Bicycle Mechanics - Shimano RSX Brifters

Hi. I have two sets of older Shimano 7-speed 'brifters'. One does not down shift, the other does neither up or down shift (right side/rear). I REALLY do not want to 'upgrade' to a new Sora and would rather try to make at least one functioning lever out of the two. The levers will move like they are shifting, but no-clicky and not cable movement. They are both stuck in the 1st-gear (big cog) spot.

I have unscrewed the 5mm allen screw on the front of the lever so that the plate came off with the spring inside of it. I am now looking at what is a square-sided 6mm nut/bolt that the allen screw attached. The lever will not come off (easilly) and the nut does not turn (easilly).

Should I even be doing this (I figured I have nothing to loose), and how do I proceed in takling it apart to find the problem? Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Thanks!

your shifters are nonservicable even if you can get them apart you will not be able to put them back together again and beside you cannot get parts for them anyway . sorry. you have nothing to lose but time . it is a good learning lesson to do .

I had similar symptoms (no resistance/engagement) when the temperature started to drop last fall. I was able to spray some lightweight grease into the lubrication holes (?) that are exposed with the brakes applied. This was enough to free up the internal mechanisms. I've only had to reapply once since then.

I think there is a guy who refurbishes old Shimano brifters and sell them on E-bay. He might take old broken ones in on trade. Can't remember, but I seem to remember reading a listing to that effect at one time earlier this year.

Clean the mechanism with a generous spray of WD-40.

Clean the mechanism with a generous spray of WD-40.

+1
It's worth a try.

Well, I had some success. There is a 2mm allen screw on the brake pivot pin. I removed that, and then removed the pivot pin with a punch. This allowed me to unscrew the the phillips head behind the down shifter which then relaeses the brake lever.

Upon inspection of the mechanism, I figured out that the pawl which enguages the entire mechanism for up-shifting was full of solidified grease and was no longer springing properly. A blast and clease with WD-40, then oil, then greasing the ratchet mechanisms has resulted in it working as good as used. The whole thing, including re-assembly took about 40 minutes.

I can see if anything actually breaks or totally wears out, fixing it would be very difficult as it appears that the pawls and spring axles are a press fit into the shifter body. However, for just cleaning the bugger out, it is servicable.

If anyone has some more defunct RSX brifters, I'll take them as spares for when these finally explode.

+1
It's worth a try.

+1 1/2
It worked for me on my 10 year old XTR shifters. When the internal ratchets don't catch, it means the grease has gotten dried up and gummy. A clean out with some light spray lube usually fixes them.

how ironic is it that I'm stuck doing the same thing today... unfortunately it looks like the cable is stuck some how.

how ironic is it that I'm stuck doing the same thing today... unfortunately it looks like the cable is stuck some how.

lol.... I actually just flushed out some old 7speed rsx brifters this week also! They went from completely non working, to working great. Im pretty stoked about it!
Make sure that the shifter is shifted all the way the correct way so you can remove the cable.

Yea. i did that. i got them out :) ...

Paranoia thought for the day:

I wonder if Shimano uses grease which solidifies about the time the warranty runs out.

Paranoia thought for the day:

I wonder if Shimano uses grease which solidifies about the time the warranty runs out.

If so, that's brilliant engineering.