brians647

Hey all, my 2007 right Dura Ace brifter is not working properly. So I have two questions:

1) When a D/A brifter dies, how does it typically go? Ratchet wears out? springs don't hold?

2) Is mine toast? They symptoms are: the black downshift lever no longer retracts back all the way, all the time. Sometimes it protrudes a half inch to the left of the silver upshift/brake lever, sometimes it stick out 1.5 inches to the left. It can be made to snap back in line by just nudging the silver upshift lever to the left - that seems to "release" it, and allow it to spring back. Go figure. Sometimes, when going from an upshift to a downshift, I have to hit it twice to even get it to change one gear and get that "click."

I've had issues with this brifter before (and started a thread about it), but I never got it sorted out and decided to live with it (shift spacing is off, for lack of another description).

Any ideas what's going on now? Is it possibly just debris? The problem can go away and then return, if that's a clue (because, I'll be damned if I have one!)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Cyclist0383

In theory Shimano brifters aren't repairable. In practice they indeed are, but you need a very good mechanic to fix them. My LBS will fix brifters, but it's really a big PITA.

Some people have mentioned that flushing out the brifter with WD-40 has help, but I've got no experience with this.

sch

Sounds like a good candidate for the WD40 spray and wash, a very thorough
washout with WD40 running the mechanism through its full range of function
while doing so. Good idea to remove the cables while doing this and make
sure the shifter cable hasn't frayed inside the brifter. The tight wrap around
the drum in the shifter promotes broken strands which can get in the way.
Older brifters had a tiny setscrew that you could see from underneath the
lever that would cause problems.

Usual mode of failure is in the ratchet: either one step no longer holds or
it won't go beyond a certain number of steps and won't hold any position
above that level. Shimano feels that any malf not fixed by cable replacement
or washout means the brifter should be replaced for best continued results.

fosmith

fyi there is a 5 year warranty on DA

brians647

Thanks for the suggestions. Does this spray and wash provide a cure, or just an interim "get a few more months out of it" fix? What is it addressing?

By the way, I've had frayed cables in there before, and snapped one a month ago. Ugh.

I've crashed the brifter, and there are some scratches on the lever and top cap. While it wasn't the root of the problem (it worked fine for 9 mos after that), I don't think that Shimano will warranty it now.

dobber

It's basically giving the brifter a good enema. The fact that you mention cable fray might be a good indicator that you've got a good build up of crud in there. Flushing it out might restore it to it's former self.

I generally hang the bike by the rear wheel while performing said task. Make sure you've got something underneath to catch all the run off.

brians647

Awesome. I'll do that. Thanks for all the help!

OneTinSloth

it's 3 years. he'd still be covered at this point if they hadn't been crashed though.

sch

Be sure to relube after the WD40 enema. WD isn't a very good lube, but it
is a good cleaner for some purposes. If the problem is dirt and debris there
is some chance it will solve the problem. If OTOH there is some damage to
an internal part, the brifter is lightly toasted. It MAY be repairable but be
aware Shimano does not support this practice and there are almost no
spare parts available.

brians647

Okay, sorry for the dumb question, but with what, and how/how much should I relube?

Rogue Leader

Worth an ask if the suggestions here don't help. Worst they can say is "no".

brians647

Well, I did the whole enema with WD-40 thing last nigth, and for the first few miles I was stunned - it was fixed! Then the problem came back...

So, what I did was swap the name plates on top of the brifter from right to left, and vice versa. Now, all that shows are some minor scratches on the tip of the lever. Hopefully, that won't be an issue because I'm very tempted to have them warranty it (or, at least try to do so).

Skewer

I flushed my right brifter with WD40, let it sit overnight, and then relubed with some Silicone spray lubricant that I had on hand. I don't know whether Silicone spray lubricant is the best lubricant, but the shifter has worked flawlessly since then, for six months.

Al1943

Try the WD40 trick again. sometimes it takes a lot. Don't worry about re-lubing.
Also you may need new cables and cable housings.

Al

brians647

I hear you both.

I just replaced the housings and cables as I have been trying to figure out why this shifter has been acting up. I'll give it another shot, and see what happens.

Thanks for the help!

ivan_yulaev

WD40 makes a crappy lube is why. It's great for cleaning stuff out but you probably want to relube with something heavier. Use mineral oil (3-in-1 at your hardware store) or...anything else really. Heck chain lube will be good. Just don't rely on WD40 for anything more than very light lubrication.

Al1943

Many forum members have reported good results using WD40 to restore their STI shifters, not because it is a good lube but because it does a good job of loosening the hardened factory grease and because it flushes out dirt, water, and other crude. If you want to follow the WD40 with a light lube- go ahead, I don't think it will hurt anything, on the other hand it might collect even more dirt. I've restored shifting performance on my 11 year old Dura-Ace shifters 3 times using the WD40 trick so I know it can work in some cases.
I don't use WD40 as chain lube and I don't use chain lube in my shifters.

Al