tiagra 9 speed STI shifter maintenance

The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

tia
james

Hi

On 2005-11-21, wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for
a second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

I've never had one fail so I can't say whether that's a common mode or
not. You can try to strip the lever down to find the fault but I don't
think that spare parts are available from Shimano [1] to fix it.

Any 9-speed lever should work as a replacement, though. They all pull
the same amount of cable.

[1] http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk....592c68f9596b06

Cheers,

Mark

wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

tia
james

That reminds me I should give my Ultegra unit a good flush out. It has
the same problem from time to time. I think its some dirt jamming
something or some lube has dried and something seizes because after a
spray of WD40 it is fixed, sadly not permamently.

wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode?

It is, By pulling the big lever outbaord, the small lever shifts
OK--very common. DON'T strip it down, you will never get it back
together. make sure the inner witre/housing/BB guikde are smooth and
clean. Flush the innards of the lever with a spray lube. If it is still
bad-warranty(2 years) or replace. Another option is Campagnolo, levers
and a rear der, that can be maintaned by taking them apart.

Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

tia
james

wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

As others have said, there's not much point trying to strip these
things down. I've had a couple of sets of gear levers go in the same
way. I think it's just the ratchets and pawls wearing out. Sometimes a
good skoosh of lubricant will help for a while, but you'll need to
start saving your pennies for a new one, I'm afraid.

The Luggage

Qui si parla Campagnolo Wrote:
wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to
engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I
press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can
still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode?

It is, By pulling the big lever outbaord, the small lever shifts
OK--very common. DON'T strip it down, you will never get it back
together. make sure the inner witre/housing/BB guikde are smooth and
clean. Flush the innards of the lever with a spray lube. If it is
still
bad-warranty(2 years) or replace. Another option is Campagnolo, levers
and a rear der, that can be maintaned by taking them apart.

Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for
a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

tia
james

I'd just add to Peter's comment that those Campy ergo levers plus rear
der will work just fine with Shimano 9 spd cassettes. I've used both 9
spd Ergo and 10 spd Ergo with Shimano 9 spd. I like the 10 spd a little
better, but either one will work. Veloce derailer plus Veloce Ergo were
less expensive than Shimano. For the front derailer use anything as the
left Ergo shifter is not indexed. I ride with smallish (46 or 48 tooth)
chainwheels so a Shimano mountain front works for me.

Steve Shapiro


--
Steve Shapiro

I've had the exact same problem with my tiagra 9spd rear shifter James.
The problem occured within 6 months of new, generally i found it
doesn't happen as much if i keep everything clean & change the gear
cables say every 6 months. The shifter is now 3.5 years old and has
got no worse. It happens very rarely now that i'm more on top of the
maintenance. good luck :-)

The Luggage wrote:
wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

As others have said, there's not much point trying to strip these
things down. I've had a couple of sets of gear levers go in the same
way. I think it's just the ratchets and pawls wearing out. Sometimes a
good skoosh of lubricant will help for a while, but you'll need to
start saving your pennies for a new one, I'm afraid.

The Luggage

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode?

It is, By pulling the big lever outbaord, the small lever shifts
OK--very common. DON'T strip it down, you will never get it back
together. make sure the inner witre/housing/BB guikde are smooth and
clean. Flush the innards of the lever with a spray lube. If it is still
bad-warranty(2 years) or replace. Another option is Campagnolo, levers
and a rear der, that can be maintaned by taking them apart.


I disagree. The decision to strip it down vs. getting a new one (if
it's past warranty) depends on how much your time is worth, and how
mechanically inclined you are. I've never yet met a road STI lever
that could not be repaired such that shifting functionality is as good
as new (assuming no internal parts broke). All such repairs are still
going strong, past the 10K mi. mark. A repair such as this should take
most people no more than 30-45 minutes once the lever is off the bike.
The Shimano Service Instructions even provides info to separate the
lever from the lever body, which is generally about as far as one needs
to go in such instances.

Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for a
second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

tia
james

You have absolutely nothing to lose (except time) to strip it down and
re-lube it. Generally these levers get stuck because the grease is
gone and the shift pod is left with the binders that was in the grease.
The prawls get stuck in this gunk and have difficulty engaging. The
only tools you should need to accomplish disassembly are allen keys,
and maybe a screwdriver.

I do *not* recommend the WD-40 flush as a permanent fix. Once that
evaporates (and it will do so reasonably quickly), you're pretty much
stuck with the same issue. The WD-40 flush however, is a good sanity
check to determine whether your levers are good candidates for
restoration.

- Take the levers apart from the brake lever body (hooded part) as
instructed by Shimano Service Instructions.
- Use compressed air to blow away any residual gunk in the shifting
mechanism. You can use the compressed air cans available at office
supply stores if you don't have a compressor. Use qtips or whatever
other tools to remove as much gunk from the shift mechanism as
possible. If you're really in an adventurous mood, soak the lever body
in kerosene. If you do this you probably want to remove the rubber
hoods first. Use compressed air to dry out the shift mechanism
afterwards.
- Apply about 5 drops of oil (like Phil Wood Tenacious) into the shift
mechanism. Cycle thru shifts a few times to make sure oil penetrates
the shift mechanism.
- Use a synthetic grease (like Phil Wood) and lube all moving parts
inside the shift mechanism. Use a grease injector if you have to.
Again cycle thru shift mechanism a few times to make sure the grease
gets distributed evenly in the shift mechanism.
- Verify correct operation by shifting to each of the detents. If this
stage is successful, you may reassemble the lever back onto the lever
body as instructed by Shimano Service Instructions. Wipe off any
excess oil and grease. Make sure the springs in the shift mechanism are
inside the right places when you reassemble. If the levers do not
pass test, repeat above two steps.
- Mount the lever back onto the handlebars. Lever may drip oil for
days, so make sure you have a rag on ground beneath lever to catch
excess oil. Wipe any excess oil from levers diligently.
- Enjoy your good as new levers for the next 10K miles

in message . com, The
Luggage ') wrote:


wrote:
The right hand (ie rear derailleur) shifter sometimes fails to engage
the ratchet when I am downshifting (ie to a bigger cog). When I press
the lever it just moves with minimal resistance and does nothing.
Usually after a couple of pushes it engages and thern shifts ok but
sometimes it takes longer. When it is stuck in this mode I can still
upshift with the other paddle. I can occaisionally reproduce it on
demand by randomly down and upshifting.

Can anyone tell me if this is a common failure mode? Anyone care to
offer any advice on stripping the shifter down? If I was to look for
a second hand unit are theer any issues with mix and matching from the
shimano range beyond appearance and number of cogs (is 9-speed
compatible with anything else for shifting distance)

As others have said, there's not much point trying to strip these
things down. I've had a couple of sets of gear levers go in the same
way. I think it's just the ratchets and pawls wearing out. Sometimes a
good skoosh of lubricant will help for a while, but you'll need to
start saving your pennies for a new one, I'm afraid.

By contrast, Campagnolo ones are fairly easy to strip, and every last
little bit is available as a spare part at reasonable cost. You pays
your money and you makes your choice...

--
(Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

[ This mind intentionally left blank ]

Qui si parla Campagnolo wrote:
wrote:
`snip STI shifter ratchet not catching

... Another option is Campagnolo, levers
and a rear der, that can be maintaned by taking them apart.

I am a bit torn with prices. New tiagra levers come to GBP105. New
mirage levers and rear mech come to GBP77 plus I will need new cables,
probbaly at leats some new outers, new bar tape and more work to fit it
all. On the plus side I lose the simano gear cabel run at the
shifters, I get an excuse to change to a long/medium cage mech which
will allow me to use a bigger max cog size (I presume campy mechs have
an equivalent to the shimano b screw adjustment) plus i get easier to
maintain shifters. Sheldon Brown and Chris Juden both seem a little
equivoical on exactly how good the indexing will be with a shimnao
cassette/ campy shifters and mech combo will be. Anyone got any
practical experience to share?

Also, I was checking out a sora shifter today and it looks to me that
you can only upshift from the hoods, not from the drops. Is that right?
Is there a similar limitation on ergopower? What is the shifting
action with ergopower?

I think I will probbaly try stripping/lubing the shifter as I have
little to lose

tia
james