WD 40 is the devil's tool. It works as a short term solution, but in the
long run it's like fixing a dented bumper by removing it and never  putting it
back.

Grease will get dry and lose it's lubricating qualities over  time. So in
some cases it needs to be cleaned away and replaced with new  grease. WD 40 works
to break down any existing grease and render the grease  useless. In that way
WD 40 does have a use as a cleaner--breaking down the  old grease so it can
be whiped away.

But to use WD 40 as anything but an emergency fix is, in my  opinion, not the
best way to go. It has no long term lubricating qualities  so you become a WD
40 junkie constantly having to re-apply WD 40 when metal on  metal just
doesn't give you the smooth operation you had experienced onthe  first application.

Clean out the old grease and clean the area and apply a thin coat of new
grease and you'll get another 15 years of service out of the moving parts. Rely
on the WD 40 and the soon to be metal on metal will wear out the component you
 were seeking to fix and you'll be replacing that entire now-rusty and  stuck
cable.

Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA

In a message dated 12/13/2005 1:08:46 PM Pacific Standard Time,
vwnut@HAWKCOMPUTING.COM writes:

A little  WD 40