Bicycle Mechanics - campagnolo friction shifter problem

I apologize if this has been gone over before, but after several searches I'm still left with this question: I'm retrofitting a 1984 Peugeot with some ebay campagnolo super record and have been unable to get the downtube friction shifter to work for the rear derailleuer. All the washers etc. are there, but it appears that the two dish-shaped washers have been flattened out a little by over-tightening the wing nut. I cannot get this shifter to hold a gear and it is wobbly on the brazed lug - like its not tightened down. Can these washers be replaced? Has anyone else had this problem?

Campy downtube shifters from that period were notoriously prone to slipping and not holding their tension. Not as bad as you describe but bad anyway. The pros of the day used to fit Simplex "Retrofriction" shifters on an otherwise all-Campy bike for that reason.

I once bought a set of Campy Record friction dt shifters just to be able to say my bike (a 1985 vintage Bridgestone) was "Campy equipped". I replaced them after two months for the reason you describe. I got real tired of the ghost shifting.

Ouch - I never thought campy would have a flaw like this.

Ouch - I never thought campy would have a flaw like this.


you should have experienced their Mt. bike stuff....or first, second, third and fourth attempts at indexed shifting

Simplex retrofrictions will be a big improvement. They're getting to be expensive, though. The pair I was watching on eBay went for $81. They may have been original equipment on your Peugeot.

If non-Campy substitutions don't offend your bike (;)) Sun Tour Power Ratchet shifters were generally considered the finest dt shifters ever made and should still be available at reasonable cost.

I was hoping this could be a total campy upgrade -- The setup I lusted after in 1984. Anyway, the campy levers were replacing a set of Simplex friction shifters that have worked perfectly for 23 years. I was thinking of looking into an older Super Record friction lever set - I'm assuming these work well enough?

If non-Campy substitutions don't offend your bike (;)) Sun Tour Power Ratchet shifters were generally considered the finest dt shifters ever made and should still be available at reasonable cost.

Funny, I thought that Simplex retrofrictions were generally considered to be the finest dt shifters ever made. They would certainly be a period-correct upgrade to a Campy-equipped bike. Mixing Suntour with Campy is just wrong, if you ask me.

Funny, I thought that Simplex retrofrictions were generally considered to be the finest dt shifters ever made.

No, they were just the best available at the time. The Sun Tours were, IMHO, much better.

If OP wants to stick with Campy, how about the C-Record retrofriction?