Classic & Vintage - RSX100 STI Disassemby and Repair (Klein Content)

So I picked up a real clean Klein Stage. 1996 or 1997. Not a keeper but a flipper. But the Rear STI shifter is not working. The shift levers movesjust fine, but the cable doesn't move most of the time.

I am hoping it is just gummed up on the inside.

Does any have any tips on taking apart the RSX 100 STI shifter to clean it out? I have cleaned out other STI shifters with spray lubricants and had it work out just fine. Usually the little pawls are just gummed up enough not to catch.

But I am not sure how to begin with this one. I don't see an obvious way to get inside it.

And because every thread needs pictures-- here are some of the Klein. Someone is going to want this bike.

And what is up with the dropouts? They look like they were installed backwards.

More pictures here:

http://s624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0310Large.jpg

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0321Large.jpg

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0343Large.jpg

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0316Large-1.jpg

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0329Large.jpg

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/Klein%20Stage/DSC_0323Large.jpg

Wow, normally I don't really like Shimano and I don't feel that much for 'Merican bikes, but this thing looks very nice! save for the way too high stem, dorky reflectors and triple off course. and my size, too! If the shifters move fine the cable could be snagged somewhere down the line. Good luck!

Copious amounts of lubricant accompanied with shifter (STI) movement. It will either work, or not.

Of course, checking to see if the cable is installed correctly wouldn't hurt as a first step.

Nice, clean, bike. I'm sure it will flip easily.

I haven't even been daring enough to open a brifter, there a guy who does it that has a Facebook page. Unless something is broken inside, odds are that flushing it out and breaking whatever is stuck in there free will do the trick. I had a 105 brifter that went back to normal operation after doing the flush.

Isn't it just RSX?

Sometimes the spring under the cap becomes unseated. Not hard to get it seated, just takes some steady hands (and not losing bolts/washers). Try the flush method first.

The pair I just got had a non-functioning left shifter. It wouldn't release cable.

Sprayed about a quarter can of silicone lube in it while moving the levers, a little tri-flow touchup and they are perfect.

I usually pull the lever to expose where the shifter cable goes in (open brake QR to allow more lever travel) and spray to my hearts content.

Great looking Klein. You should have no trouble selling that one.

Spray the heck out of it through every single orifice you can find, while simultaneously operating the lever.

Most of the issues relating to Shimano shifting issues on STI levers or MTB shifters is due to the original grease gunking up; enough so that the upshift pawls don't spring back (thereby missing the catch on the lever arm during a failed upshift).

-Kurt

Isn't it just RSX?

Sometimes the spring under the cap becomes unseated. Not hard to get it seated, just takes some steady hands (and not losing bolts/washers). Try the flush method first.

Yes, RSX and RX100 were groups, NOT RSX100.

Thanks for the replies. You are correct, this is an RSX shifter. There is no 100.

I spent some more time checking out the shifter. It appears as though the right shifter was not springing back the way the left one was.

Looking at the right shifter there is a cover on the front. Under that cover is a coiled spring. I could tell that this spring was not in the right place. The at the two ends of the coiled spring are small angled ends. It appears as though one end is supposed to go into a slot on the shifter, and the other end is supposed to into a slot on the cover.

But I am not sure how. It seems like it takes too much tension to get the spring into that position. So I am not sure how it is supposed to be.

Can anyone help? How are you supposed to assemble the cover and spring? Anyone been able to properly put it back together?

I am going to check google for a parts diagram.

Jared

Ok, here is a diagram with the parts at issue.

My problem is getting the ends of coiled spring 7 lined up with the notches in cap 6 and lever 10. At least that is what I was trying to do.

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/shifterdiagram.jpg

Whatever you do try to avoid taking it apart it's a "B" to put back together. I just sprayed an entire can of WD40 in mine to free it up.

Am I too far already? I sprayed in a bunch of wd40, but I am not sure if it is working. Hard to tell with the cap 6 and spring 7 off. I toyed with the idea of trying to take 10 off, but I haven't yet. I am not actually not how it comes off. But I am pretty sure that the gummed of pawls and springs are under 10.

See if anything Here (http://www.billcotton.com/sti_shifter_repair.htm) helps. There are also some videos on youtube showing how to spray lube it to clear it of gummed up original lube if you search brifter repair. If also else fails, this guy (http://citizenrider.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-repair-sti.html) has a different approach.:) Really I hope the other two suggestions help. Good luck, it sounds like you are onto what is wrong with it.

Am I too far already? I sprayed in a bunch of wd40, but I am not sure if it is working. Hard to tell with the cap 6 and spring 7 off. I toyed with the idea of trying to take 10 off, but I haven't yet. I am not actually not how it comes off. But I am pretty sure that the gummed of pawls and springs are under 10.

Do not take #10 off. If the spring was unseated like you say, then you have already arrived at your problem. I can't give you any specific advice, but it took me about 30-40 minutes to tension that spring. All I remember is placing one end of the spring into the body of the shifter, then the other into face plate, then twisting to tension it. Took a lot of tries.

Ok, here is a diagram with the parts at issue.

My problem is getting the ends of coiled spring 7 lined up with the notches in cap 6 and lever 10. At least that is what I was trying to do.

http://i624.photobucket.com/albums/tt327/oldarizona/shifterdiagram.jpg

I fixed a pair last night and found out a trick to help make it a little easier:
1- Squeeze the brake all the way and hold part 10 so that where the spring sits is horizontal
2- Place the spring in the notch of part 10 and the o-ring(8) in its seat.
3- Line up the cap (part 6) so that the spring will sit in its intended notch, it won't be in its correct position, the cable guide should be at roughly 12 o'clock and it should be horizontal, so it can just sit there without falling
4- Now insert the bolt (part 3) and tighten enough to compress the spring
5- With the spring compressed and the spring seated you should still be able to move the cap (6) clockwise towards the notch on the lever where it will sit
6- Once it "clicks into the notch, just finish it off by tightening the bolt (3)

Step 4 is the crucial part, you have to tighten it as much as you can while still be able to rotate it counter clockwise, if it isn't tight enough the spring won't be compressed enough and it will slip out of its notch. If its too tight to rotate into place, just loosen it slowly until it is just loose enough to get into place.

After about an hour of messing with this, once I figured this out, it took me all of about 30 seconds to put both levers back together working good as new.

Fwiw, I place the bike flat on grass with STI to be sprayed on the down side with rag/newspaper/cardboard underneath.

Thanks for the help. Using your help I was able to the get the cap and spring installed correctly. And as I said before, I have applied copius amounts of lubiricant through the various holes into the mechanism.

BUT

It still doesn't work. I am not getting any sort of clicking when I move lever 10. The cable does not move at all anymore (it is stuck on the small ring) I don't the the pawls inside 10 are catching at all.

I think maybe the spring was off because the previous owner tried to fix it. And I don't think it was the ultimate problem.

I guess I could try and another WD40 bath, but it has not got me anywhere yet.

Or is it time to try and remove number 10? If so, how do you get it off? I tried to just pull it off (with the cap removed), but it was a no go. Maybe I just need to pull harder.

Jared

/going to do more WD40, but thinking I will have to revisit number 10.

I would be contacting the guy on facebook and having him rebuild them for you. I have had him rebuild five pairs for me so far.

Thanks for the help. Using your help I was able to the get the cap and spring installed correctly. And as I said before, I have applied copius amounts of lubiricant through the various holes into the mechanism.

BUT

It still doesn't work. I am not getting any sort of clicking when I move lever 10. The cable does not move at all anymore (it is stuck on the small ring) I don't the the pawls inside 10 are catching at all.

I think maybe the spring was off because the previous owner tried to fix it. And I don't think it was the ultimate problem.

I guess I could try and another WD40 bath, but it has not got me anywhere yet.

Or is it time to try and remove number 10? If so, how do you get it off? I tried to just pull it off (with the cap removed), but it was a no go. Maybe I just need to pull harder.

Jared

/going to do more WD40, but thinking I will have to revisit number 10.

1-If you've got the spring seated correctly, you're set on the "lever return."
2-If it's not moving cable, it's either not moving the barrell, or the cable isn't meant to be moved at that particular point.
This is generally due to 2 issues:
a-the cable is incorrecly inserted, which is about 80% of those I've seen. Take it out, zero down the lever, re-insert.
b-when it was apart, the barrell was repositioned to limit travel in the cable pull directon.

The cure for this, in my opinion, is the guy in SC who fixes them. Whether the flip is worth having the shifters fixed, well, I don't know your market. That group, however, could well be worth as much as the bike. It looks like 3x7 RSX (blue lettering) and that is a hot product for C&V upgrades. The dual pivots, though, lead me to think it is 3x8, still a hot product for the same reason: upgrades. The RSX is a smooth group and has the dual paddles. It is also nearly indestructable.

Now, regarding the Klein, it's really nice. It looks like a 58cm, so I can dampen my rabid N+1 impulses. My other opinion is that the bike, in working condition, is worth plenty to the right rider, but has some competition in the entry-level, 3x8 Sora market (tons of $700 new bikes out there with cheap triples). It would sell for $400+ around here, and be a better bike than those $700 entries.

all of which you already know.

Robbie and others

I think we may getting somewhere. I removed the cap again, and with repeated applications of WD40 into all of the various openings, and repeated moving of the levers, I am now starting to get some clicks using both paddles. I think I am going to try and reinstall the cap and cable and see if it might be working correctly.

So what exactly is the correct procedure for cable install? What is the zero position? Do you get the zero position by using the big paddle 10 or the little paddle? I am guessing little paddle, but I am not sure.

I forgot how carefull you need to be installing the cable on these things.

Oh, and this is a 3x7.

Jared

Lever closest to you = downshift for front; upshift for rear
Brake lever = upshift for front; downshift for rear

"zero out" by repeatedly flipping the small inner lever inward.
When it's all the way, you should be able to see the cable end right up at the top of the shifter, in an easy position to remove.

If there's stil cable in the shifter, I'd pull on it while shifting the inner levers inward a bunch of time, until you can pull no more cable out.
Don't pull too hard unless you are sure that the cable was properly inserted; if not, you can end up jamming the end somewhere inside.

Why do I get the feeling that every bike I miss on cl ends up with you Jared? I don't suppose you bought that whatever it was with the nervar cranks and fully campy group for 100 bucks?

Bingo. I followed Robbie's cable installation instructions and the STI shifters are now working perfectly.

Thanks again

Why do I get the feeling that every bike I miss on cl ends up with you Jared? I don't suppose you bought that whatever it was with the nervar cranks and fully campy group for 100 bucks?

Completely untrue. Although I do get lucky once in a while. :)

For some reason this bike has lots of interested parties. You are at least the third person I know that has complained that I got it. But I ain't keeping it, so if you want it make me some crazy low ball offer. I might just take it.

and i didn't see the that other bike