Adjusting di2 8050 Front Derailleurs

[iamraymond]

I'm having a heck of a time adjusting the front derailleur of my Ultegra R8050 groupset. The only reference I can find is the Shimano Dealer Manual, but it's not very detailed or helpful.

All the videos and references I have seen online are for the older 6870 derailleurs which all have the traditional low/high limit screws. But it seems that Shimano has removed these limit screws on the 9150 and 8050.

After many many attempts, I have finally got it to shift from the small chainring to the big, but there's significant rubbing when on the big chainring/small sprocket combination. Here's what I did:
1. Losely attached the FD to the frame (braze on) mount.
2. Put the FD in the big chainring position. I did this by holding the chain away from the FD and shifting the FD. Otherwise, if I tried to pedal forward, the chain would get jammed in the cage .
3. Adjusted the height so that the FD cage was about 2mm from the top of the outer chainring, and that the rear of the cage was slightly inboard (closer to the frame) than the front of the cage.
4. Tightened the FD to 6nm. This resulted in the rear of the FD cage moving slightly outward (away from the frame).
5. Put the FD in the small chainring position. I was able to do this by shifting and pedaling forward. No issues dropping from the big to small chainring.
6. Looking down on the FD, I adjusted the 2mm support screw to align the outside of the cage above and parallel to the outer chainring.
7. Tried shifting from small to bi, but it kept getting jammed.
8. Fiddled with the 2mm support screw until it shifted.
9. Once I was finally able to get the chain to shift on the big chainring, it would rub a lot against the outboard side of the FD cage.
10. Fiddled with the top adjustment bolt to minimize the rubbing. It still rubs on the smallest 2 sprockets.

I also tried using the microadjustment of the FD by putting the chain in the big/big combo and pressing+holding the Junction A button until the red LED appeared. This didn't do much to be honest.

I'm not sure how I can fine tune the shifting without any high/low limit screws. This is my first attempt at installing/adjusting a di2 groupset so any help would be appreciated.

[ms6073]

The only reference I can find is the Shimano Dealer Manual, but it's not very detailed or helpful.

Sorry, what? I am unclear how you could not find the DM-R8050-03 detailed, you might try Youtube, otherwise my advice is to pack the bike off to your local bike shop.

[toiyuet]

Your step 8 was unnecessary, always use microadjustment.
Please read the Dealer Manual specifically and follow the steps.

[iamraymond]

Ah I got it! I didn’t fully understand that the microadjustment replaces the whole concept of low and high limit screws.

I got it shifting beautifully now!

[Cw75lea]

So when I push the junction A button to go into micro adjust mode I can’t get my front derailleur to move at all. I believe you’re supposed to be using the front front derailleur buttons to make these micro adjustments right? If I click the rear derailleur shifters I can micro adjust them; I just can’t get any response from the front. If I go back to normal shift mode though, the front and rear derailleur work just fine.

[TurboKoo]

You need to be on big/big to get FD trimming on.

[Cw75lea]

So I need to be in my 52 / 25 combo? Cross chained?

And, what is the difference/contradiction of the top adjustment between what’s on pg. 136 and pg. 141 of the Shimano manual in the link below?

http://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-R8050-03-ENG.pdf

[DamonRinard]

Hi Cw75lea,

P. 136 you're setting the outer limit on the big chainring.
P. 141 you're setting the inner limit on the big chainring.

Cheers,
Damon

[Cw75lea]

Hi Cw75lea,

P. 136 you're setting the outer limit on the big chainring.
P. 141 you're setting the inner limit on the big chainring.

Cheers,
Damon

Ok.
Pg. 136 - check adjusting using the high limit screw;

Pg. 137-138 - low limit adjustment - mine won’t go into adjustment mode using junction block A and using the left shifter to make the micro adjustments. I should clarify it does go into adjustment mode but I can’t make micro adjustments (on the front derailleur) when in the small chainring (36) and big cassette gear (25);

Pg. 139-140 - not needed for me;

Pg. 141-142 - I can get into adjustment mode and make micro adjustments to the front derailleur on this step when in the big chainring (52) and big cassette gear (25tooth).

Everything else on the system has worked flawlessly. I just can’t make the adjustment on pgs. 137-138. I don’t believe Turbokoo was right in saying big chain/big cassette for this adjustment. And to be clear again, this is for the 8050 system.

Thanks,
Carter

[Cw75lea]

Got it figured out. Seems the problem was the system needed a firmware update. All works like it’s supposed to now. Thanks for the replies.

[mcbod]

I am having similar problems that I haven't been able to resolve yet
When I move into adjustment mode, my right shifter micro adjusts the rear derailleur, but the left shifter does not micro adjust the front derailleur
I just causes the red light to flash but the derailleur doesn't move

Also when attached to the the PC/E-tube app, when I trigger the adjust FD function in there, an error occurs and it tells me to rn the check errors function but that cannot be done without other hardware I believe

So the front derailleur works generally (in sync and manual modes) but I just cannot adjust its inner limit

[alcatraz]

On my friend's 9070 group he also can't microadjust the front derailleur. I don't know why. Nothing happens when pushing the left shifter's buttons in adjust mode.

Also is it true that r9150 and r8050 don't have limit screws anymore?

[pdlpsher1]

I am having similar problems that I haven't been able to resolve yet
When I move into adjustment mode, my right shifter micro adjusts the rear derailleur, but the left shifter does not micro adjust the front derailleur
I just causes the red light to flash but the derailleur doesn't move

Also when attached to the the PC/E-tube app, when I trigger the adjust FD function in there, an error occurs and it tells me to rn the check errors function but that cannot be done without other hardware I believe

So the front derailleur works generally (in sync and manual modes) but I just cannot adjust its inner limit

For clarification, did you go into the small-big combo when pressing the left lever? The FD should move in one direction at a minium (if you are already at the extreme end of the adjustment then pushing one button won't move the FD).

[pdlpsher1]

On my friend's 9070 group he also can't microadjust the front derailleur. I don't know why. Nothing happens when pushing the left shifter's buttons in adjust mode.

Also is it true that r9150 and r8050 don't have limit screws anymore?

9150 and 8050 only has one limit screw (outer). The microadjust is for setting the low limit. Not sure the cause for your friend's problem but I'm pretty sure the microadjust mode only activates when in the small-big combo.

[mcbod]

I am having similar problems that I haven't been able to resolve yet
When I move into adjustment mode, my right shifter micro adjusts the rear derailleur, but the left shifter does not micro adjust the front derailleur
I just causes the red light to flash but the derailleur doesn't move

Also when attached to the the PC/E-tube app, when I trigger the adjust FD function in there, an error occurs and it tells me to rn the check errors function but that cannot be done without other hardware I believe

So the front derailleur works generally (in sync and manual modes) but I just cannot adjust its inner limit

For clarification, did you go into the small-big combo when pressing the left lever? The FD should move in one direction at a minium (if you are already at the extreme end of the adjustment then pushing one button won't move the FD).

With chain in highest gear (largest front ring and smallest rear ring) I adjusted the limit screw to manually set the outer limit
I then wanted to electronically set the inner limit
So I moved to lowest gear (smallest front ring and largest rear ring) and moved into adjustment mode
The red light comes on
But the shifters do not micro adjust the mech at all. Neither lever moves the mech