i recently got some old campy brake levers (old NR/SR style, non aero, no return spring), and they seem to be in really good condition, but the action on them is really stiff. i laced one up to a piece of housing and an old campy record sidepull caliper to see if they will even work, and they kind of do, but the lever doesn't want to return all the way to it's original position. is this a common thing for those levers, and is there any trick you guys know that might help loosen the levers up a bit? thanks alot.

-adam

Are you trying to operate the lever off the bar, or on the bar? Is the housing lined? Has the sharp edges of the cut housing ends been Dremeled smooth, or were they left as-cut?

-Kurt

on the bar, well finished lined housing, new cable. the levers were really stiff before i mounted them to anything, thats why i did that little setup to test them out. like, they are stiff in the pivot inside the lever housing itself.

They should be smooth as silk with no binding.

Remove the hoods and push the pivot pins out of the housings. Then remove the levers and check for corrosion.

ah...did not think to do this. didn't look like the pivots were removable. thanks, will try.

With the cable out of the lever, move the lever as if you are applying the brake and remove the set screw first, it holds the pin in place, then the pivot can be pushed aside, hoods off of course.

Without force from a cable & brake, the cable attachment should rotate without any perceptible friction, and the lever should, too. One of the hallmarks of these levers was that the lever attachment was independent of the bar attachment. If these levers were used, it's possible someone put grease on the parts to prevent squeaks, and it's gotten old and dried up. Take it all apart and clean everything. A very tiny application of a light metal conditioning oil in the pivot is the best way to deal with any squeaking -- I use FirePower FP-10 (I used to use Militec-1, heated up).