front derailleur problem

Xxthreelionsxx

Hi All

my front derailleur is stuck on the big ring and wont move the cable does losen when i change gears but the derailleur itself wont budge, i have given it a good clean and tried applied lubricant but it is not for moving

I was going to book it into my LBS but before i do i was just wondering if there is anything else i could try before taking it

If it helps its a Shimano SLX FD-M660

dodgy

I would wager your bike has been laid up for a little while without use? I met 2 people at our cycle cafe on Sunday with the same problem (their first time out in a while). Just soak in liberal amounts of wd40/gt85 and keep it wet by wrapping a J Cloth around the mech. IT will eventually start to ease. Coax the derailleur onto the smaller ring by gently pushing it.
I think you've already tried this, but keep going, you will relesae it eventually

Xxthreelionsxx

its only been about a week and a half and it worked fine last time i was out on it, i give it a quick clean after the last time i used it but maybe not as good as i should have

thanks for the reply

skyd0g

Grit/muck in the cables?

turpinr

dodgy wrote:

I would wager your bike has been laid up for a little while without use? I met 2 people at our cycle cafe on Sunday with the same problem (their first time out in a while). Just soak in liberal amounts of wd40/gt85 and keep it wet by wrapping a J Cloth around the mech. IT will eventually start to ease. Coax the derailleur onto the smaller ring by gently pushing it.
I think you've already tried this, but keep going, you will relesae it eventually

it happened to me too,as you say a little coaxing and some gt85 and off you go

dodgy

skyd0g wrote:

Grit/muck in the cables?

Probably not. Possibly aluminium oxide that has accumulated near the pivot points through lack of use. Using the mech keeps the pivots free.
I say possibly aluminium oxide, because at the cafe at the weekend, I pushed this guy's mech inwards and a load of powder dropped onto my foot, looked white and it wasn't salt. Then it started moving a little more freely.

dodgy

Xxthreelionsxx wrote:

its only been about a week and a half and it worked fine last time i was out on it, i give it a quick clean after the last time i used it but maybe not as good as i should have

thanks for the reply

I don't often lay my bikes up, but when I do I make sure I spray with GT85 after cleaning. Or just spray the mech and move it with the shifters every few days or once a week while it's not being used.

nicklouse

Xxthreelionsxx
you say the cable is free. where is it free?

will the mech move by hand with the cable dis conected?

is it catching on anything?

which mech is it?