Campag ergopower problem - help!

normanp

I have an annoying intermittent problem with the front changer (Centaur): occasionally when in the small ring and I try to shift up again the shift lever just moves freely and will not do the shift. It is as if a ratchet is not engaging. At this point I am stuck in the small ring. Is this a faulty unit or have I adjusted the front derailleur wrongly?

chewa

Sounds faulty. Maybe check to see the hood is not snagging the pawl of the ratchet when you change down?

plus je vois les hommes, plus j'admire les chiens

normanp

Do you think if I turned the bike over & soaked the unit in WD40 it might help? Maybe there's a ratchet that doesn't move freely. It looks a bit complicated to dismantle.

pbiggs

Save WD40 as a last resort because it will disolve the grease in the works, so the Ergo won't be so well lubricated and protected in the long run. Also the WD40 will continue to run out and make a mess.

Sorry I can't think what could be causing the problem. It's not one of the usual ways Ergos fail.

<i>~Pete</i>

mdg1157

I find that the front lever on my (06)centaur sometimes moves almost to the end of its travel before engaging, but has never failed to change,i wondered whether it was anything to with with running a compact (50-34)with a normal front mech

Pirahna

Make sure the bar tape isn't interfering with the lever mechanism, the bit to check is on the bottom of the lever. Is the front mech seized? I've stripped and lubed 8 speed fronts but not tried on anything newer.

normanp

Thanks for these ideas - I'll re-check the hoods & bar tape. It's less than 3 years old so maybe a Campag guarantee will cover it. On looking closer under the hood it only happens at the point where the lever has given out all the cable it can - and the fault can be avoided by arranging the inner stop and cable tensioner so that the lever never quite releases cable as far as it is capable of. Makes me nervous though... as once it happens only a lot of messing with it clears the fault!