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Pages: 1 Agentil friend Reged: 01/26/04 Posts: 25 How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? #4577 - 11/12/04 06:57 PM (12.145.80.72) Edit Reply Quote Hey! I just bought a nice Litespeed Palmares with full Dura Ace (2001, non-STI). The bike and components are in excellent condition except the shifters sound gritty...sorta like there's a little dirt/sand in there. Question 1): Are the shifters easy to clean? Like, can they be soaked or submurged in degreaser, re-lubed, etc.? Question 2): Call me a tool, but how do you get the shifters loosened from the handlebars. My Campy's have an easily visible and accessible allen wrench access point. Thanks in advance for your help! -Andrew Post Extras: TheMightySkunk journeyman Reged: 12/26/03 Posts: 82 Re: How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? [Re: Agentil] #4611 - 11/15/04 03:27 PM (66.135.253.9) Edit Reply Quote If you peel back the rubber hood covers on the outboard side of the handlebars, you will find a recessed hex-head machine screw which will loosen the shifters so that you can get them off. The screw runs almost parallel to the axis of the bike. In other words, with a hex key engaged in the screw, the hex key will be pointing about 20 degrees off straight ahead. A couple of turns will loosen the securing bands so that the shifters can be made to slide off bare handlebars. Or you can back the screw completely out, which will allow the securing bands to fall completely off. I wouldn't attempt to take the shifters apart to clean them unless you REALLY know what you're doing. I've done that, and they are a BYIIIIITCH to get back together. What I would recommend is this. Get a can of WD-40 or aerosol brake cleaner, squeeze the brake levers to expose the inner workings of the shifter, and then, with the little red tube engaged in the WD-40 can, spray the CRAP out of the insides. I mean spray until the cleaner is POURING out onto the floor. Then let 'em dry, and wipe down the outsides. -------------------- "I haven't failed. I've just managed to find 100,000 ways that don't work" --Albert Einstein Post Extras: Agentil friend Reged: 01/26/04 Posts: 25 Re: How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? [Re: TheMightySkunk] #4616 - 11/15/04 08:58 PM (12.145.80.72) Edit Reply Quote Hey! Thanks for the suggestion. Flushing-out seems to be the way... Any suggestion about re-lubing? Grease or oil based? Thx! -A Post Extras: PsyDoc friend Reged: 01/14/04 Posts: 37 Once the... [Re: Agentil] #5154 - 02/15/05 04:24 PM (168.18.155.127) Edit Reply Quote ...mineral spirits in the WD-40 evaporates, a thin film of oil is left, so I do not think you need to re-lube anything. If you want to put something else in there, then perhaps some lithium grease would work. Post Extras: skagwayroadie contributor Reged: 12/20/03 Posts: 141 Loc: Alaska Re: How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? [Re: Agentil] #5185 - 02/18/05 05:31 PM (64.186.108.62) Edit Reply Quote A... Not to discredit PsyDoc's suggestion about WD-40, but it is about the worst lube out there. It is a great degreaser and penetrating nut/bolt loosener, but not much good for anything else. The carrier does evaporate like he said, but the the lube that stays is at best a good rust inhibitor and hardly any lubricative properties are left behind. You are much better served by lightly spraying aerosol Tri-flow inside, if you are not going to take the shifter apart. If you are going to be brave, then a light coating of grease is best. If I were in your shoes, do not take the shifter apart, instead pull off the hood and spray the shifter down with WD-40. Wipe it real well and then really lightly, spray the inner workings with Tri-flow. Any exterior pivots and such should get a drop of heavy lube, such as Phil Tenacious Oil. Then, work the shifter to get the lube worked in. Let it sit for a bit, then wipe it down one last time and put it back together. Good luck and let us know how you make out with this. Ciao...Mark Post Extras: Joker new member Reged: 07/20/05 Posts: 10 Loc: HK Re: How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? [Re: skagwayroadie] #6336 - 07/20/05 08:52 AM (220.246.0.158) Edit Reply Quote Excellent suggestions, use Tri-Flow. WD-40 is not good for your bike. Amazingly people use it as a lubricant for most everything on bikes including lubing the chain... yikes. -------------------- -------- __o ------ _\ <,' ----- (_)/(_) Post Extras: Insightdriver captain Reged: 03/07/04 Posts: 472 Re: How do ya clean Dura Ace shifters? [Re: Joker] #6340 - 07/20/05 07:11 PM (67.182.161.77) Edit Reply Quote I would chime in that in itself, WD40 is not bad. As a flushing agent it's great. The viscosity of the oil in WD40 is a bit too high to stay in the chain rollers well. That said, the oil there does provide the necessary lubrication, albeit it doesn't last as long as a more viscous lubricant. There is science to lubrication and I don't subscribe to the bicycle-specific formulations as they are not superior except in price. What I subscribe to is understanding the characteristics of lubricant for the application. Part of the reason there is debate on lubricants is because there is a wide range of chain lubes that work well, no one is superior to all others. Post Extras: Pages: 1

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