choke cables are freezing

[Topo 13]

Hello , I have a Toro Wheelhorse and the choke cable keeps freezing and not useable, it will not move so how do I fix this? it is a new cable I installed last spring.

Thanks 

Topo

 

Edited January 26, 2019 by Topo

[The Tuul Crib 7,338]

 First thing I   Would check just to make sure there are no kinks in the cable then check your connections at the carburetor to make sure there are no restrictions. I would spray or run oil down the cable as well 

to

Edited January 26, 2019 by The Tool Crib

[pfrederi 18,339]

Borrow the wife's hair dryer and heat the whole cable spray WD 40 on the exposed ends and work it back and forth  also find the lowest point and move a bit of the plastic over coat..(lets any water seep out...

[SylvanLakeWH 27,595]

 

Hair dryer then WD40 to get the water out and lube it up...

[WHX?? 50,779]

I think the guys have you covered so the only thing I can suggest is move to Florida. 

 

Yep, as this winter has turned more normal for Missouri, a move south is looking better each passing, freezing day.  I just checked yesterday when the temps were warming up to 17 here, it was 53 in New Orleans, 50 in Baton Rouge, 45 in Jackson, Ms,.......Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama would be more my choice than Florida, but it would be a few degrees warmer more south you go in that state.

[roadapples 6,983]

If you ever have the opportunity to pull the cables apart coat the wire with Sil -Glyde silicone grease. No rust, no wash off, no more problems....    This stuff has many uses....

Edited January 26, 2019 by roadapples
Speeling

[Achto 28,806]

  Anti seize also works well for this.

[WHX?? 50,779]

10 minutes ago, Achto said:

  Anti seize also works well for this.

if you don't mind silver fingers!

[CrazyDetroit 7]

On older wheel horses if you take the air cleaner plate off carb and when you reinstall  it one out of 4 screws is shorter. Make sure the screws are in proper spot longer screw will interfere  with choke internally. It will rub on the rod holding choke butterfly.

 

[Spareparts 85]

10-4 on the short bolt on the air cleaner, have ran into that problem. I worked for a line building const. co. and the big wire pulling rigs had 

Several big Morse type cables controlling the hyd. functions and they would get stiff. Morse made pump that would slip over the cable with

a hose and pump. It would fill the cable with a special lubricating fluid,freed them up. Well why wouldn't a smaller version work on our cables,

so with a small hose slipped over the cable and secured with a clamp and the other end slipped over the spout on a hand pump oil can. Well

 with a couple of pumps and moving the cable in and out it flushed the rust and crap out of the cable and they worked like new.

[ohiofarmer 3,333]

 I have an ancient cable on a new acquisition that has the plastic covering full of cracks. I just sanded the rest of it off and use penetrating oil ---Deep Creep by Sea Foam company works great--

 

 A little messy, but it got the job done

[peter lena 9,093]

I agree with the feedback on this issue, we have all had it at some point. removing the choke cable at carb , so it has a straighter /smoother run will let you get a lubrication drip sooner . I regularly give my cables a drink  at each end at full extension. PFREDERI hair drier idea with lube will surely get things going. once you get this freed up, make a regular point of lubing it. you might also find a smoother routing to help out . pete

[Lee1977 7,044]

I have seen where take motor cycle cables poke a hole in a plastic baggie put it over the open end of the cable tie it tight, then the add their penetrating oil and hang it up by the bag.

[bellevillerod 835]

I had that same problem last year, I went to Kroger and bought a Turkey injector with the screw in needle. Opened it up a little until I could just push the cable cover into it. Then filled the injector and gave it a shot. Takes a minute or two but you will see the oil coming out the knob end of whatever cable your lubing up. I did run into a couple that were really tight fitting but just let it sit overnight up higher than the end and it would work it's way through. For me it was always the choke cable freezing up, that can be aggravating trying to get my plow tractor running.

[tunahead72 2,518]

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2019 at 10:28 PM, Spareparts said:

... Well why wouldn't a smaller version work on our cables, so with a small hose slipped over the cable and secured with a clamp and the other end slipped over the spout on a hand pump oil can. Well with a couple of pumps and moving the cable in and out it flushed the rust and crap out of the cable and they worked like new.

 

Great ideas everyone! 

 

This one in particular caught my attention.  There are commercial versions of this idea that clamp around the outside of the cable, so you can attach it without disconnecting the end of the cable.  I have one, it works... mmm... just OK, but I may not really have the hang of using it yet.  If you can remove the carburetor end of the cable like others have suggested, it sounds like your method will work much better.

 

[Topo 13]

where do I get information on the screws , long vs short . this is in reply to the frozen choke cable..

it works fine when not during cold winter months could it still be screws ?

[wallfish 17,515]

6 hours ago, Topo said:

where do I get information on the screws , long vs short . this is in reply to the frozen choke cable..

it works fine when not during cold winter months could it still be screws ?

No. It's water freezing inside the conduit. Use the advice given in the previous posts.

[953 nut 58,009]

11 hours ago, Topo said:

works fine when not during cold winter months