STI Lever - cable broken inside the lever

gear 10

The gear cable has broken inside the right (rear gear) STI Ultegra lever so that the swagged end of the cable cannot be pushed out. I have tried clicking the gear lever but it only moves 3 clicks (usually 10) and the stops so I cannot access the end of the cable. I would have hoped that the cable groove would move round so I can just remove the cable end but it doesn't. I've partially dismantled the lever but parts seem sealed or fixed in a way that stops further stripping down. Any ideas to save me buying a new lever? GEAR 10

desweller

You just need to poke it out with something thin and strong, like a skewer or darning needle.

gear 10

Des,
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately, it's not that easy (I wish it was as the price of a new lever is high!). Maybe a bit more info would help.

The part of the grooved metal disk, in the main mech which holds the swagged end of the cable is covered by the part of the gear lever which also covers most of the gear mechanism. Although it's a 10 speed Ultegra, the gear lever will only click 3 times then it stops (both up and down - ie the outer and inner levers). When changing cables, it's easy because you just click the inner lever until the slot for the swagged end comes round. In this case it will not click round so the slot with the jammed cable stays covered and inaccessible at the bottom of it's rotation.

I've dismantled the mech as far as I can, even removing the spring on the spindle but the outer lever will not come off and I cannot see how to remove it. Tried a bit of gentle leverage but it's fastened firmly.

Looking forward to any further ideas in the hope that I don't have to splash out on a pair of new levers!!

Gear 10

desweller

The return spring in the shifter is very weak as most of the work is done by the derailleur, so, as you've found, it is easily jammed. You might get some joy by trying to poke the disc round with something sharp as you upshift (disc moving anticlockwise as viewed from the rider's position).

A jeweller's screwdriver would be my choice for this. I'd also make sure I have a pair of tweezers on hand for tugging strands of errant cable out as they appear.

You may find this process easier if you cable tie the brake lever to the handlebar so the mechanism is permanently on view. This way you won't have to hold it at the same time as prodding the disc and upshifting.

I don't doubt it will be a little awkward! Good luck.

gear 10

Des,
Once again, thanks for your prompt reply. I have tried pushing the metal disk round but I'll have another go as your comments give me a bit of confidence to "push harder"!

Fingers crossed - I'll advise you of progrees.

Gear 10

Monty Dog

This is quite a common failure mode for STI levers - your LBS will probably have plenty of experience if your patience runs out. Don't be tempted to try and dismantle the lever - they're not designed to come apart and impossible to rebuild.

gear 10

Des,

Tried pulling/pushing but it didn't work but your idea about tweezers got me thinking. Anyhow, a pair of tweezers and a very thin pair of pliers and I managed to get the offending cable end out!! So thanks for your help.
Also monty dog for his advice on not dismantling the lever etc. Thankfully, I couldn't see how to strip the mech down any further than I already had. I was tempted by that big hammer on the bench but decided a gentler approach was the best option.

Thanks again,

Gear 10
PS I wonder if Shimano gear cables are more reliable and last longer (my LBS cables are about 25% of the Shimano price) - anyone have any experience of good/bad cables? No rush on this one!

desweller

The trick is to grease the cable that follows the shifter round. This allows the strands to slide against one another and the housing etc without wearing and fraying.

It's also worth dobbing a bit of light oil like 3-in-1 into the shifter mechanism now and then.

Glad to hear you got it out!

ADIHEAD

This happened to me with the same lever last September. A friend who used to be the mechanic at my LBS took it home for a bang and a poke - 2 hours later he got it out! I'm in Somerset so suspect a bit far for you to bring it and you're probably not going to want to post it off to a complete stranger but a decent LBS should have a guy of similar ability I would guess?

gear 10

Adihead,

Thanks for the offer. I managed to extract the offending cable last night, total time around 3 hours of fiddling, although once I used the tweezers (see Des's earlier note) it took about ten minutes. I'll know what to do next time - tweezers and then thin nosed pliers!!
Gear 10

ADIHEAD

gear 10 wrote:

Adihead,

Thanks for the offer. I managed to extract the offending cable last night, total time around 3 hours of fiddling, although once I used the tweezers (see Des's earlier note) it took about ten minutes. I'll know what to do next time - tweezers and then thin nosed pliers!!
Gear 10

No worries and glad you fixed it. That's probably how my mate did it I expect? I do hope I neither of us have the problem again though

andy_wrx

I bought a pair of 2nd hand STI's on eBay a few years ago and found when I got them that the previous owner had presumably removed them from the bike by simply snipping-off the cables flush, and then had worked the levers up and down a few times.

This meant that there was an inch or so of cable inside the shifter, which came out of the lefthand one fine but the righthand one was as you describe, the cable all frayed and with the strands separating, so it would only rotate 3 or 4 clicks.

Before sending them back to the seller I decided I'd have a go at getting it out, spent perhaps an hour poking around inside with two watchmakers screwdrivers, needle nose pliers and lots of WD40, finally managed to get the cable into it's slot so it would rotate and come out.

Then sent snotty email to seller...



I did see on another forum where the guy had drilled a hole on the outside of the shifter, so he could see the 'plumb' on the end of the cable from the other side and pull it out...