What should I lubricate the throttle linkage with?
 

Hi,
I've been having this problem where at cold temps (it's been about 5-18 degrees here in New York) and cold starting, my transmission wouldn't shift gears until about 2500-3000 RPM until warm (my trans. also flares and slips between shifts, although I can prevent it most of the time by coming off the throttle a bit, but this problem is unrelated to outside temperature). I found a thread from December 2003 where someone wrote that lubricating all the throttle linkage (especially everything related to the bowdon cable) cured his seemingly identical problem. So, I think I'm going to do the same thing. What should I lubricate all those parts with? Thanks!

Alex

The Factory Shop Manual specifies AT fluid for the balljoints on your throttle linkage....
But for the life of me I can't imagine a light grease like Chrysler type A white lithium not being just fine... (door hinges etc )
On the cable I would use PBBlaster if you are trying to lub it without taking it out... if taken out I would use the type A grease myself. I used it in motorcycle cables....

Go ahead and flame me, but it works
 

I'll probably get flamed for this, but I use a product caled "Phil Woods Waterproof Grease". It's sold in bike shops and intended to be used in the
drivetrains of bicycles, but it works damn good on throttle linkage too. :)

I use graphite impregnated grease used on Military helicopters....Got a qurt of it at a DRMO sale when I was overseas during the guld war...

I used the white lithium stuff in a tube you can find at any auto parts store. Seemed ok; on the other hand, it hasn't been on there long :confused:

Anyone try MMO?

MMO is probably too thin to stay there very long. I'd go with one of the other suggestions. I've always had good results using a waterproof grease made expressly for winches on sailboats (not wenches, WW....)

Cheers,
Wes

Stay away from anything petroleum-based (like Marvel Mystery Oil), as this will destroy the plastic parts (look closely, there's plastic in there!). I use silicone-based grease designed for lubricating brake parts. Basically anything lithium- or silicone-based should be fine.

Webwench: As a Libertarian, I feel obligated to say: "OMG! Big@$$ kitten :eek: !"

The manual actualy calls for Automatic transmission fluid. ATF

"The manual actualy calls for Automatic transmission fluid. ATF"

I don't believe that.....

THats how I found out.....I read it there...seriously....

I knew a "mechanic" (who turned out to be more of a fly-by-night used car salesman) that used Vaseline to lube the accelerator linkage parts. That actually worked ok I suppose but I won't go any further on that idea~
I have used the white lithium based grease and still have a tube of it where I can grab it if necessary but I have seen it get caked up, it sorta dries out or something. It also attracts dirt and that might be the reason I stopped using it in favor of a spray stuff, I don't have access to it from where I am but I recall it might be teflon spray from CRC or some company. I use that stuff now. I might even use antisieze if I had some next time I am lubing under the hood but that spray is so easy to get up into the joints you don't have to remove all of them to apply it. I still remove the ones atop the engine but its the ones along side the IP, between it and the block, that I try not to remove because its a PITA to put them back on!

Whatever you use, its probably less important to worry about what to use as it is to check the lube frequently, because I saw an accelerator on a 300D that stuck such that the engine was revved up nicely going down the road at nearly full throttle until one kicked the pedal real hard to free the linkage up! It turned out that the car had been detailed and someone probably used steam cleaning or a pressure wand to clean the engione and all the grease from the accelerator linkage was removed in the process. Some of the balls were rusty and the total friction exceeded the pull of the return spring under some conditions. Not a good thing!

Yeah, I know, but I just can't get past the idea of putting petroleum-based lubricant on plastic. They probably recommended ATF instead of axle grease because it is lighter, and therefore easier on rubber and plastic. The greases on the market have improved significantly over the past 20 years, though, and I'm convinced that the linkages will last much longer with a more plastic-friendly lubricant.

Actually its section 415 of the maintenance section on the Factory W116 manual on CD

Calls for Hydraulic oil..............on all the linkages.......not specificly transmission fluid I need to find where I red that.....Need to find my hardcopy manuals...

I also read somewhere that ATF should be used. Maybe it was the Haynes manual. I still won't put ATF on plastic, though :P .