old style over-bottom-bracket cable guides question

[eddief]

My new old stock Specialized Sequoia has these old style brazed on cable guides. Does one just run the naked cables through the guides? Appropriate to grease the guides? Seems like a lot of surface where the cable rubs the guide and shifting especially on the rear might be less than snappy. I am running sti 9 speed and I believe smooth cable movement is essential for accurate indexing.

I guess if I was running retro friction downtube shifters this would not be an issue. In fact now that I think about it, when this bike was made it is possible indexing had not been invented.

[Ken Robb]

I run mine dry but they are Nuovo Record friction--as God intended.

[David Kirk]

try using some of the teflon plastic liner from inside some brake cable housing. Take a scrap piece of housing, yank out some of the white plastic stuff, slide it over your gear wire and locate it under the cable guide. Run it dry (no lube) to keep dirt from being attracted.

smooth acurate shifting without paint abrasion.............just as god intended.

Dave