Bicycle Mechanics - Ultegra SL FD tension at max but less than h-limit

Hey guys. Try this one:

All components have ca. 500 miles / Bike is clean and lubed etc.

Getting chain rub in the big ring in the FD in the 53x12, 13, 14 - because it's not pulling out to where I set the limit screw when I use the shifter. FD is aligned.

When I pull the FD cable by hand, it still comes out 1-2mm.

I've taken out slack from the cable and retensioned it pretty snug - so snug it will throw the chain when shifting to the small ring, and still the FD still won't slide to the outer limit unless I tug the cable by hand.

I also loosened and cleaned/lubed all the pivot screws, etc.

Anybody had this problem and, I dunno, found something unexpected?

You might have the cable so tight that the shifter can't swing far enough to reach its outermost trim click.

As a fact-finding step, hit the downshift blade on the shifter until it's in the full-inboard position, then unclamp the cable at the FD, let a little slack into it, and clamp it again. It should be just a little relaxed. Now give the upshift lever a mini-click (the trim position for the inner chainring) and the FD cage should move over just a little. So far, so good. Now try upshifting to the big ring and see if you have both of the big-ring positions available (the trimmed-inwards and trimmed-outwards ones), and whether the shifter will pull the derailleur all the way to the limit screw.

Any good? Oh, and also confirm that your shift cable is routed through the derailleur's clamp correctly... if it's around the wrong side of the bolt and/or the aluminum "shelf" on the derailleur's arm, that'll mess up the actuation. The cable should come up, over the top of the "shelf," and over the top of the bolt, laying in the groove that you'll see if you remove the clamp bolt and washer.

::scampers off to basement::

Went ahead and put a new cable in there too. No-go. I thought the trim was for two positions in the small ring...

Maybe my shifter is shot. Slacking the cable was somewhat of an improvement, but, I'm fairly certain I'm on the last index available when checking the FD position against the limit setting. Starting fully released, I can click twice. That makes it to the large ring, but there is still play in the shifter and I can add tension (no click) all friction, and push the FD to the limit, where it stays.

The cable is fairly slack in the lowest index, but I tried settings with multiple tensions, and each one the first click out (into the trim) does not move the FD, it at best tensions the spring and moves it off the inner-limit.

Oh well, guess I'll take 'er in.

Thanks tho!