I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.
The bike had taken a fall- slow speed slip on wet railroad tracks- and come down on the right side. I don't see any obvious signs of impact or scraping on the levers. He says that it wouldn't shift afterwards and he walked it home. I put this down the rear derailleur and chain being grossly offset- 2 or 3 cog difference between derailleur position and chain position, and I don't remember which way.
I've tried flushing the unit with solvent but that hasn't made a difference. Comparing the left and right lever motions, it feels as if the right inner lever is moving at a different angle than the left inner lever, and this motion is more forward and hanging up on the outer lever body.
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
Mike Jacoubowsky 12 March 2005 10:04:00 [ permanent link ]
I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.>
The bike had taken a fall- slow speed slip on wet railroad tracks- and> come down on the right side. I don't see any obvious signs of impact> or scraping on the levers. He says that it wouldn't shift afterwards> and he walked it home. I put this down the rear derailleur and chain> being grossly offset- 2 or 3 cog difference between derailleur> position and chain position, and I don't remember which way.>
I've tried flushing the unit with solvent but that hasn't made a> difference. Comparing the left and right lever motions, it feels as if> the right inner lever is moving at a different angle than the left> inner lever, and this motion is more forward and hanging up on the> outer lever body.>
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a> replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no> experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
Unfortunately, there may be nothing you can do about it. It's been my experience that, if the bike crashes in such a way that the brake lever is pushed hard against the handlebar, the lever is shaped just right so that it follows the bend of the bar and forces it to the outside, bending the internals in a way that I haven't found a way to fix. It's not even visibly bent, but when I find a lever with the problem you describe, there's nearly always evidence on the handlebar tape that the lever had been forced into it.
"Dan Daniel" <ddandan.remove@pacbell.net> wrote in message news:ftt431trj6ro5i45talauibb1m7qsgrj0e@4ax.com...> Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a> replacement?
I think you have got the right procedure. Follow it in the order you mention, but be patient with each step.
I will only add that I had a similar situation last year on a bike that went through a similar experience, and I was 99% sure it was time to get a replacement. Still, I flushed it yet again (probably the 4th time). Lo and behold, it worked perfectly and, as far as I know, it has worked since. Good luck. Blake
Francesco Devittori 12 March 2005 18:09:39 [ permanent link ]
Just in case you haven't already done it, check the cable. I once had a similar problem with an STI lever and discovering the damaged cable avoided buying a new lever...
Francesco
Dan Daniel wrote:> I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.>
The bike had taken a fall- slow speed slip on wet railroad tracks- and> come down on the right side. I don't see any obvious signs of impact> or scraping on the levers. He says that it wouldn't shift afterwards> and he walked it home. I put this down the rear derailleur and chain> being grossly offset- 2 or 3 cog difference between derailleur> position and chain position, and I don't remember which way.>
I've tried flushing the unit with solvent but that hasn't made a> difference. Comparing the left and right lever motions, it feels as if> the right inner lever is moving at a different angle than the left> inner lever, and this motion is more forward and hanging up on the> outer lever body.>
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a> replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no> experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
Qui Si Parla Campagnolo 12 March 2005 18:17:13 [ permanent link ]
Dan Daniel wrote:> I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.
Common problem on STI-9s>
The bike had taken a fall- slow speed slip on wet railroad tracks- and> come down on the right side. I don't see any obvious signs of impact> or scraping on the levers. He says that it wouldn't shift afterwards> and he walked it home. I put this down the rear derailleur and chain> being grossly offset- 2 or 3 cog difference between derailleur> position and chain position, and I don't remember which way.>
I've tried flushing the unit with solvent but that hasn't made a> difference. Comparing the left and right lever motions, it feels as if> the right inner lever is moving at a different angle than the left> inner lever, and this motion is more forward and hanging up on the> outer lever body.>
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a> replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no> experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
Flush it, ensure the housing, inner wire and BB guikde are clear. If all is OK, then the lever is done. Replacing is the only fix. Campagnolo levers and rear der will eliminate any future 'busted, gotta throw away', problems.
I had this same experience with the frayed inner cable. It could be just coincidental that the problem became evident right after a crash. (The crash might also have broken a wire or two.)
If a new cable + flushes of solvent don't fix it, well, since it's broken anyway... See if the inner lever is contacting the outer at any point in its movement. See if you can either bend or file things so the levers no longer contact. Like I said, since it's already broken...
Francesco Devittori wrote:> Just in case you haven't already done it, check the cable. I once had a > similar problem with an STI lever and discovering the damaged cable > avoided buying a new lever...>
Francesco>
Dan Daniel wrote:>
I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever>> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the>> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when>> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different>> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.>>
The bike had taken a fall- slow speed slip on wet railroad tracks- and>> come down on the right side. I don't see any obvious signs of impact>> or scraping on the levers. He says that it wouldn't shift afterwards>> and he walked it home. I put this down the rear derailleur and chain>> being grossly offset- 2 or 3 cog difference between derailleur>> position and chain position, and I don't remember which way.>>
I've tried flushing the unit with solvent but that hasn't made a>> difference. Comparing the left and right lever motions, it feels as if>> the right inner lever is moving at a different angle than the left>> inner lever, and this motion is more forward and hanging up on the>> outer lever body.>>
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a>> replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no>> experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Qui Si Parla Campagnolo" <peter@vecchios.com>
Dan Daniel wrote:>> I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever>> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the>> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when>> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different>> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.> Replacing is the only fix. Campagnolo levers and rear der will eliminate > any future 'busted, gotta throw away', problems.
On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 21:14:28 -0800, Dan Daniel <ddandan.remove@pacbell.net> wrote:
Flush it all again? Try bending the inner lever? Time to get a>replacement? Any experiences appreciated as I have almost no>experience with brifters, and times like this remind me why.
Thanks to everyone for their responses. Looks like the lever is dead. A couple of more flushes and not much more to do. Now I'll see if I can talk the bike's owner into going to bar ends....
I had a 105 that did this. I took it apart and found one of the internal parts was made of soft metal that had distorted - I filed it flat, but there was still a dent and the lever still didn't work properly.
It was cheaper at the time to buy a pair of Campy Daytona levers and do the cable re-route trick than to replace the Shimano lever. I haven't used Shimano STI since.
Szymon "Szymszy" Seliga 13 March 2005 18:11:40 [ permanent link ]
I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever> is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the> center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when> holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different> angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.
There is a way of fixing the problem!!!! Maybe it isn't very elegant, but helps you save a couple $'s. Get rubber band. Take a thick one. Remove the derailler housing. first atach one end of the end of the band to the place where there derrallers come out, and the other thru the outr lever. If you don't get the idea try google this group for a Ultegra STI similar problem. There's been a link to a foto. Or maybe the link was on Sheldon's site
-- Simon mailto: stsimon'hereTheUsaulCharacter'tlen.pl
Qui Si Parla Campagnolo 13 March 2005 18:51:03 [ permanent link ]
Bill Cotton wrote:> ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Qui Si Parla Campagnolo" <peter@vecchios.com>>
Dan Daniel wrote:>>
I'm trying to decide if a friend's right (rear derailleur) STI lever>>>is shot. It will upshift fine- pushing the outer lever toward the>>>center. Downshifting- clicking the inner lever- is only possible when>>>holding the outer lever still and pushing at a slightly different>>>angle. This makes it a two-handed operation, obviously not acceptable.>>
Replacing is the only fix. Campagnolo levers and rear der will eliminate >>any future 'busted, gotta throw away', problems.>
Thanks but w/o any new small parts from shimano and the obvious diffuculty of taking these things apart, I will keep STI in the 'Bic lighter' catagory until shimano designs a lever that even they can repair.
