Shimano RSX shifter not working too well...

[Globalti]

Bought an old Harry Hall racer with Columbus SLX tubing in superb nick for £150. Spent another £70 on new tyres, tape and a complete set of cables. Now I find that despite the new cable the RH Shimano RSX shifter is sticky - the chain won't shift onto a smaller cog easily, even if I flick the release lever. The derailleur works smoothly if you tension up the cable by pulling it so I reckon there's some mysterious fault with the innards of the shifter. A cycling neighbour tells me that a Shimano agent should be able to sort it out - are these units known for giving trouble and what do you think could be the problem? The bike was unused for a long time - maybe all it needs is a squirt of WD40?

 

[Landslide]

Yeah, give it a squirt and see how it goes!

I'd be tempted to take the cable out completely, give the shifter and the outers a good blast of spraylube and grease the cable up before putting it back together.

I suspect that's all a Shimano dealer could do for you (apart from sell you a pair of new levers) given the non-servicable nature of STIs.

 

[Joe]

I had this problem with my old RSX shifter. Liberal WD40ing didn't work so I made the mistake of taking it apart. Spring popped out, spent hours trying to get it back in, got angry, gave up and bought new shifters

 

[Twenty Inch]

I have a similar issue with my shifter. Tightening the bolt on the front of it has worked slightly, but I need to take it out and give it a good test. Otherwise I'll have to buy new shifters, and rear cassette as it's a 7-speed, and then try and sell the two 7-speed cassettes that I bought as replacements, grrr!

Also found that pressing the release lever towards the front of the bike made it work better, which suggests wear to me.

 

[Globalti]

I see there are some Sora shifters on Eblag right now.

What ratios are the 7 speed cassettes you have spare? Are they cartridge or screw-on?

 

[ColinJ]

I have a pair of 8-speed Sora shifters that I don't use. They are in perfect working condition, but suffered some cosmetic damage when I inverted the bike on the road to fix punctures. Would they be any use to either of you (Rigid Rider, Twenty Inch)?

 

[Globalti]

Yes, I might be interested - how much do you want for them?

 

[ColinJ]

Yes, I might be interested - how much do you want for them?

I've PM'd you!

 

[Twenty Inch]

I see there are some Sora shifters on Eblag right now.

What ratios are the 7 speed cassettes you have spare? Are they cartridge or screw-on?

I'll have a look this weekend, but if you're buying the 8-spd shifters you probably don't need them.