Campagnolo brakes

jethwan

Hiya,

I have Campag Veloce brakes. The other day I had a big clean-up, but now I think I need to re-oil the brake cable where it meets the housing -- the left brake lever is initially loose (it has a couple of centimetres of 'give'), but then meets resistance and squeaks horribly.

However -- I have never had to touch the brakes before and I have no idea how to get into the housing. I've been searching fruitlessly for a guide on how to take it apart, with no success (just links to buy new ones!).... The only 'way in' I can see is the pin through the brake lever, which when I push out, doesn't seem to let me pull the lever out. Sorry if this sounds a bit confusing -- if it helps I can post a picture, but I'm sure someone with Campy stuff will know what I mean? Does anyone have a handy link to some instructions?

Thanks for your help

Slow Downcp

The pin just releases the quick release to allow east wheel removal. To run a cable you have to thread it through the front of the lever, between lever and hood when lever pulled. Hope that makes sense?

jethwan

When I pull the lever I can see the cylindrical head of the brake cable inside; but that's *all* I can see. I can't see any of the brake cable, and presumably where the cable goes into the cable housing is where I want to oil?

What do you mean by 'fast wheel removal'?

Also, I found this (http://tinyurl.com/4nf9hl) but I think what I want to do is described in the first step -- "Remove the cables, both brake and gear, by disconnecting them and then pulling them through their housings"

Al_38

This could be beacuse of a few things:
I get problems with stiff levers and a rubbish return on the bike I use in wet weather, basically the calipers get covered in all the grit and water from the road and slowly start to seize up. So make sure you lubricate the joints and pivots on both the front and rear calipers using a decent wet lube.
The pin on the shifters when pushed through to the other side should allow the top of the brake levers to sit further into the main shifter body. This allows the caliper to open more, meaning it is easier to get the appropriate wheel out of the frame / forks. So buy doing this, and then taking the wheel out you should be able to pull the inner cable through the outer to unhook the cable for the rear brake, this doesn't work for the front as they run a full length outer. Once this is done you can lube the cable in parts.

To get into the cable housings at the shifter end is going to be a pain in the ass.
Basically you will have to loosen the brake cable at the calipers, roll the hoods back on the shifters so that you can see where the cables go into the shifters, next you would probably have to take off the bar tape and then the electrical tape that will be holding the cables to the bar. at this point you should basically be able to move the final section of cable outer out of the shifters and lube it up too and / or the cable. And then repeat in reverse to set it all up.

If you really want to sort this end out I would go for the easier option. Cut the cable stop of the appropriate brake cable leaving as much as possible behind (this is hard to do well unless you have proper bike cable cutters, but a dremel and a cutting disc works) will need to be a clean end. Alternatively they will sometimes come off with a pair of pliers: try to squash the cable stop back into a more round shape and then pull if off the cable. Next undo the cable clamp on the brake caliper. Then pull / push the cable inner out through the brake lever. lube it up. then with a can of GT85 or similar (or a bottle of lube) start to squeeze / spray the oil down the brake outer from the end you can get at till it starts coming out of the end in the brake lever. Replace the cable and reset the brakes.

Al