Ho do I Fix a derailleur

Hi,

Perhaps someone can help a newbie to the group?

I took my rear wheel off to fix a new tyre, and when I put it back
on again I pulled the derailleur into the position where it came apart.
This bike is new to me, I've never done this with the old one,
perhaps they don't all come apart? Or perhaps they don't all
come apart in the same way and this isn't enough info? I really
don't know!

Anyhow, after recovering from the blind panic "what do I do now",
I've worked out how to put it all back together, but it is missing
the tension supplied by the spring inside. This spring is 'keyed'
and I think that I have the keys in the right place but I obviously
didn't twist the spring in the right direction. I am restricted in the
ways that I can twist the spring by the chain, so I really cannot
work out another way to do this (other than taking the chain
off, which I'd rather not do).

Is there anybody who can help me with the right technique to do
this?

Thanks

Tim

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

"D T W .../\..." wrote in message
news:%fnbf.690$w_6.204@trndny09...
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html

Thanks, I had already found this and it didn't seem to solve my
problem. (perhaps I haven't described it properly)

tim


--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.

tim (moved to sweden) wrote:
"D T W .../\..." wrote in message
news:%fnbf.690$w_6.204@trndny09...

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.html


Thanks, I had already found this and it didn't seem to solve my
problem. (perhaps I haven't described it properly)

tim


--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

I've spent most of my money on mountain biking and windsurfing.
The rest, I've just wasted.





Well, you haven't disclosed the name of the deraileur by make or model.

That could have something to do with it.

I once took a Shimano XT deraileur apart to clean it, and that was a
mistake. It was a tough job to get the spring loaded during assembly,
and I will never do that to any deraileur again.

It took several hours to figure out and rig up something that got it
back together, and that was seven years ago, so I don't remember what I
did. Since I will never do that again.

--
1) Eat Till SATISFIED, Not STUFFED... Atkins repeated 9 times in the book
2) Exercise: It's Non-Negotiable..... Chapter 22 title, Atkins book
3) Don't Diet Without Supplimental Nutrients... Chapter 23 title, Atkins
book
4) A sensible eating plan, and follow it. (Atkins, Self Made or Other)

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 11:28:26 +0100, "tim \(moved to sweden\)"
wrote:

I took my rear wheel off to fix a new tyre, and when I put it back
on again I pulled the derailleur into the position where it came apart.
This bike is new to me, I've never done this with the old one,
perhaps they don't all come apart? Or perhaps they don't all

None of them are supposed to come apart at all. Or at least, not without
unscrewing the bolts holding them together, and even that is usually just
the cage (the part the chain goes through), not the bit with the springs.

come apart in the same way and this isn't enough info? I really
don't know!

Anyhow, after recovering from the blind panic "what do I do now",
I've worked out how to put it all back together, but it is missing
the tension supplied by the spring inside. This spring is 'keyed'
and I think that I have the keys in the right place but I obviously
didn't twist the spring in the right direction. I am restricted in the
ways that I can twist the spring by the chain, so I really cannot
work out another way to do this (other than taking the chain
off, which I'd rather not do).

Taking the derailler off the bike (which will require losing the chain
first) might be your best bet to get it fixed, though.

If you've got a digital camera, take some pictures and put them on flickr
or photobucket and someone might be able to help you better.

Jasper

On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 14:30:49 +0100, "tim \(moved to sweden\)"
wrote:



Thanks, I had already found this and it didn't seem to solve my
problem. (perhaps I haven't described it properly)

tim

Hi, what you didn't do, is give us the brand and model # of the
derailleur. If you can't find a model #, at least describe the type of
bike, brand and model. Someone may know the bike and its equipment.

Did you check out Park Tool?
http://www.parktool.com/repair/


Life is Good!
Jeff

"Jeff Starr" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 14:30:49 +0100, "tim \(moved to sweden\)"
wrote:



Thanks, I had already found this and it didn't seem to solve my
problem. (perhaps I haven't described it properly)

tim

Hi, what you didn't do, is give us the brand and model # of the
derailleur. If you can't find a model #, at least describe the type of
bike, brand and model. Someone may know the bike and its equipment.


It's a Suntour XC-Master.

I've put a few, not very good, pictures he

http://photobucket.com/albums/b223/tim_sweden/

You can see that the chain has no tension in it.
In the third picture the spring is held in place by the
little black ring, getting that on in the correct location is
my problem.

[You can check out my holiday snaps too :-)]

Did you check out Park Tool?
http://www.parktool.com/repair/

Thanks.

When apart it looks almost exactly like:
http://www.parktool.com/images_inc/r...elp/der109.jpg
http://www.parktool.com/images_inc/r...railleur10.jpg

on

http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=76

Perhaps reading it all will tell me what to do, except that I've
already skipped the "remember which way round the spring
was" bit, by the time I discovered that it isn't identical at each
end it was too late.

Looks like I am going to have to take the chain off.

And boy do I need the rubber gloves :-(

Thanks

tim







Life is Good!
Jeff

Jasper Janssen wrote:
On Sun, 6 Nov 2005 11:28:26 +0100, "tim \(moved to sweden\)"
wrote:


I took my rear wheel off to fix a new tyre, and when I put it back
on again I pulled the derailleur into the position where it came apart.
This bike is new to me, I've never done this with the old one,
perhaps they don't all come apart? Or perhaps they don't all


None of them are supposed to come apart at all. Or at least, not without
unscrewing the bolts holding them together, and even that is usually just
the cage (the part the chain goes through), not the bit with the springs.

Not true of Record or Chorus. The cage has 3 pins and one screw. By
removing the screw, the cage opens up and one can clean the inner
surfaces and clean and re-lube the spring.

come apart in the same way and this isn't enough info? I really
don't know!

Anyhow, after recovering from the blind panic "what do I do now",
I've worked out how to put it all back together, but it is missing
the tension supplied by the spring inside. This spring is 'keyed'
and I think that I have the keys in the right place but I obviously
didn't twist the spring in the right direction. I am restricted in the
ways that I can twist the spring by the chain, so I really cannot
work out another way to do this (other than taking the chain
off, which I'd rather not do).


Taking the derailler off the bike (which will require losing the chain
first) might be your best bet to get it fixed, though.

If you've got a digital camera, take some pictures and put them on flickr
or photobucket and someone might be able to help you better.

Jasper

tim (moved to sweden) wrote:


It's a Suntour XC-Master.

Life is Good!
Jeff

Ahah! Suntour RDs will come apart. Take it off the bike and you will
find out the cage is held by sone dogs in the body. Engage the spring,
stick the cage in the body and twist. The dogs will engage and you're
back in business.
Phil Brown