Propeller control cable

[Richard Allen]

There must be a way to free up tight prop control cables.

has anyone had success in doing so?

[Peter T]

No,but I have a tight throttle cable, especially noticeable with colder weather..

[kris_adams]

Not a mechanic here so I'm sure I will say this wrong...I had a similar issue with my prop cable a few years ago.  My shop was able to grease the cable.  As I understand it, they have a machine that can grease the cable from 1 end of it.  Wish I could explain it better.  Fwiw, my prop cable is still a bit tighter than the others when its cold.  

[Hank]

It is possible to apply cable dressing down the inside. It will give your cabin the authentic post-maintenance scent, too!

Did that to my Carb Heat cable, then replaced it at the next annual when the flapper joint broke, defaulting to Full Carb Heat. So make sure the stiffness is in the cable, and not in what it is hooked up too.

Also, check the friction lock . . . .

[PT20J]

The prop cable has a 90-deg direction change to get to the governor whereas throttle and mixture cables are pretty straight runs.

[rotorman]

After I had my engine converted from an A3B6D to an A3B6 the prop cable had to be rerouted to a new governor location. It was extremely stiff. With just a small adjustment to ease a bend the cable was freed. If you have not made any changes to the cable routing then disconnect the cable from the governor and see which is causing the bind, the cable or the governor. 

[Guillaume]

Mine was also stiff and couldn't really be lubed (and shouldn't be by manufacturer instructions). 

Ended up replacing the prop control cable by a new one from McFarlane (PMA'd). 

It has been smooth ever since. 

[Nippernaper]

Just replaced mine last week after living with a stiff cable for three years. Went the lube route first, but that didn't really help much. New one is silky smooth, so much better!


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[carusoam]

Usual steps….

Check how old and how many hours are on it…

Common practice is to change at engine OH…

Cleaning can often work wonders…

Replacing worn parts works well too…

Carefully figure out why it is mis-behaving…

Often engine controls start to fall apart…. You may see frayed cables are causing problems…

PP thoughts only, not a mechanic…

 

A common discussion for engine controls is user supplied parts… and Macfarlane….

Best regards,

-a-

[shawnd]

+1 to @PT20J statement. Just replace them. McFarlane is now a PMA provider for these parts: https://www.mcfarlaneaviation.com/articles/new-mcfarlane-controls-mooney/