Thank you for this awesome and simple tutorial. It saved me time, money and now my shifter is working great! The bike shop said it was worn and needed replacing… or just some WD-40 and lubricant. Kudos to you!
This video helped me fix both the shifters on a bike I picked up today. I didn't even have to remove the cables, just unscrew the cover and find the cam that was sticking, WD40 and freeing up. 10 minutes and all fixed. A big thank you
Hello. I have to thank you so profusely for this wonderful how to vid. I purchased a barely used Diamondback bike for my godson for Christmas. I love working on bikes and had no problems until I tried the right shifter. I should have watched your vid first because I foolishly took it apart and had an oh sh*t moment when I had a handful of tiny parts and the shifter looking broken beyond repair. I watched your video and after several views and some time I was able to get it reassembled and working great. My godson will be so thrilled with his first real bike. Thank you so very much.
Very helpful video. Thank you very much for this. I had an old shifter with that exact problem and could fix it. A little extra tip: In my case WD40 did not cure it, so I washed it in quite hot water with dish washing soap and a toothbrush. That really did the trick. And one hint: it seems easier to lubricate before you re-assemble and mount the shifter.
simple video, but extremely informative! i was just about to purchase new shifters but i think i might be able to salvage the old one. Keep the videos coming RJ!
Thanks RJ worked great and the trigger shifter is now shifting through all 7 speeds on the Gary Fisher Advanced I got at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $18.00. :)
awesome!!! I picked up a Gary Fisher Artemis out of the trash while I was delivering my mail route...shifter wasn't working... bought new shifters last week.. wish I'd seen this video before hand! LoL haven't put them on yet so maybe I'll save them for later.. gonna try this first. also thanks for all the videos.. gonna be swapping out the straight forks for some Rockshox thanks to you! and thanks to you for getting me back into biking after a 10yr hiatus!
RJ...you saved me again. Exactly the same bike with exactly the same problem. Only difference was that a pin from one of the springs needed to be re-seated. Works perfectly now. Thx!
Thanks for this. I went to a bike shop and they replaced my shifters, but really want my originals back on. I had them save my original shifters (off a Raleigh M-50 1993 mountain bike) so I have them. They just flooded with grease but could not free the pawls up. I will give it a try and let you know if it works. Cannot find replacement ST-MC10s anywhere. This is exactly the model you are showcasing.
Awesome, I've just started rebuilding my father's 90's Repco rigid fork mountain bike and I was thinking of just buying a new 7 speed groupset but I might give this a go.
Bought a used Bianchi Milano cafe racer 8sp and it was practically new but didn't shift. I bought it to shop where guy who sold it to me bought it new , to ask about a repair and they suggested a major overhaul, $130 said shifter would be opened rear hub would need to be disassembled and spokes removed from wheel. I opened shifter and flushed it out and spayed grease in there and its working. A 5 min fix...
I had exactly this problem with Shimano Deore LX shifters which had not been used for a few minutes. The fix works fine; many thanks - saved an expensive repair (or more accurately, binning the old bike!).
Thanks RJ. I got my CT15 working again but after taking out the three screws..as you know those one need to take out the cable to get a cover off. Somehow clicking gears while loosened up I knocked the indicator out of whack. Shifts ok, but now round dial type indicator moves around at 4:00 to 7:00 vs being at the top. I'll have to take a peek around for a pin after loosening back up..still only a gap the size of a pistachio nut. Tri-Flo my fav too.
Exactly the video I was looking for! Decided to dust off my old Gary Fisher Rangitoto and need to try this on the shifter for the rear. Thanks for making this vid! Cheers!
Hi RJ, this is my desperate try to reach out on you. First of all, I already stated how I love your high quality videos and that you share the knowledge to the community (I really really really appreciate that). Your channel and Parktool's channel are the only ones I really rely on. You already saved my life trying to resurrect some old Shimano STIs that were totally gummed up inside. This time I have some Shimano M563 shifters (Deore LX Rapidfire ) that apparently were dead (to be hones only the right shifter). The shifter showed no reaction before I started to penetrate it with WD-40. After many hours I got all pawls working again (they are going smooth as a baby's bottom tbh). My problem is that the shifter only works in 1 direction (shifting from the highest gear to the lowest). When I reach the lowest gear then I cannot shift to a higher gear again. The lever for the upshifting does click perfectly fine but I cannot reach the next gear. My guess is that it has something to do with the white "guideish" plastic part where the shift cable is pulled. What I noticed is that I can push the plastic part into the starting position if I lift the pawl (this simulates the upshifting I guess). My assumption is that there should be some kind of spring tension which pulls the part back somehow. When I checked the left shifter I could clearly see that the white plastic part is moved when pushing the lever and then it always falls into a starting position after releasing the lever. I cannot count how many times I already flushed around this plastic part. I am currently really desperate since I believe that I could bring the shifter back to live again after spending so many hours already (at this point I personally cannot accept that the shifter is broken). I don't want to look for a spare part since a pair of shifters already cost half of the bike (if I can find them at all). Do you have some tips for me? Maybe a teardown video of the right rapidfire shifter would help. I really hope that you can read my comment and give me a feedback on this. Cheers Nico P.S. What I forgot to mention is that a part of the housing (below the top cover) is missing (it was broken out). I'm not sure if the housing should have any impact on the shifting behaviour.
RJ The Bike Guy RJ The Bike Guy Thanks alot for your reply. I learned from your Video that there are 2 pawls (1 for each direction). How Do I See if the pawl is broken (can I inspect it visually?)? The thing is that all pawls that were shown in the Video move as you showed. But although it clicks with every push (when trying to shift on a higher gar), it does not catch the next gear. I think that this is my problem. I'm not sure if I can still try something to get it work. So from your side there can nothing be done? Update: Nevermind. I found a spare Part and hope that it is working.
I just did this to a shimano 200cx shifter. I emptied a can of wd-40 and it was still not clicking. Luckily, I had a plastic tub under the shifter so I caught all the spilled WD-40. And then I left the shifter in the tub to soak for 2 days and when I got back to it it was working like new. So just don't give up, it will work eventually :)
I was looking for a vid like this but it took a while to get here. Thank you so much for showing this. I to have an old Shimano 3sp shifter that needs this approach. Thank you!
In our shop we call this "Spray and Pray". Works most of the time with WD40 but lately been using a product called Aerokroil. Seems to cut the factory grease a high percentage of the time.Enjoying your channel and playing catchup now on your videos.Take care,Stephen
I agree with this. I've fixed tons of these and while the best case is that the spray does fix the problem, it's hit or miss, and doesn't seem to last as a long term solution. I generally take the small clips off the pawls and remove them for a thorough cleaning of the hinge pin, then lubrication and reassembly. It's fiddly work, but I've never had one stop working afterwards. I can't say the same for those that have just been sprayed and loosened up as they will eventually gum back up and stop working again. Also, it's worth an few extra minutes to clean up all the excess oil and grease that's dripping from everything before reassembly. It's particularly worthwhile to clean the indicator windows while you have everything apart. It just adds a bit of shine to a job well done.
Sounds like a job well done. Unfortunately our shop hourly rate would limit spending that much time, when the shifters are pretty inexpensive. I always tell the customer, its like a stiff elbow, you need to exercise it consistently for it to work. If they go hang the bike back in the shed for another two years, we will be right back at square one. I always give it a good internal cleaning, usually blowing it out with air, mostly so the shifters don't continue to drip degreaser all over the place. Had pretty good luck with few returns on the trigger shifters. STI, well that's a whole 'nother story ;)
I have had luck with older STI shifters (7/8 speed). But newer ones, seem to break more often than just getting gunked up. Yeah, the economics of a bike shop versus a home shop are different. A bike shop can often replace a part cheaper than trying to fix it.
Thank you for the video. Could you make a video how to reassemble Shimano rapide fire plus shifters . My Altus M370 is broken, I have all the components but I couldn't reassemble it again. thanks.
Thank you a million times over. I bought a really cool old Mongoose Hilltoper with a chrome moly frame that is just begging for some abuse. The bike has these exact same shifters and the rear one had this exact same issue as yours in this video. I almost bought the newer version of these but I thought it odd that this shifter just stopped working 'cos the bike is like brand new and the Shimano from this era were making parts with amazing quality. So I checked good ol TH-cam and found this video. Thanks! If you're ever in Michigan I'll buy you a beer. While I'm thinking of it. You wouldn't happen to know if I can use these shifters with V-brakes, would you? It has cantilever's on it right now but I loath Cantilever brakes with a passion. Thanks.
My cable seems to be in good condition. Can I clean the mechanism as described in the video without cutting the cable? Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Hello, i dont know why but when i put the big bolt spins together fit the fitting where the bolt sticks in. It rotates together somehow. why is that? i cant tighten the bolt because it rotates endlessly. thanks
I got it to work on the rear shifter but the front shifter only shifts between gears 1-2 (missing 3). The upshift travels all the way but inside the little lever doesn't push it to the 3rd gear. Please help!
RJ : the WD 40 works mostly , however really old and sticky dried up factory grease might need a stronger de-graser like an electronics contact cleaner ... ?
WD-40 usually works with enough movement. Though occasionally I have had to open them up to manually move the pawl. Haven't tried other stuff, so I can't say.
When WD40 failed, I washed one with really hot soapy water and a toothbrush. That did it! Brake cleaner is also awesome for degreasing, so it should work as well.
what to do if i took apart sprayed with wd40 and let sit overnight the lever refused to push down..... it wont make contact without me pressing on it so it makes contact then when i shift it works as soon as i release pressure it releases and nothing to grab onto the gear i have to manually press it down to make the contact it was sitting in the last owners garage for 10 years im guessing....... overall all everything else seems to b working
Thank you for sharing your videos, they're very enlightening. I'm sorry it took so long to get around to them. How would I do this without cutting cables and all that? My cables are actually in great shape, I've always taken care of my bike but it sat for a couple of years. Everything else is just like I left it, waxed, Amour All'd, some other stuff Mario Andretti apparently likes, greased, you name it, it's very clean. The front gear's shifter is completely fine. Even the tires are still pliable and nubby. I keep my things clean, because they seem to last longer that way and I avoid cutting ...into things I may or may not be successful at putting back together properly, if you know what I mean. I guess I can just try to soak it down with WD and see if that works while it's still on the bike. And it also just occurred to me maybe that stuff Mario Andretti likes, is the stuff that gunked up my shifter! hmmmm (Wow and duh me, please never mind my question, but thanks again for the vids!)
Hi guy ..i know me again ..the shifters that are on my bike and again its the same bike your working on in this ,your vedio here ,has shimano Acera X model num.st-pM290
Mihai Fox Hi! Does anybody know if you can shorten how much you have to push the thumb button on the left shifter? It is very hard to shift to the last cog (3), I have to push it all the way back to shift up and my thumb is fully extended and still no click. I know I can rotate the shifter back but it does not feel right to push the thumb button more from up to down instead of back to front. Is cable tension the problem? ( too much tension)? The gear indexing is corect
So I was working on an older Shimano rapid fire shifter recently and while I was messing around trying to clean the pawls, I damaged the little gasket thingy with the slotted area that aligns with the shifter arm- it split at the thinnest part and now won't sit properly under the cap when I put it back on so for now, I just did away with it. I would like to correct this, however. Any idea if (and if so) where just the thin plastic gasket things may be acquired? I imagine you've burned through a couple. Thanks.
@@RJTheBikeGuy Okay, thanks. I'll just remember to stash those away the next time I'm pulling those off a bike to upgrade. Doubt anybody else would ever notice it is missing but my ocd would never allow me to forget it.
I tried to fix my alivio shifter by spraying with wd40.. Managed to shift down n up.. But after i clean the wd40 and put it back, it just go from gear 1 & 2.. What seems to be the prob.. I fix it at night.. Needs to check it again tomorrow..
What if this still won’t work? Is it possible that the panels are just out of order and the whole shifter needs to be replaced? BTW - I love your videos. Better repair tutorials than Park Tools or GMBN.
RJ The Bike Guy turns out I needed a much stronger acetone to break loose the muck. I finally got it working well. I suppose that is a small note for a future video perhaps. Thank you and keep it up!
funny as it may sound i am presently working on what appears to be the very same bike,all though the shiftier are a little different ,mine dont have the little whit pin you pointed out and i had a bitch of a time trying to set the diel in the right spot so numbers lined up with its little window, Now i got it working after some time ,but its not working perfectly as it shifts up pretty good but bringing it down requires you to toggle or jig it a little with you finger ,then dile will move into position then you can shift. If i can ask are there other problem that can occur with this type of shiftier other then the puals not moving?like i was wondering about the little springs that are around the puals ,can they become week ? or something ells that go wrong? .
No im pretty sure it didnt have that white pin you mentioned as i think id see what was left of it .and i havent bin able to find a vedio of a exact match to mine ,and id send you the link. Oh and thanks for quick reply fella.kind of surprised me ..
Soaking your skin in WD40 isn't such a great idea. I've fixed a bunch of shifters like this too, but I wore gloves all the time. Then I started researching ECO/BIO friendly chemicals for the same jobs I used non-friendly chemicals for, and found this stuff called "Liquifix". It works just as good, if not better than WD40 (#2 Diesel fuel unscented) in my opinion for dissolving old grease. They have recently come out with a "bicycle grade" version, but I haven't tried it yet because the original version works really well and i still have some of it left. I also picked up their degreaser at the same time and it works really well too, but does have a stronger smell if you are sensitive to that. It works as well as any citrus degreaser (Pedro's or we used to use Shimano stuff in a can that had enough warnings to scare me into only using it outside) we used in the shop and it rinses off well too. The cool thing is it doesn't pit aluminum like other "green" degreasers I've used like simple green, which are alkaline products that are also harder on rubber (seals in some derailleur pulleys for example) which Liquifix is not.
+ Ian Loughead, Thank you I also looked it up, and the white mineral OIL (50-90%) used is Food Grade, in other words it is classed as food safe (but I wouldn't eat it on purpose ;) ) That is NOT something you find in WD40 or any of the others. IT specifically states it has NO emission of VOC's (volatile organic compounds), and is NOT harmful or fatal if swallowed; (they say) and NO Prop 65 compounds. The main ingredient is listed as useful for Food Chemicals, Cosmetic, Plating, Nutrition, Industrial, Pharmaceutical, Resin & Coating, (according to parchem.com) IF you look it up on Pub Med, you can see that in clinical tests it has a low tissue accumulation potential and a low toxicity to rats... It also does show on the ECHA site that it does have precautions for breathing and ingestion, so I wouldn't eat it on purpose, it's environment impact is super low. I saw it was "suitable for mouse embryo cell culture"... so it must be fairly safe. The second column on that sheet, lists 2 ingredients that total 10-50%. The first "petroleum distillate" listed on the Liquifix MSDS comes back as heavy Parafin, and the second comes back as Kerosene. It IS CERTIFIED SCS NON-TOXIC. It has a higher flash point (won't catch fire as easy), safe around ->>electronics
I have done everything on your video. Disassembled, WD40, lubricated, parts unstuck. Now shifts from 7 to 1 but won't shift from 1 to 7. Weird! Do you know why?
steegsha Yes I did fix it after some trial and error. My issue was that the pawl was not engaging in the correct teeth of the cogwheel. So I figured which was gear 1 in the indicator compared to the cogwheel and placed the pawl in that spot. It required to disassemble the whole shifter. It’s a bit tricky but that did it. Works great now.
@@steallinen After a bit more fiddling around, I have now fixed it after about 15 years of not being used. I don't know how much I am going to use the bike! I appreciate the engineering in its design.
Yes i wathced the entire video! @1:28 you can see the copper washer under the big bolt, but when you put it together @4:30 you can see there is no washer! Anyway great job and good video as usual! Cheers
If i open it, so many things came up out ! not like this one, all together.. my alivo shifter is from 1994 Giant IGUANA... i am on long trpis for some months
WD40 works perfectly fine. The objective is to clean out the grease and it is mostly mineral spirits. Pure citrus will clean grease but I don't see how it is any better, it too leaves residues.
Only gears 5-7 worked, wouldn't shift 4 -1. Took cover off and sprayed wd40 while shifting and it suddenly started working. no need to replace anything.
I mean its all good you do a very good job in fixing all about the bike, I have no intention to hurt or some sort, but I think it's some kind of mannerism which can sometimes be annoying to hear. still keep doing on what you do besides its your signature term... Ive been a viewer since then and I think you are doing a very good job in all fields... kudos for more subs and views on the channel. =D
Those shift levers are so cheap you can buy a new set for like 20 bucks and can probably get updated ones for a little more so why not just replace them?
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Muy bueno el vídeo excelente una pregunta no puedo regular las subidas y bajas del cambio shimano st Ef 40 7R
Luis gonzalez cordoba argentina
@@LuisGonzalez-fh3vt I have not idea what you are asking.
Thank you for this awesome and simple tutorial. It saved me time, money and now my shifter is working great! The bike shop said it was worn and needed replacing… or just some WD-40 and lubricant. Kudos to you!
This video helped me fix both the shifters on a bike I picked up today.
I didn't even have to remove the cables, just unscrew the cover and find the cam that was sticking, WD40 and freeing up.
10 minutes and all fixed.
A big thank you
Hello. I have to thank you so profusely for this wonderful how to vid. I purchased a barely used Diamondback bike for my godson for Christmas. I love working on bikes and had no problems until I tried the right shifter. I should have watched your vid first because I foolishly took it apart and had an oh sh*t moment when I had a handful of tiny parts and the shifter looking broken beyond repair. I watched your video and after several views and some time I was able to get it reassembled and working great. My godson will be so thrilled with his first real bike. Thank you so very much.
Very helpful video. Thank you very much for this.
I had an old shifter with that exact problem and could fix it.
A little extra tip: In my case WD40 did not cure it, so I washed it in quite hot water with dish washing soap and a toothbrush. That really did the trick.
And one hint: it seems easier to lubricate before you re-assemble and mount the shifter.
simple video, but extremely informative! i was just about to purchase new shifters but i think i might be able to salvage the old one. Keep the videos coming RJ!
Thanks RJ worked great and the trigger shifter is now shifting through all 7 speeds on the Gary Fisher Advanced I got at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for $18.00. :)
Great deal!
awesome!!! I picked up a Gary Fisher Artemis out of the trash while I was delivering my mail route...shifter wasn't working... bought new shifters last week.. wish I'd seen this video before hand! LoL haven't put them on yet so maybe I'll save them for later.. gonna try this first.
also thanks for all the videos.. gonna be swapping out the straight forks for some Rockshox thanks to you! and thanks to you for getting me back into biking after a 10yr hiatus!
Thank you for this video! My shifter had the same problem. With your help it’s changing gear perfectly now.
I've saved so many "broken" shifters this way.
Great work!
I bought a bike this week and she had this problem, and exactly this shifter!
Thanks!
Finding the pawls was the key tip! Thank you SO MUCH! Worked great!
RJ...you saved me again. Exactly the same bike with exactly the same problem. Only difference was that a pin from one of the springs needed to be re-seated. Works perfectly now. Thx!
Thanks for this. I went to a bike shop and they replaced my shifters, but really want my originals back on. I had them save my original shifters (off a Raleigh M-50 1993 mountain bike) so I have them. They just flooded with grease but could not free the pawls up. I will give it a try and let you know if it works. Cannot find replacement ST-MC10s anywhere. This is exactly the model you are showcasing.
Awesome, I've just started rebuilding my father's 90's Repco rigid fork mountain bike and I was thinking of just buying a new 7 speed groupset but I might give this a go.
Bought a used Bianchi Milano cafe racer 8sp and it was practically new but didn't shift. I bought it to shop where guy who sold it to me bought it new , to ask about a repair and they suggested a major overhaul, $130 said shifter would be opened rear hub would need to be disassembled and spokes removed from wheel. I opened shifter and flushed it out and spayed grease in there and its working. A 5 min fix...
I had exactly this problem with Shimano Deore LX shifters which had not been used for a few minutes. The fix works fine; many thanks - saved an expensive repair (or more accurately, binning the old bike!).
Thanks RJ. I got my CT15 working again but after taking out the three screws..as you know those one need to take out the cable to get a cover off.
Somehow clicking gears while loosened up I knocked the indicator out of whack. Shifts ok, but now round dial type indicator moves around at 4:00 to 7:00 vs being at the top.
I'll have to take a peek around for a pin after loosening back up..still only a gap the size of a pistachio nut.
Tri-Flo my fav too.
Exactly the video I was looking for! Decided to dust off my old Gary Fisher Rangitoto and need to try this on the shifter for the rear. Thanks for making this vid! Cheers!
Thank you. Excellent video. I repaired item following your instructions. Worked 100%. Deerly appreciated.
Thank man you saved my Life, i have the same problem with the same shifter
Amazing how much metal is in that shifter. I just opened up one from about 5 years ago and saw nothing but plastic.
Hi RJ, this is my desperate try to reach out on you.
First of all, I already stated how I love your high quality videos and that you share the knowledge to the community (I really really really appreciate that). Your channel and Parktool's channel are the only ones I really rely on. You already saved my life trying to resurrect some old Shimano STIs that were totally gummed up inside. This time I have some Shimano M563 shifters (Deore LX Rapidfire ) that apparently were dead (to be hones only the right shifter). The shifter showed no reaction before I started to penetrate it with WD-40. After many hours I got all pawls working again (they are going smooth as a baby's bottom tbh). My problem is that the shifter only works in 1 direction (shifting from the highest gear to the lowest). When I reach the lowest gear then I cannot shift to a higher gear again.
The lever for the upshifting does click perfectly fine but I cannot reach the next gear. My guess is that it has something to do with the white "guideish" plastic part where the shift cable is pulled. What I noticed is that I can push the plastic part into the starting position if I lift the pawl (this simulates the upshifting I guess).
My assumption is that there should be some kind of spring tension which pulls the part back somehow. When I checked the left shifter I could clearly see that the white plastic part is moved when pushing the lever and then it always falls into a starting position after releasing the lever. I cannot count how many times I already flushed around this plastic part.
I am currently really desperate since I believe that I could bring the shifter back to live again after spending so many hours already (at this point I personally cannot accept that the shifter is broken). I don't want to look for a spare part since a pair of shifters already cost half of the bike (if I can find them at all). Do you have some tips for me? Maybe a teardown video of the right rapidfire shifter would help. I really hope that you can read my comment and give me a feedback on this.
Cheers Nico
P.S. What I forgot to mention is that a part of the housing (below the top cover) is missing (it was broken out). I'm not sure if the housing should have any impact on the shifting behaviour.
There are multiple pawls. For each direction. It could be broken. If so, replace it. If the casing is broken, just replace the shifters.
RJ The Bike Guy RJ The Bike Guy Thanks alot for your reply. I learned from your Video that there are 2 pawls (1 for each direction). How Do I See if the pawl is broken (can I inspect it visually?)? The thing is that all pawls that were shown in the Video move as you showed. But although it clicks with every push (when trying to shift on a higher gar), it does not catch the next gear. I think that this is my problem. I'm not sure if I can still try something to get it work. So from your side there can nothing be done?
Update: Nevermind. I found a spare Part and hope that it is working.
I just did this to a shimano 200cx shifter. I emptied a can of wd-40 and it was still not clicking. Luckily, I had a plastic tub under the shifter so I caught all the spilled WD-40. And then I left the shifter in the tub to soak for 2 days and when I got back to it it was working like new. So just don't give up, it will work eventually :)
I was looking for a vid like this but it took a while to get here. Thank you so much for showing this. I to have an old Shimano 3sp shifter that needs this approach. Thank you!
In our shop we call this "Spray and Pray". Works most of the time with WD40 but lately been using a product called Aerokroil. Seems to cut the factory grease a high percentage of the time.Enjoying your channel and playing catchup now on your videos.Take care,Stephen
I have Kano Kroil. I considered trying it. Maybe I will try it next time.
I agree with this. I've fixed tons of these and while the best case is that the spray does fix the problem, it's hit or miss, and doesn't seem to last as a long term solution. I generally take the small clips off the pawls and remove them for a thorough cleaning of the hinge pin, then lubrication and reassembly. It's fiddly work, but I've never had one stop working afterwards. I can't say the same for those that have just been sprayed and loosened up as they will eventually gum back up and stop working again.
Also, it's worth an few extra minutes to clean up all the excess oil and grease that's dripping from everything before reassembly. It's particularly worthwhile to clean the indicator windows while you have everything apart. It just adds a bit of shine to a job well done.
Sounds like a job well done. Unfortunately our shop hourly rate would limit spending that much time, when the shifters are pretty inexpensive. I always tell the customer, its like a stiff elbow, you need to exercise it consistently for it to work. If they go hang the bike back in the shed for another two years, we will be right back at square one. I always give it a good internal cleaning, usually blowing it out with air, mostly so the shifters don't continue to drip degreaser all over the place. Had pretty good luck with few returns on the trigger shifters. STI, well that's a whole 'nother story ;)
I have had luck with older STI shifters (7/8 speed). But newer ones, seem to break more often than just getting gunked up.
Yeah, the economics of a bike shop versus a home shop are different. A bike shop can often replace a part cheaper than trying to fix it.
same here, I stick sunrace ones on for reliability
Thank you for the video. Could you make a video how to reassemble Shimano rapide fire plus shifters .
My Altus M370 is broken, I have all the components but I couldn't reassemble it again. thanks.
Just wondering how you put the cable back into the shifter
Thank you a million times over. I bought a really cool old Mongoose Hilltoper with a chrome moly frame that is just begging for some abuse. The bike has these exact same shifters and the rear one had this exact same issue as yours in this video. I almost bought the newer version of these but I thought it odd that this shifter just stopped working 'cos the bike is like brand new and the Shimano from this era were making parts with amazing quality. So I checked good ol TH-cam and found this video. Thanks! If you're ever in Michigan I'll buy you a beer.
While I'm thinking of it. You wouldn't happen to know if I can use these shifters with V-brakes, would you? It has cantilever's on it right now but I loath Cantilever brakes with a passion. Thanks.
V Brakes take twice as much cable pull as cantilever brakes. So you would need levers made for v-brakes.
@@RJTheBikeGuy will these brake levers not fit v brake brakes? I will be grateful for your answer
Very nice shifter, it seems like very sturdy compare to new model today. Easy to maintain
Thanks to you i only go to Bike Shops for parts i have a great interest in bikes love learning how they work many thanks.
My cable seems to be in good condition. Can I clean the mechanism as described in the video without cutting the cable? Sorry if this is a dumb question.
Thank you RJ, worked like a charm!
Thanks a million, my new schwinn trailway front derailleur shifter stopped shifting on me. Gonna try this out 👍
Rj. Your the best.
VERY helpful video, I probably would have replaced the assembly had it not been for your expertise!
Hello, i dont know why but when i put the big bolt spins together fit the fitting where the bolt sticks in. It rotates together somehow. why is that? i cant tighten the bolt because it rotates endlessly. thanks
Try some PB Blaster , it works better! BTW I love all you videos !
I got it to work on the rear shifter but the front shifter only shifts between gears 1-2 (missing 3). The upshift travels all the way but inside the little lever doesn't push it to the 3rd gear. Please help!
can I use this kind of shifter with any kind of derailer...?
Hello did you just use regular WD-40? Or you had to use expensive WD-40 for bike? Please let me know. Thanks
Regular WD-40.
Thank you, you saved me from buying a new shifter! Works like new 😏
hahaha wish I seen this video before I bought myself some new shifters!!
@RJ The Bike Guy, what shifters do you suggest for a mtb 7 speed?
another good vid,,very useful info....You explain things very well...thanks
Thanks!
Any reason you didn't apply trifle before reassembling?
Nope. I could have.
You obviously don't ride where there are real hills.
How to open it in shimano ef 41 please tell please
RJ : the WD 40 works mostly , however really old and sticky dried up factory grease might need a stronger de-graser like an electronics contact cleaner ... ?
WD-40 usually works with enough movement. Though occasionally I have had to open them up to manually move the pawl. Haven't tried other stuff, so I can't say.
When WD40 failed, I washed one with really hot soapy water and a toothbrush.
That did it!
Brake cleaner is also awesome for degreasing, so it should work as well.
Bike shop recommended replacing… cha-ching…went home, watched your videos and.. working again.!! 🤸🏽♀️
what to do if i took apart
sprayed with wd40 and let sit overnight
the lever refused to push down..... it wont make contact without me pressing on it so it makes contact then when i shift it works
as soon as i release pressure it releases and nothing to grab onto the gear
i have to manually press it down to make the contact
it was sitting in the last owners garage for 10 years im guessing.......
overall all everything else seems to b working
Thank you for sharing your videos, they're very enlightening. I'm sorry it took so long to get around to them.
How would I do this without cutting cables and all that? My cables are actually in great shape, I've always taken care of my bike but it sat for a couple of years. Everything else is just like I left it, waxed, Amour All'd, some other stuff Mario Andretti apparently likes, greased, you name it, it's very clean. The front gear's shifter is completely fine. Even the tires are still pliable and nubby. I keep my things clean, because they seem to last longer that way and I avoid cutting ...into things I may or may not be successful at putting back together properly, if you know what I mean.
I guess I can just try to soak it down with WD and see if that works while it's still on the bike. And it also just occurred to me maybe that stuff Mario Andretti likes, is the stuff that gunked up my shifter! hmmmm
(Wow and duh me, please never mind my question, but thanks again for the vids!)
Man you are awesome. I didnt believe you and sprayed wd40 and sure enough works like new
Thank you it helps me
You should build another bike, I love your videos, you inspired me to build a bike from the ground up
Hi guy ..i know me again ..the shifters that are on my bike and again its the same bike your working on in this ,your vedio here ,has shimano Acera X model num.st-pM290
Mihai Fox
Hi! Does anybody know if you can shorten how much you have to push the thumb button on the left shifter? It is very hard to shift to the last cog (3), I have to push it all the way back to shift up and my thumb is fully extended and still no click. I know I can rotate the shifter back but it does not feel right to push the thumb button more from up to down instead of back to front. Is cable tension the problem? ( too much tension)? The gear indexing is corect
th-cam.com/video/gwBQxhZhKnE/w-d-xo.html
So I was working on an older Shimano rapid fire shifter recently and while I was messing around trying to clean the pawls, I damaged the little gasket thingy with the slotted area that aligns with the shifter arm- it split at the thinnest part and now won't sit properly under the cap when I put it back on so for now, I just did away with it. I would like to correct this, however. Any idea if (and if so) where just the thin plastic gasket things may be acquired? I imagine you've burned through a couple. Thanks.
You can't really get parts like that for old shifters. You can't maybe find some used shifters of ebay, or even upgrade.
@@RJTheBikeGuy Okay, thanks. I'll just remember to stash those away the next time I'm pulling those off a bike to upgrade. Doubt anybody else would ever notice it is missing but my ocd would never allow me to forget it.
That was great, thanks!
Thanks dude ...problem was exactly what you said
I tried to fix my alivio shifter by spraying with wd40.. Managed to shift down n up.. But after i clean the wd40 and put it back, it just go from gear 1 & 2.. What seems to be the prob.. I fix it at night.. Needs to check it again tomorrow..
I had to let it soak for awhile fixed now thanks.
You were too impatient.
Nicely done, thanks for sharing
Thank you. The video is very helpful.
What if this still won’t work? Is it possible that the panels are just out of order and the whole shifter needs to be replaced? BTW - I love your videos. Better repair tutorials than Park Tools or GMBN.
Keep trying. Or replace it. Or take it to a shop where they will most likely replace it.
RJ The Bike Guy turns out I needed a much stronger acetone to break loose the muck. I finally got it working well. I suppose that is a small note for a future video perhaps. Thank you and keep it up!
If its just grease, WD40 sprayed into the cable start should be enougth ?
Most times.
Could you use 50/50 acetone/ATF or would that damage the plastic parts?
I am thinking that would not be good.
Jerry Sollien acetone is pretty violent... I wouldn't try neither ! especially considering that (at least RJ's one) the plastic seems pretty old...
But I think the acetone would be just as harsh on new plastic. Not sure about the ATF.
good job
funny as it may sound i am presently working on what appears to be the very same bike,all though the shiftier are a little different ,mine dont have the little whit pin you pointed out and i had a bitch of a time trying to set the diel in the right spot so numbers lined up with its little window, Now i got it working after some time ,but its not working perfectly as it shifts up pretty good but bringing it down requires you to toggle or jig it a little with you finger ,then dile will move into position then you can shift. If i can ask are there other problem that can occur with this type of shiftier other then the puals not moving?like i was wondering about the little springs that are around the puals ,can they become week ? or something ells that go wrong? .
Yours maybe be different. Or it could be your pin has broken off. I haven't worked on your bikes, so I can;t say what issue you are having.
No im pretty sure it didnt have that white pin you mentioned as i think id see what was left of it .and i havent bin able to find a vedio of a exact match to mine ,and id send you the link. Oh and thanks for quick reply fella.kind of surprised me ..
Excellent
Soaking your skin in WD40 isn't such a great idea. I've fixed a bunch of shifters like this too, but I wore gloves all the time. Then I started researching ECO/BIO friendly chemicals for the same jobs I used non-friendly chemicals for, and found this stuff called "Liquifix". It works just as good, if not better than WD40 (#2 Diesel fuel unscented) in my opinion for dissolving old grease. They have recently come out with a "bicycle grade" version, but I haven't tried it yet because the original version works really well and i still have some of it left. I also picked up their degreaser at the same time and it works really well too, but does have a stronger smell if you are sensitive to that. It works as well as any citrus degreaser (Pedro's or we used to use Shimano stuff in a can that had enough warnings to scare me into only using it outside) we used in the shop and it rinses off well too. The cool thing is it doesn't pit aluminum like other "green" degreasers I've used like simple green, which are alkaline products that are also harder on rubber (seals in some derailleur pulleys for example) which Liquifix is not.
Just so you know, Liquifix,according to its MSDS is Mineral spirits and petroleum distillate. I wouldn't be wanting to soak my hands in that either.
+ Ian Loughead, Thank you I also looked it up, and the white mineral OIL (50-90%) used is Food Grade, in other words it is classed as food safe (but I wouldn't eat it on purpose ;) ) That is NOT something you find in WD40 or any of the others. IT specifically states it has NO emission of VOC's (volatile organic compounds), and is NOT harmful or fatal if swallowed; (they say) and NO Prop 65 compounds. The main ingredient is listed as useful for Food Chemicals, Cosmetic, Plating, Nutrition, Industrial, Pharmaceutical, Resin & Coating, (according to parchem.com)
IF you look it up on Pub Med, you can see that in clinical tests it has a low tissue accumulation potential and a low toxicity to rats... It also does show on the ECHA site that it does have precautions for breathing and ingestion, so I wouldn't eat it on purpose, it's environment impact is super low. I saw it was "suitable for mouse embryo cell culture"... so it must be fairly safe.
The second column on that sheet, lists 2 ingredients that total 10-50%. The first "petroleum distillate" listed on the Liquifix MSDS comes back as heavy Parafin, and the second comes back as Kerosene.
It IS CERTIFIED SCS NON-TOXIC. It has a higher flash point (won't catch fire as easy), safe around ->>electronics
I have done everything on your video. Disassembled, WD40, lubricated, parts unstuck. Now shifts from 7 to 1 but won't shift from 1 to 7. Weird! Do you know why?
There are pawls in both directions. My guess is the others pawls are still stuck. Or maybe something is broken.
I got the same problem. Did you fix it? Great video though.
steegsha Yes I did fix it after some trial and error. My issue was that the pawl was not engaging in the correct teeth of the cogwheel. So I figured which was gear 1 in the indicator compared to the cogwheel and placed the pawl in that spot. It required to disassemble the whole shifter. It’s a bit tricky but that did it. Works great now.
@@steallinen After a bit more fiddling around, I have now fixed it after about 15 years of not being used. I don't know how much I am going to use the bike! I appreciate the engineering in its design.
How dya put the cable in
The same way it came out. Shift the small lever all the way, then slide the cable through the hole.
found it, thx
Did I miss something or did you forget to put the copper washer back in?
You missed something. Did you watch the whole video?
Yes i wathced the entire video! @1:28 you can see the copper washer under the big bolt, but when you put it together @4:30 you can see there is no washer! Anyway great job and good video as usual! Cheers
Watch at 5:00.
Sorry I wathed it all but apparently i was not paying enough attention :)
:)
No need to take it all apart.
Soak in real hot water. That usually frees it up. Then stay a heavy dose of WD to keep it moving.
If i open it, so many things came up out ! not like this one, all together..
my alivo shifter is from 1994 Giant IGUANA... i am on long trpis for some months
Some trigger shifters can be fixed without taking them apart. th-cam.com/video/v_UTCK5gL-g/w-d-xo.html
thank youuuuu
I try not to use WD40 when working with parts like this.
I tend to use pure citrus to clean with then let dry and apply slick honey.
As long as you can dry the wd-40 out, it should be fine for use like this.
WD40 works perfectly fine. The objective is to clean out the grease and it is mostly mineral spirits. Pure citrus will clean grease but I don't see how it is any better, it too leaves residues.
Only gears 5-7 worked, wouldn't shift 4 -1. Took cover off and sprayed wd40 while shifting and it suddenly started working. no need to replace anything.
tanta mentira dasse
Hey this is the only pic i can find of the shifters im working on ..
www.bikecenter.pl/p4058,shimano-acera-x-st-m290-7s-klamkomanetka-tyl-prawa.html
In 95% the reason for an non proper working shifter is hardened grease.
To try it with WD40 is a good idea.
Usually flushing with WD-40 and working it will free it up. Of course, follow with a good lube.
you kept on saying HERE HERE HERE its annoying...
Let RJ be RJ!
Hear, hear!
I mean its all good you do a very good job in fixing all about the bike, I have no intention to hurt or some sort, but I think it's some kind of mannerism which can sometimes be annoying to hear. still keep doing on what you do besides its your signature term... Ive been a viewer since then and I think you are doing a very good job in all fields... kudos for more subs and views on the channel. =D
I don't script my videos. I just do and talk.
Soak it in gas for 5 minutes
Those shift levers are so cheap you can buy a new set for like 20 bucks and can probably get updated ones for a little more so why not just replace them?
To save money. It's pretty simple.
I've got a $100 bike with over $300 worth of parts. All those little repairs add up.
or for 10 minutes time and a little WD40 you can have it working again and not pay $20.