Shifting query!

[lighty1]

Hi, I'm building up bike with dura ace 9000, issue I have is the right lever/shifter (for cassette) is locked in position (i.e. I cannot move the lever to shift into easier gears/the larger cogs - if feels like its already reached the inner most cog, when its actually at outtermost).

I've tried with tension, doesnt shift.

I've tried removing tension completely (doesnt shift)

I've tried pulling on wire to create tension, and then shifting down. When I let tension off again, I can then shift the lever 1 click. But i cant get it to shift down multiple times. Also, when I put tension back on the cable and try shifting the 1 click towards larger cogs, it doesnt move.

Think this is a simple problem, and I'm just being a bit simple...

Thanks for any help!

[bricky21]

Sounds like your shifter was already clicked several times before you attached the cable to the derailleur.

[em3]

Sounds like your shifter was already clicked several times before you attached the cable to the derailleur.

+1

Yes, u need to make sure you let all the clicks out of ur lever before fixing the cable with anchor bolt. Also make sure that the limit screws on ur der r properly set before beginning adjustments on shifting.

If u don't understand what either of these suggestions mean then seek professional help from ur LBS. EM3

[lighty1]

Thanks for the replies - agree thats what symptoms suggest, but I'm not sure thats it.

When I shift lever down (to what would be lowest gear if it were attached) and try push wire through its doesnt move at all. Indeed it acts as though its not in the lowest gear. Completely immobile, even if I use a pic from other side to 'encourage' it. Also worth noting that whilst I can get lever to engage to shift once, it doesnt translate to enough movement to shift a gear. I did notice the caps for the router cable are very tight fit and are chaffing the cable - but dont think this is source of problems.

FYI the bike shop actually supplied me the bike with the gear cable already routed through shifter (but not through frame), I'd be a bit surprised if they hadnt checked it was in lowest gear when fitting - and in anycase the wire shouldnt be stuck.

Any suggestions of how to be absolutely sure shifter is in lowest shift position? / encourage the cable out?

I'd love to fix it today to do first ride, otherwise I take it to bike shop next week. Thanks for any help

[sungod]

i'd undo the cable and remove it completely

then check shifter actually is able to click through all positions with no cable

then if shifter is ok, shift to smallest cog and rethread cable

btw if you're already seeing the cable getting chafed, there's something wrong there too

[Geoff]

+1. the first thing is to make sure the cable runs cleanly. Undo the pinch-bolt and gently pull the cable both ways with your fingers (so you can feel that it is running completely free). If not, you will probably need to strip-out the cable, replace it and lubricate it.

[lighty1]

Thanks for the reply - think I've diagnosed the cause + effect (which = dead shifter)

The cable provided was a dura ace one which has a very fine coating. In the manual it says that this easily abrades to frey, but that this doesnt affect cable practically i.e. is visual only.

The metal guide caps I fitted to the end of each section of cable guides (came with frame & groupset) were quite tight, and caused some freying, but the cable still ran reasonably smoothly, so I didnt worry.

However, I noticed when I came to try and remove the cable covers that all the freyed bits had jamed up the hole, making it practically immobile.

I think this jamming of the cable whilst shifting (when setting up the bike) is responsible for some slipping/wedging inside the shifter, such that I can now not shift back to the lowest gear to remove the cable. The cable end visible through side of shifter doesnt move at all when I shift gear, and through the tiny gap it looks suspiciously like there is damage to the wheel the cable goes round.

I'll take it to a local bike shop tomorrow - but I dont think you can dismantle that part of the shifter right?

Unfortunately suspect its an expensive lesson for me - had no idea a stiff/jammed cable guide could kill a shifter.

Thanks for any help, Best, Tom

[thisisatest]

Just to rule this out, when the hood is rolled forward, it causes part of the mechanism to hang up. You can make one easier shift, but none after that. It may not allow you to shift to harder gears afterwards either.

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[lighty1]

Exactly.

Went to a bike shop, they wouldnt touch it (thought they could spend hours on it without success/be liable).

Really expensive lesson for me - I just bought a new shifter - dont want to miss the summer fighting shop/warrenty.

Anyone know where I can buy correct dura ace 9000 gear cable set? can only find US websites. Otherwise, will use a standard shimano set.

[ms6073]

Went to a bike shop, they wouldnt touch it (thought they could spend hours on it without success/be liable).
Really expensive lesson for me - I just bought a new shifter - dont want to miss the summer fighting shop/warranty.

Wait, what? Are you saying the bike shop refused to warranty the DA 9000 shift lever that has never worked? If so, time for a new bike shop - Shimano's warranty service is not exclusive to thw shop where you bought the bike.

[lighty1]

Yep they refused.

Anyway, having bought another, I thought I'd apply a bit of force to the existing one, and hey presto, cable-end came lose, and now it seems to work fine - just need to buy some new cable guides + return a shifter which will arrive in post!

[bricky21]

Just from observing the conversation it sounds as if you purchased DA 9000(online perhaps?), took it to the LBS(different place) after you couldn't get it to work, and they did not want to touch it? Is that more or less correct?

[bmxbandit]

To be fair, it does say in the instructions that it should be installed by a qualified mechanic (or something to that effect). If it a problem is caused by incorrect installation it isn't a warranty issue.

@ Lighty if you are looking for help in sourcing cables locally, it might help to say where you are.....

[bricky21]

Also to be fair it doesn't sound as though the OP expected a free shifter or was holding the LBS responsible for fixing it, but the circumstances are a little vague.

[lighty1]

Its true I'm not a mechanic, as it turned out, issue didnt stem from anything I fitted incorrectly, issue was from incompatible cable guides (the metal end caps being slightly too slightly too narrow (despite running smoothly initially), causing chaffing on the plastic cable sheaths, these tiny bits of plastic eventually jamming the cable, and in turn causing shifting to damage shifter.

It wouldnt have been correct to expect shimano to replace it. Issue was caused by the cables I used. I did mention it to original bike shop, but as I said, I scratched this one up to being an expensive lesson.

I bought the bike from a village shop in south of France, I took the broken shifter to a local bike shop here in Luxembourg, which didnt want to service it, instead advising I take it to original shop, which is fair enough.

Thanks for all the help from this forum, I've learnt allot. Best, Tom