bikemike73 

Picked up this bike today for parts for other bikes mainly...
the LEFT brifter will push to the right( big chainring)
But doesn't go back down.
it's a Triple
When I push the return brifter it makes one slight click noise...then it's all "play" . Pushed Smoothly but does not return.
Cable has a lot of slack when this occurs.

When on the large chainring the cable is quite tight.

FD works. I can push it back and forth.

Should I just remove and send to be repaired?

I have used Branford Bike in Seattle in the past.
They fixed an 8 speed Campagnolo left brifter that did just about the same thing.

Appreciate your thoughts...ideas..

Kontact 

Being Shimano, your cable is probably breaking inside the shifter. With the brake lever and shifter simultaneously pulled, you will likely be able to see the broken strands in the replacement window. Those strands are jamming up of the mechanism, preventing it from returning under derailleur spring pressure. Got to get them all out.

Branford is good. But so is Good Weather, 20/20 and Recycled Cycles.

KLiNCK

^ This. Remove old cable and fit with new. Brifter will fully release and will work properly. Hopefully you can remove the old cable as per normal - it may be stuck but you HAVE to REMOVE IT COMPLETELY and install a BRAND NEW cable - DON'T try to re-use an old one.
You're welcome!

oldbobcat

After removing the remnants of the old cable, spray some solvent inside the shift mechanism to flush out dirt and dried grease. Work the shifter through the detentes, then let it dry or blow out with compressed air. Then lubricate the mechanism with a shot of fresh oil. I like Tri-flow or Boeshield T-9.

bikemike73 

Thank you for all the great advice.

Really appreciate it.

I'll see of there's a certain procedure and google shimano brifter cable replacement etc.


Thanks again

Any hints or if someone has done this would also be much appreciated

cyccommute 

The broken cable problem is only really a problem with 10 speed. Your issue is with the lubrication inside the shifter and is a common problem with Shimano shifters. Some WD-40 sprayed into the guts through the cable port will usually get the lubricant refreshed and the shifter working again.

You’ll need to run the shifter through several cycles. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to change cables as well. All that takes is to release the anchor bolt on the derailer, release the shifter as much as possible and push the cable out of the shifter while holding the brake lever partially closed. You may have to tug on the cable while pressing the release lever to get the internals to release to the point where you can see the head. Spraying in the WD-40 and cycling the shifter will help

Kontact 

Broken cables in Shimano brifters has been a problem since 8 speed was introduced and continued in 11. There is no reason not to inspect the cable.

bikemike73 

Yes
The seller said the bike has not been used in about 3 years .
the cables look new
hopefully new cable and some lube will work.
I sprayed some wd 40 in the general area but not directly in the cable port.
Will do as suggested and report back.
Thank you!!!

MikeWMass

I thought the cable shredding was mainly with the right shifter, because it wraps 3 times as much cable as the left, but I could certainly be mistaken.

If the cable goes slack, wouldn't that indicate that the shifter is operating properly, but something downstream is binding?
In either event, changing the cable and housing should fix it; if the cable is really shredded within the shifter, you will find out early on.

I have not worked on Tiagra, but this is what I have done with 10 speed 105 5700:
When you have the shifter in the lowest position (corresponding to the small ring) if you release the cable and push on it toward the shifter with the hood peeled back, the cable end should pop out; If it does not then your cable may indeed be shredded. I have used an awl, fine tweezers, Triflow and bad language to get it out (once; learned my lesson).

Plenty of YouTube videos available.
Good luck!

Kontact 

You are correct that the cable going slack should indicate something outside the shifter.

The cable stops can get junk in them, and sometimes the cable guide under the bottom bracket can be a problem. If the cable is slack in some places and tight in others, the OP should find out where it goes from one to the other.

fishboat

A picture is worth a thousand words..an video is worth even more

RB1-luvr

I use Seafoam Deep Creep for issues like this when the cable is not the problem, sprayed in the proper areas.

Kai Winters

Shimano shifters, all types, will dry out internally over time and begin to shift poorly then sometimes not at all.
Pulling the old cable and spraying the internals with a lube of some sort works well in general unless a part is broken, etc. where it may not work at all.
I usually use silicone spray or Boeshield then use a compressor to blow out dust, etc., after wiping with a clean towel I spritz a bit of lube and wipe off excess replacing the cable with a new one generally a coated cable.

Russ Roth

The problem really did start with 10sp and 105 the worst. I never picked a frayed cable out till the first of the 5800 series 105 started flowing through and then it became surprisingly common.

With these tiagra shifters you should be able to lightly squeeze the lever and see the hole the cable goes through, by holding the lever open/lightly squeezing the brakes you can watch the mechanism move through the cable insertion hole and see if its actually moving. One trick that has helped some in the past when a lever isn't working quite right is to push the smaller lever forward into the bigger lever and then push into the downshift, so you're pushing diagonally. This wiggles things just enough inside to get them to move. Once done, just spray everything inside till it all moves.

Kontact 

I've seen a bunch in 9 speed. So Is my experience wrong?

bikemike73 

The excessive slack ( quite a bit) is from the downtube to the FD.
This is only when I push the FD to the middle or smallest chainring.
Hopefully it will be a fairly simple fix.....unlike Campagnolo
Thank you for the advice !!!

Much appreciated!!

bikemike73 

THANK YOU FISHBOAT !!!

Video is worth more than a thousand words !!

I see you have a few Lemonds !! I ride a Alpe D' Huez Cannot beat 853 steel !!!! !!! LOVE IT Also have a Buenos Ares, Zurich, and Titanium

Kontact 

How do you push the derailleur?

oldbobcat

I've done it dozens of times. My tips are, remove the housing, cut the cable a couple inches from the lever to make it easier to fiddle with, and use needle nose pliers, a pick, and tweezers to extract what's left. Shift to the slackest position you can. You can use the pick to push the cable end from behind to rotate the barrel. Sometimes you can coordinate pushing with the pick and pushing the cable with the pliers. Afterward, look inside for snibbles, which can be removed with tweezers.

bikemike73 

I am a dope !!!! There....I said it..

it's the FD!!!!
I can wiggle it back and forth....duh....

It was mentioned above that since slack in the cable issue is outside the brifter...
Sure enough when I loosened the nut on the FD...it worked fine.
Herd nice clicking
Saw it rotate in the brifter.
The spring is broken...see pic
Thank you ALL for your help...it's invaluable!!!!
Now to the WTB section for a replacement

!st pic is what I checked to see spring. 2nd pic is broken spring

fishboat

You rock!

bikemike73 

The FIRST pic is what I checked to see ( spring)
2nd pic is the broken spring

Thanks again for all the help

cyccommute 

Ah! Hadn’t thought of that. Yes, that is a very common problem with the other excellent Tiagra front derailer. The casting for the spring anchor is weak and tends to fracture. Replace it with either another Tiagra, a Sora, or a Micro Shift. The Micro Shift FD-R539 is a good choice and doesn’t seem to have the problem the Shimano derailer does.

If it comes to that, you can use the Tiagra. You’ll just have to use the Knickendrop method. You kick it and it drops. Up shifts are simple.

bikemike73 

Thanks cyccommute !!
I clicked the link...they are out of stock , the ones with the band
I check other sites though
Thanks again !!

cyccommute 

If necessary, you can buy a braze-on adapter or you could also use the 10 speed MicroShift