Replacing cable on Alivio front Shifter

booldawg

Well got as far as taking off the plastic covers. I was hoping the gear cable would be accessible from here; no such luck.

There seems to be a bolt through the middle of the mechanism with a nut on the other end held in by 4 metal tabs - does this need to come off.

There is also a small plastic grub screw that does seem to offer a lot when removed. Any ideas?

cooldad

Make sure the shifter is fully released (small cog position) remove the little plastic bung next to the shift levers and push the cable through.
New cable just gets pushed through the hole.
You don't take it apart.

booldawg

Thanks CD; can see what difference shifting to the lowest cog makes now - I can see the cable end!

cooldad

Seeing the end does help a bit.

booldawg

Nothing is ever straight forward (it would seem)

Got the old cable out and new one in as per CDs advice. The shifters aren't moving the cable. It will click from 2nd to 3rd and back but wont click back down to one. Clicking as is in the shifter is clicking - its not moving the cable or the mech. I tried it on the original Alivio shifter and thought maybe the shifter was duff. Have tried a Deore one. It clicked up and down through the range without the cable in. Once I installed it - same problem.

I've not messed around with the internal workings of the shifter - simply replaced the cable; as CD mentioned; nothing needs to be taken apart.

cooldad

Are you pulling the cable when trying to shift back down - it needs some tension of the cable just wraps up inside.

Woodmonkey

It's quite easy to get the cable threaded in the wrong place with alivio shifters

booldawg

Not quite sure what went wrong. I can't get the shifter in the right position to be able to get the cable back out now :roll:

The Rookie

Did you give the cable a tug to make sure the end was seated on the cable spool? if not it can stay sticking out and jam in the housing, a good tug (you'll need pliers) can sort it!

bennyy

You need some tension on the cable for it to shift down, pull on the cable or attach it to the mech, making sure the shifter is in the same gear as the mech, ie mech on smallest ring shifter clicked down to smallest ring.

I robbed the rear mech cable off my old 'emergency' bike, with Olivia shifters and used it as a front mech cable on my trail bike with slx, now i have no emergency bike, guess I'll just have to use the car.

booldawg

thanks all - I'll give it a go!