Bicycle Mechanics - Rehabilitating sticky STI's.....a new approach.

I recently picked up a 2001 model bike with non-functioning RSX STI levers. The bike was purchased and ridden no more than 2 or 3 times and put away...for 8 years. Both levers didnt shift up or down.

Sticky STI's, no problem, flush and lub. Nope, not happening. Knowing that the problem was hardend/sticky grease I thought of ways to soften it up. Heat!!!! Ok, so I removed a lever and ran it under blistering hot tap water for a few minutes.

Presto. It worked like a charm!!!! The heat softened up the old lub and allowed the Tri-Flow I lubed it with to work into the bits.

So...onto lever #2 and not wanting to remove it from the bike. Hmmmm....will a hair dryer work?

Presto #2!!! Within 2 minutes of blasting the lever with the hottest heat it freed right up.

If your levers are full of road debris etc. this technique probably wont work as the debris will need to be flushed out. But if you have a STI's that haven't been used much and are sluggish/will not shift try heating them up.

Peace...Jim

I recently picked up a 2001 model bike with non-functioning RSX STI levers. The bike was purchased and ridden no more than 2 or 3 times and put away...for 8 years. Both levers didnt shift up or down.

Sticky STI's, no problem, flush and lub. Nope, not happening. Knowing that the problem was hardend/sticky grease I thought of ways to soften it up. Heat!!!! Ok, so I removed a lever and ran it under blistering hot tap water for a few minutes.

Presto. It worked like a charm!!!! The heat softened up the old lub and allowed the Tri-Flow I lubed it with to work into the bits.

So...onto lever #2 and not wanting to remove it from the bike. Hmmmm....will a hair dryer work?

Presto #2!!! Within 2 minutes of blasting the lever with the hottest heat it freed right up.

If your levers are full of road debris etc. this technique probably wont work as the debris will need to be flushed out. But if you have a STI's that haven't been used much and are sluggish/will not shift try heating them up.

Peace...Jim

Great idea. Thats usin' the old noggin!

I wonder if 30 seconds in the microwave would work? :D

It's like the opposite of what would happen with my old rapidfire STX-RC shifters. They would work fine all summer, then stop shifting once the temperature dipped below freezing.

I wonder if 30 seconds in the microwave would work? :D

Trust me...I almost considered a 15 second blast.

Sticky STI's, no problem, flush and lub. Nope, not happening. Knowing that the problem was hardend/sticky grease I thought of ways to soften it up. Heat!!!! Ok, so I removed a lever and ran it under blistering hot tap water for a few minutes.

Peace...Jim

Maybe you could just heat up the spray can of lube to about 250° and squirt that in there. ??

:thumb: