xtr m970 shifter problem

Dazzza

I find it's sometimes hard to shift onto the last gear, and i've noticed the casing had something inside pushing against it when i shift to last. The casing is open a tiny fraction, no cracks or damage at all.

Has anyone else had this problem?

nicklouse

the last gear? big or small cog or chain ring?

sounds like poor set up or something is bent.

Dazzza

Not poor setup, gears run sweet as.

Small cog rear cassette.

Hmm i'll have a play at the weekend, see what's amiss.

Just had a nose, the nokon cable on the rear mech has shifted, it's now touching the frame so id imagine this is the cause?

Chunkers1980

Sh!t as it is - the casing on mine, and others I've read about, doesn't line up too great - so that might not be the problem unless you can notice a difference from new.

Dazzza

Well it's not cracked but something inside the shifter looks like it's trying to pry it open, not good if you ask me looks like a manufacturing fault to me.

nicklouse

pics then. small cog, so it is a normal rise mech? the cable outer is irrelevant as it is purely cable tension.

if rapid rise then yes a compressed cable outer would stop it going into the small cog.

Dazzza

Well i've sorted the problem, err sort of.

There's a spring that sits next to the cable tension adjuster, it seems to be some sort of load spring for the gears inside the shifter.

Well a small part of it was totally mullered and was trying to force the casing apart.

I did the only thing i could and snipped it off, trouble is it now seems im down to an 8 speed shifter. :?

Are these springs replaceable?

nicklouse

pics. as i still have no idea as to what you are on about.

lets say you are on about the spring on the SL-M970 which sits between the cable housing and the adjuster then it has F all to do with the number of gears and will not effect them in any way.

so again pics.

Dazzza

Pics would be worthless, all you'll see is a gap in the shifter casing with a spring trying to poke out ok?

stu8975

If you mean the spring in there, all that does is push the barrel bit (bit you hold and turn) against the lever body so it doesn't move about when the adjuster is wound out.

Dazzza

Nope that spring is fine, it sits diagonal to the adjuster, it's inside the casing pushing something onto the indexing gears from what i could see.

I'll take it apart and take pics tomorrow, it's too late in the day to be messing around with it now, plus i have to figure out how to take the back casing off without breaking it.

Dazzza

Right then, i ripped the whole thing apart, nothing is out of place, it tries to shift onto the last ring but refuses to. It feels like something is jamming the indexing gears.

My guess is a bit of grit got inside somewhere and is playing buggery with it. I've gone and drowned it in lube and that's shut it up for now so here's hoping.

These shifters are very poor build quality wise, for the price you pay it's rather shocking tbh.

Internals wise you're looking at a fiver tops in materials. :roll:

nicklouse

FFS so it is inside the shifter body. no wonder why i had no idea what you were on about.

Casing! so not the cable casing but the shifter body.

Dazzza

Yes!! christ, you honestly think id be on about the outer. :roll:

You've been on the sauce haven't you.

Anyway im replacing the thing, the indexing is clearly on the way out, it was playing up on today's ride, half my higher gears would disappear. :evil:

They're back for now.........

So when shimano bring out their 10 speed im jumping ship.

stumpyjon

To be honest it sounds like the high limit screw isn't adjusted properly although without pics of the internals of the shifter and clarity on what you snipped off it is a biut difficult to diagnose over the tinterwed. In my experience shifters tend to get sticky rather than fail.

Dazzza

High limit screw?

Can i assume you mean the rear mech?

All screws are set correctly there, i did them not long ago.

Or is there a limit screw on the shifter?

Chunkers1980

No there isn't

stumpyjon

Yes I mean the high limit screw on the mech. Still might be worth double checking, back it off so that you can pull the mech way past the sprocket. I know you've set them but humour me, I thought I'd correctly set mine too and then spent an hour wondering why I couldn't index my gears properly (I'd done it in minutes loads of times before), finally backed off the limit screw and got them sorted in minutes. I now tend to index the gears and then set the limit screws.

Dazzza

It's not a case of the indexing being wrong, it's a case of the shifter lever going slack like there's no cable tension once i go near the higher four gears.

It came back halfway through my ride, so the shifter is most certainly at fault, but i'll humour you and have a nose at the mech stops later on.

supersonic

Are you sure it isn't the cable just losing tension? A few things you have said hint it is. This can be the clamp slipping, or the outers moving in their stops.

Dazzza

Cable tension hmm yeah could be, thing is it went and then came back which is very odd behaviour indeed. Eight of my nine gear are back for now, i'll take the backing off later on and take some pictures, i've cleaned up the innards so you should be able to see the details.

supersonic

Almost undoubtedly a cable problem then from the description. Something is causing it to slack off. I guess the cable is going through a lot of 'stretching' or you have a roge ferrule and stop.

Dazzza

Could be, the rear cable isn't ideal, funny thing is it's been fine for ages.

Anyway i've ordered more nokon bits and a new cable, i'll extend the rear liner, it's running a bit straight so you could very well be right, i'll leave it go for now whilst it's still working.

stumpyjon

Still sounds like the limit screw is causing issues with the one sprocket, the other four does sound like a cable problem, maybe dirt in the outer. It'll be interresting to know what the root cause is when you finally track it down, good luck.

Dazzza

Yeah the things that are sent to try us eh.

I'll be sure to post the results once i've had a fiddle.

Dazzza

Cable fitted, i now have around 7-8 gears, something is royally buggered with this shifter.

I saw a spring to one of the indexing teeth had popped off, so i took it apart and sorted that out, that part is working as it should but my gears are still playing silly buggers.

I'll just have to make the move for 10 speed come next month. :roll:

Hopefully they'll come back, we'll see.

Anyway don't bother helping folks, i've just about given up now.