1st Gen R53 Cooper S Shift cable lube

Discussion in '1st Generation: 2002–06 R50, R53 & 2004–08 R52' started by nabeshin, Jul 9, 2009.

Tags:
  1. nabeshin

    nabeshin New Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    409
    1
    0
    Lincoln, NE
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    So what would you guys recommend for lubing the shift cables? Mine are starting to squeak some. It started almost exactly at 60,000 miles. Would silicone based or Teflon based stuff be better? I assume it is simply a matter of squirting it down the cable sheath from under the airbox.
     
  2. Nathan

    Nathan Founder

    Mar 30, 2009
    25,144
    10,052
    113
    Writer
    Short North
    Ratings:
    +10,069 / 0 / -0
    Can you even lube them?

    I may pull this are apart come Sat to take a look and see if I have any damage. Ran with a header that put a lot of heat in the area for a while and shigting can be difficult. Want to check and see if any damage was done to the joints and if the cable can be lubed.
     
  3. nabeshin

    nabeshin New Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    409
    1
    0
    Lincoln, NE
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    The car still shifts easy enough, there is just a bit of squeak at times. It has since turned intermittent.

    Thanks for responding. Let me know what you find out. Post it here for posterity as well.
     
  4. k-huevo

    k-huevo Club Coordinator

    May 6, 2009
    683
    159
    0
    Pipe Creek, Texas
    Ratings:
    +159 / 0 / -0
    If there’s squeaking more than likely it is from the shift stick’s pivot ball, or the stick end is rubbing on the side of the box underneath, or the dust cover has come loose. The collet over the pivot ball is a bit tricky to disengage because all three retaining tabs have to be un-clipped at the same time. It’s something that needs to be greased periodically and it does make a difference. I attempted to lubricate my early model cables, but it had no effect on shifting effort. The cables became set in their shape over time causing a slight kink. Just replace the cables and enjoy that new car feeling. This may help you in your exploration. [ame=http://www.lonestarminiclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603]Shifter Cables Install - Lone Star Mini Club Forums[/ame]
     
  5. Detroit Tuned

    Detroit Tuned Well-Known Member
    Motoring Alliance Founding Sponsor

    May 5, 2009
    301
    319
    63
    evertyhing
    Metro Detroit
    Ratings:
    +319 / 0 / -0
    I have had people try to lube them before, but they are very long and you have a very hard time getting the lube all the way thru, if at all. And the squeak is coming from the the cables. The grease in them has dried out and it is not working the way it should any more. They are about 95 dollars each, and it's best to just replace them and be done with it.

    Chad
    Detroit Tuned
     
  6. istara

    istara New Member

    May 21, 2009
    90
    3
    0
    Tucson, AZ
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    Shift cables were closer to $70 each at Classic in Ohio, FYI. And just a warning to anyone ordering new ones in the 03-04 year range: be very careful which part you order. I thought I was very careful and still ended up with the wrong part.

    [​IMG]
    Notice that there is an "A" shift box and a "B" shift box. I ordered the cables associated with the "B" box, because that's the box I have, and still the cable didn't fit. Since I was replacing these due to broken bushings at the trans and wanted a running car, I ended up pressing the bushing out of the new cable (18mm socket and a rubber mallet over the 36mm oil filter socket worked nicely, though did damage the shaft of the cable I wasn't going to be able to use), dremeling out what was left of the old bushing in the old cable, pushing in the new bushing and moving on with life.

    Huge PITA, but I wasn't prepared to wait another week and a half for parts without a running car.
     
  7. nabeshin

    nabeshin New Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    409
    1
    0
    Lincoln, NE
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Ok, so how would I get the leather boot and ring around the shifter off to take a look at what "condition" I have without breaking it?
     
  8. istara

    istara New Member

    May 21, 2009
    90
    3
    0
    Tucson, AZ
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    Grab both sides and pull up.. so far as I know. Mine came up (many times) with very little effort and none of the clips have broken yet.
     
  9. nabeshin

    nabeshin New Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    409
    1
    0
    Lincoln, NE
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    I'll try that, and I just remembered that I have the original black shift boot and ring that came new with the car, so if I break my lapis blue shift boot I have a back-up option.
     
  10. nabeshin

    nabeshin New Member

    Jun 8, 2009
    409
    1
    0
    Lincoln, NE
    Ratings:
    +1 / 0 / -0
    Ok, I have condition A.
     

Share This Page