Joe realize they're not the only ones who do that. :-)

Did exactly the same..very good idea with the gardenhose..also had a coffee.lol...but now i wanted to put everything together but i got issues withthe correct "timing".here is what i did,btw its a yamaha 40hp 1986: put control stick in neutral as well as on the engine.attached the cable BUT there is some "play" in the cable,maybe 10mm when i pull it out or push back.question would be: doi have to pull the cable OUT before attaching it again or in?thanks dude.enjoy your next coffee..greetz from adelaide

Excellent info. How large diameter is the hose ? Also, can you for see any issues doing this to cables already mounted in the boat ?

Thanks from Canada on all your great videos. They have helped greatly!! I have a Honda 40hp on my pontoon and when the engine is at operational temp and I put it in neutral the revs go up from about 800rpm to 2500rpm without touching the throttle cable. Is this a stuck cable or possibly a vacuum leak? Advice or a video on this problem would be great.

Another excellent video. Well done again.

Great video! Just wondering the process without the compressor? You said something about a plastic bag? Lol I have a little compressor but I dont have the fittings to rig up that hose your using

I have done the checks and the cables are smooth but the gear change and throttle are both stiff on the engine itself. I can't find a vid where you have done this yet, do you have one? I'm a new boat owner and your vids are very good

Great video... just did the cable off my Honda 50.. smooth as a babys bum now.. so thanks for the informative video.. I would like to shorten some Honda electric cables ( the ones with fitted Honda plugs) RPM, Ign module etc... there are about 6 feet of coiled cable in my console, I would like to tidy it by cutting off the excess, is this possible do you think, and how would you go about tackling this... Regards.. Ian

Great video - what size (diameter) hose did you use? Was is standard 3/8” air hose or 1/4” or bigger?

Would there be any problem with leaving the cable in the boat, and just disconnecting each end?

Stu love the video and it is a great technique. Tried it today but unfortunately it didn't work so well. I left the cables on the boat and pushed the oil from the engine to the binnacle (shifter). When I put the cables back together it was extremely stiff and hard to shift. I am wondering if it is because I used the wrong type of oil. I used 3 in 1 multi purpose oil. Should I do it again with a different oil? Also is it possible that I left the pressure on too long and pushed all the oil through the cable and it has no lubricant in the the cable any longer? Any advice you could offer would be great. Thanks

Hi and greeting to you and charly. Which is better? Injecting synthetic oil inside the cable long or inject a molten wax? Or liquid wax? Thks

Awesome trick! I may be using this soon! Thanks Stu!

Good idea. Thanks for the lesson.

May I suggest using diesel fuel to pour in and lube the cable. Diesel is lubricant and it also has a low viscosity and can penetrate into gaps very well.

super solution to a very difficult task--Mike G

Stu, If you only want to remove one end to try this, what end should you remove? The control end or the engine end? Thanks.

Thank you! Another you tube video that just saved me money and time!! IT WORKS!

Awesome video man! I sort of "inherited" a 1979 Sea Ray SRV 192 with a Mercruiser 470 and after taking it out to the lake, once, everything seemed fine. Then when checking it out 4 months later before planning another trip to the lake I noticed the shifter was not moving the throttle lever. After finally getting the shifter off, I noticed the control cable was not connected to the shifter. So I looked around for the pin and found it in a cup holder below the shifter. I put it back together and appears to work fine now. But I can't help wondering, what if the pin were to come out again while I was out on the water? I know I would be able to manually move the throttle lever worst case. And take tools aboard for repair. Do you have any ideas why the pin came out? Now that I think about it, it could have been when manually pushing the throttle lever with the cable still connected and moving the shifter at the same time this could have move things out of alignment maybe popped the pin out? The cable did take a very strong push/pull to move so maybe it is seizing up... I think I'm going to buy an air compressor so I can perform this cable maintenance (and keep the trailer tires up to 40 psi). I'm sorry I rambled on. Any thoughts?

great video, I'm in Ft Lauderdale and am glad I found you !!!

Thanks for the vid, really helped with my old 70 evinrude.

Watched your video and it is great method. My question is on some steering cables, do I have to remove cables from rack under dash or can I just push oil through from motor end leaving cables connected to rack.

Could you use this technique and not disconnect from the engine ?

Hey mate can I use Hydraulic oil or what’s best? 🤙🏽

That's a great idea. I think I'll try that with my cables this winter.

Thanks from Florida. I was getting ready to buy a new cable. It is tight but not stuck. I think this will do the trick. I will be working on this this weekend.

Great video as always, thanks! Now I do have a question about taking the cables out, when reinstalling is there any kind of calibration to do?, or just adjust the nut?. Beacuse there is a range where you can put it, it wiil only accelerate faster or slower? Thanks!

Excellent technique

Great idea. Thanks for the help Sir!

Stu there are fittings made to do this easily...no mess!

This really works, saves you a good $100.00 from purchasing new cables

Hi Stu I have an auxiliary DT8 Suzuki Outboard I use when trolling for trout at Lake Taupo. My main outboard is a Mariner 90. I am going to install a temporary connecting arm between the 2 outboards for steering while trolling only. I would also like to install a remote control to the DT8 so I can operate the speed from the helm also. Have you already got a video on that or any comments you would like to make?

Can you explain the hose build. Size fittings. ?

Great video, what size hose for mercury cables would you figure I need

I’ve been watching your videos trying to get my outboard steering to be less stiff. Disassembled, cleaned and re-greased rod tube at the motor and it’s still stiff. Wondering if the method you’re sharing here should be next. Can I do this from the motor end without disconnecting the helm end? Or do I need to completely disconnect the cable to do this method?

Did u do a video for the plastic bag method?

Brother...i have a question..i just put a yamaha 70 hp 2cycle on y fishing boat..the cables are about 2 ft to long..can i make a loop or is much better buy ew cables..i need 8 ft..not easy to get here..y yamaha dealers are really expensive..what do u think. Thaks bro.

Hi Stuff. love all of the tips you providers with. can you please give me some advice. I have a 1984 Yammi 30hp. The top gear shifter rod had corroded off the lever. Is this a big job to reattach? I have been told that the powered needs to be removed.

hi thank's for the video ,you could use a clear hose to see oil level , grate video thanks

Nicely done. Can't wait to try this. Thanks!