Slipping down tube shifters
#1
Membar
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 227
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Slipping down tube shifters
I was wondering if anyone knew how to keep my old campy downtube shifters from slipping. Ive tried just tightening them but they still slip. Is there something on the derailleur itself that I have to adjust? Thanks.
#2
cab horn
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Toronto
Posts: 28,353
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 42 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 25 Times
in
18 Posts
Was it always like this? You might be missing some of the washers etc inside the shifter. Or your cables are gummed up.
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SW Ohio
Posts: 3,673
Bikes: Puch Marco Polo, Saint Tropez, Masi Gran Criterium
Mentioned: 25 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1158 Post(s)
Liked 439 Times
in
312 Posts
Originally Posted by subcultro
I was wondering if anyone knew how to keep my old campy downtube shifters from slipping. Ive tried just tightening them but they still slip. Is there something on the derailleur itself that I have to adjust? Thanks.
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 130
Bikes: none at this time
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I say grease the fastners! The Band has expanded a bit. So Just use a Shim. Anything will work. Like cutting one from a Coke can...
#5
Curmudgeon
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Nausea, New Hamster
Posts: 1,572
Bikes: (see https://wildavis.smugmug.com/Bikes) Bianchi Veloce (2005), Nishiki Cascade (1992), Schwinn Super Sport (1983)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Originally Posted by subcultro
I was wondering if anyone knew how to keep my old campy downtube shifters from slipping. Ive tried just tightening them but they still slip. Is there something on the derailleur itself that I have to adjust? Thanks.
Different problems = different solutions.
- Wil
#6
Membar
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 227
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Wil Davis
Do you mean that the shifters are slipping, or that the bracket which holds the shifters (bikes without shifter bosses brazed on to the down-tube use brackets) is slipping?
Different problems = different solutions.
- Wil
Different problems = different solutions.
- Wil
#7
Curmudgeon
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Nausea, New Hamster
Posts: 1,572
Bikes: (see https://wildavis.smugmug.com/Bikes) Bianchi Veloce (2005), Nishiki Cascade (1992), Schwinn Super Sport (1983)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
Nice picture! Looks like a very pretty bike, nice colour! OK… I'd clean the shifters, and make sure that the washers were assembled in the correct order (I'm sure there's a diagram or instructions somewhere on the web); use maybe just a smidgen of grease when you re-assemble.
I've had Suntour, Campy, Shimano, Benelux, Huret and Simplex over the years and I've found Campy to be one of the best, and the most long-lived in terms of performance. Just clean and check the assembly.
- Wil
PS: Just took a look at the rest of the pics. Don't you DARE convert it! It's much to nice for that!!!!!!!!!
I've had Suntour, Campy, Shimano, Benelux, Huret and Simplex over the years and I've found Campy to be one of the best, and the most long-lived in terms of performance. Just clean and check the assembly.
- Wil
PS: Just took a look at the rest of the pics. Don't you DARE convert it! It's much to nice for that!!!!!!!!!
#8
Membar
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 227
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Thanks for the help everyone. I disassembled the levers and found a lot of grime and gunk. Cleaned it all out real good, greased it a little bit, and it works a lot better. I guess its just been a while since its been cleaned. Hopefully they will continue to stick.
Thanks for the compliments Wil. Don't worry, Im keeping her intact.
Thanks for the compliments Wil. Don't worry, Im keeping her intact.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
Don't be surprised if the problem returns quickly. Campy's old dt shifters were notorious for "ghost shifting" as they loosened spontaneously after some use. I had a pair of them on an old Bridgestone and they would begin to shift themselves about every three weeks after I tightened them. I finally replaced them with a set of Sun Tour Power Ratchets and that solved the problem for good.
BTW, in the 60's and 70's many pro teams replaced the Campy shifters on their otherwise all-Campy bikes with Simplex Retrofriction levers just to avoid this problem. You are in good company.
BTW, in the 60's and 70's many pro teams replaced the Campy shifters on their otherwise all-Campy bikes with Simplex Retrofriction levers just to avoid this problem. You are in good company.
#10
ride, paint, ride
Wow, what a gorgeous bike. Yes, do grease the screws, and NO, don't grease the flat washers inside the shifters. If your problem returns, take them apart again and clean the grease off the flat washers. They work by friction (as the name implies), so you WANT friction between the washers (but do grease the bolts). The reason that those fastener bolts have loops on them, is specifically so that you can adjust the friction while riding.