nancy sv

We are trying to rebuild a Campagnolo integrated brake/shifter and are having a very difficult time getting the springs tensioned. Do you ahve any suggestions on how to do it? We looked at the video (about a million times!) and he made it look so easy - like he just set it in there and it stayed..

Thanks for your help!

DaveSSS 

I assume that you are talking about the last spring to go on - the large spiral spring? There are two ways to do it. The videos show the outside end hooked to the post first, then the aluminum piece in the middle is turned slightly and engaged with the flats on the end of the main shaft. You turn the aluminum part just enough so there is the smallest fraction of a turn of wind-up, with the shifter in the largest-cog position. You cannot install this spring with the shifter in the smallest cog position.

The other method still requires the shifter to be in the large cog position, but the center aluminum part is engaged with the pivot shaft first and the center fixing bolt installed, but not tightened more than finger tight. Then you need a hook-tool to swing the outside end of the spring over to the post. That 1/4 turn or so is all the wind-up needed. The center piece that holds the inside end of the spring has a shallow engagement with the pivot shaft and it is easy for it to disengage. You have to carefully remove the fixing bolt to install that cover plate over the spring and then reinstall the fixing bolt.

I can e-mail some instructions if you send me a PM with your e-mail address.

FBinNY 

I built hundreds of these levers and it's very simple if you remember 2 key steps. Rember that you're trying to engage the thumblever bushing into it's mating notch on the main shaft.

1- after assembling on the thumblever, but before engaging the bushing be sure to shift the lever all the way to the low hear position (finger paddle), which is the slack position for the spiral spring.

2- you need to support the center shaft so that when you're pushing down on the thumblever bushing you don't push the shaft down and have nothing to engage,

Build levers on 5/16" or so rod stood in a vise on which to rest the shaft, so you can push down on the body to keep the other end of the shaft up. Also since this is new for you position the thumb lever bushing without the spiral spring and use a Philips screwdriver to rotate it until it engages, make a note of the orientation so you'll know where to look for engagement when you're doing it for real with the spring is on.

Pop it loose, drop the spiral spring on turn the bushing so the spring engages it's slot then use the Philips to turn the bushing about 3/8 turn to where it'll engage the other end of the shaft, when you feel the slot push down (be sure you're also pushing the entire lever body down so the shaft is pushed up by the vise support) and drop it in about 2mm into the slot.

Now you can let go and it'll all hold together by itself, carefully add the spring cover, and drop in the locking screw and without pushing the shaft back out tighten the screw.

It's easy, and I could have rebuilt 2 levers in the time it took to type this.

DaveSSS 

Yes, supporting the pivot shaft is critical. I put a 5mm hex wrench in a vise and place the brake lever end of the pivot shaft on it, to act as a workstand. You may need to grind alittle clearance on the hex wrench, so it doen't rub on the ergo body.