Originally Posted by
xavieralexandre
Thanks to everyone for chiming in! I was able to rebend the spring but unfortunately I did not get the friction back. Retrofriction even less. I'm wondering if I shouldn't compensate the height loss with a washer. Or maybe try to source a new spring, I see from bertinjim that VeloClassique might have some.
PS: Cross posted with pictures on 650B Google Group and got some nice insights on how that Retrofriction thing work. Can't post the link or pictures though as I'm new to Bike forums (Thread Simplex shifter: Fixing a spring I didn't know existed)
It sounds like the spring perhaps become "unwound" to some degree during the bending operation.
The resulting increase in diameter would prevent it's gripping the bushing.
Perhaps it can be wound tighter, to the point where it sufficiently grabs the bushing.
The length of the spring is inconsequential since it is not compressed length-wise upon reassembly.
Another possibility is that the bushing is somehow free to rotate, instead of being held fixed to the stationary clamp and/or boss.
I have a retrofriction lever that mounts to a brazed-on boss and which has excess friction unless I back off on the retaining screw's tension.
I assume that this is allowing the bushing to rotate at it's own friction level.
I will try adding a low-friction lubricant to the innards, since any
small change in the surface friction coefficient will be
exponentially enhanced by the spring's self-energizing grip on the bushing.
Perhaps xavieralexandre's lever is suffering from the addition of such a lubricant(???). Try cleaning it out and using plain light oil such as motor oil.