Shifter cable stuck in shifter.
 

I have put new cable through my shifter but somehow the cable end got stuck in the shifter, (maybe I put it in incorrectly)

I am having so much trouble tryuing to get this out is there any suggestions. It is a shimano altus shifter front derauiler.

How do I upload a photo of it, it says I need 10 posts?

If this is an EF series shifter the white plastic cable spool has a slight catch that helps to trap the cable head in it's socket. Usually some slight shove and wiggle are enough to release the cable head.

The other way cables can get stuck is when they have been dislodged from the spool's socket and then the spool is rotated. This jams the head between the spool's outer surface and some shifter body inside surface. Again "working" the cable with pushing pressure can often loosen it. Every so often I need to go at the cable/end with a hooked probe. Andy.

The cable head is underneath the white thing, I can't push it up into it and when I try to shift my gear up it moves the head slightly but gets stuck since it won't fit through. Is there anyway I can send a picture?

Yes, you can post to a photo sharing site then link us to it. Until you reach 10 posts you are still under the restrictive period of no attachments and no links. So the link needs to have "dot" or "at" or spaces between it's elements to fool the scrubber.

Until then perhaps the shifter's model number. It's molded into the body, if this is an EF series the number is on the shifter underside.

Is the cable still continuous from the head through the shifter's exit port? If so then don't cut the cable so you can't hold it outside the shifter. I assume you have removed any covers you can? Andy

https :// imgur com /a/2mQGy88


I put together an album the mode number is in the picture at the very bottom, SL-M370

It's hard to tell, but it looks like someone put the wrong cable end in there. Like a cable from an old downtube shifter. Here's an example with both ends on it: https://www.ebay.com/p/Cable-Gear-Su...0285558&chn=ps

If that's the case, I might try to dig away at the soft solder end with a dental pick.

Sorry but this link won't pull up for me. But if the incorrect cable had been installed it would be no surprise that removal is hard. andrewclause suggests what we have to do sometimes. Andy

Hi, I bought the cable from my local bike shop. He said it is the right one etc, i'm pretty sure it looked identical to the one I pulled out.

I took another picture of the cable, looks clearer.
www . ibb . co/pnwZcTL

I think I see it better now. Cancel what I said above. Are you sure you're shifted into the highest gear? It looks like you're trying to pull it out sideways. In high gear, you should be looking at the round end and it should push right out.

To be sure you're in high gear, where n is number of gears, you should be able to click n-1 times with the shifter, with the cable moving at every click. The round hole in the white plastic spool should be in line with the access port. That probably makes little sense, but good luck.

I'll also add that you can remove the covers to better see, have access to, the internals. Just watch those tiny screws, they get lost when they fall onto the floor. Andy

Hi, that's the problem I think it is stopping me from switching to the 3rd gear to take it out. It is getting caught underneath. When I try to shift up it won't come out I was trying to take the picture from that side angle. But from the top the white spool is above it and it won't move it is getting caught. Also when I unscrew the 2nd screw from the top cover of the shifter it doesn't come off, I looked it up and it appears it is designed this way?

I made a mistake, thinking it was the rear shifter but you said it was front. For the front, you'll have to shift into the lowest gear to get the cable out. Sorry for the confusion.

Some of those covers are really hard to get off. On some, you need to get the cable out to get the cover off and that doesn't do you much good.

On some that the cover surrounds the cable port one can loosen the cover and reaching in pull the cable out between the cover and shifter body through the port. Then the cover will come off and the cable is still whole to play with as you now have better access to the head too. Of course while the cover is off lubing the shifter is a good idea.

It seems that the op did what I suspected in post #2 . Moved the shifter spool when the cable was not seated in it. With enough playing the cable should come free, it is just frustrating and can be time consuming. Andy

Thanks for all the help guys, I was able to finally get it out. I took the shifter off the cable and cut the wire took the top cover off and got it out with pliers.

hi - not sure if this helps anyone but I just had a problem with a brand new Altus SL-M370 front shifter where during fitting it jammed so I couldn't downshift? After taking the covers off I realised that it was being blocked by the adjustment screw in the "Cable Adjustment Barrel Unit" (the bit where the hose goes into the shifter) which I had screwed all the way in, I just unscrewed it a little and the shifter started working again. Seems like a design fault that if you screw it in too far it jams the mechanism but at least I'll know in future.

This thread is six years old. Please don't resurrect old threads, people don't notice it's a zombie and start replying to the original post all over again, which is a waste of everyone's time.

The right cable, the wrong end. Push from the slack end and pull on the head using needlenose pliers and a hook-shaped pick. You can buy these cheaply at Harbor Freight or fashion you own from an old spoke and an bench grinder.