WD40 on knobs in cockpit?

[goalstop]

Hi all! You have all been an amazing source of insight these past few weeks.

Several knobs in my ‘64 M20E are sticky:

+ Ram air flap

+ Standby vacuum

+ Altimeter setting knob

is it acceptable to spray WD40 on their shafts? Any other lubrication suggestions?

[Yetti]

WD-40 is not a lubricant.   It is a Water Displacement.  It says so in the name.    Tri flow is good for everything that pivots or slides in the plane.

[N201MKTurbo]

Almost nobody uses what is specified in the maintenance manual. Tri-Flo and LPS-1 seem to be the favorites. 
 

I would say any lube is better than no lube. The control cables usually get sticky along their entire length, not the shafts. You need to apply lube along their entire length the lube should be applied to the spiral conduits. The lube will work it’s way through the spirals to the wire, where the stickiness is.

Don't lube The throttle, prop and mixture cables. They have a plastic sleeve in them and lube will ruin the plastic. You can put a little lube on the knob shafts in the cockpit.

[carusoam]

Uses for WD40 are pretty limited…

I used it as a cleaner…  there are better products for that too…

It definitely isn’t a lubricant…. There are much better products that are tried and tested for that…

There is a rumor by one MSer to be used as an anti-ice coating…. Avoid this as Plan A for anything…

 

Mooney does supply a lubricant list and where it gets used… probably the (maintenance Manual)… find a copy around here somewhere…

PP thoughts only, not a lubrication specialist…

Best regards,

-a-

[Prior owner]

WD40 is a pretty good solvent. If the cable/wire controls are really gummed up, IMHO WD40 can help to break that gum up. But you’ll still need to lubricate the cable/wire afterwards with a lubricant, such as Triflow, as recommended above.

WD40 is also excellent for cleaning  gummed up oil on the belly, inside and out.

[TheAv8r]

+1 for LPS1, use a rag, spray on the cable with the rag underneath and run the rag up and down the length of the cable, then pull and push the cable back and forth a few times to disperse the lube. 

[Hank]

16 hours ago, jacenbourne said:

+1 for LPS1, use a rag, spray on the cable with the rag underneath and run the rag up and down the length of the cable, then pull and push the cable back and forth a few times to disperse the lube. 

How about cable dressing? It leaves that distinct aroma for a while, too . . . .

[goalstop]

Thanks all! I went ahead and had my A&P do the honors on it.  He said it was a very simple task.  The benefits of having her stuck at the mechanic for a few weeks