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Shimano Sora 9 Speed shifter problem

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Shimano Sora 9 Speed shifter problem

Old 04-07-20, 02:07 PM
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bobwysiwyg
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Shimano Sora 9 Speed shifter problem

My maintenance skills have been limited to tire, tube, chain maintenance, etc. More complicated, to me, I usually take to my favorite LBS. However, no open LBS's here right now.
On a ride yesterday, I lost my front shifter, it's a Shimano Sora 9 speed. Had to finish with basically two speeds governed by my two chain rings.. Other than being a good workout, not fun.
I've determined the cable is no longer connect at the front, under the hood. I've searched and reviewed several videos on hood removal and found one that distributable replacement but is for a Sofa R3000. How similar is the R3000 to my 9 speed? I'm tempted to just pull off the hood but would prefer some detailed info on my particular shifter before diving in. Any recommendations or pointers would be appreciated.
Will I need to look for and order a specific replacement cable??
​​​​​

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Old 04-07-20, 03:09 PM
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Hard to compare when you don't give us the model number of the Sora on your bike. Probably similar. Have you looked at the DM for them? https://si.shimano.com/#/en/search/S...3000&type=ROAD

If they don't have a DM for your specific model, then maybe it's because the same manual of another model covers it. What model/series the DM's apply to are written on the cover page.

I'd think the cable just broke in the shifter and all you have to do is replace a $5.00 USD cable. Not the whole $60.00 USD shifter.
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Old 04-07-20, 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by bobwysiwyg
My maintenance skills have been limited to tire, tube, chain maintenance, etc. More complicated, to me, I usually take to my favorite LBS. However, no open LBS's here right now.
On a ride yesterday, I lost my front shifter, it's a Shimano Sora 9 speed. Had to finish with basically two speeds governed by my two chain rings.. Other than being a good workout, not fun.
I've determined the cable is no longer connect at the front, under the hood. I've searched and reviewed several videos on hood removal and found one that distributable replacement but is for a Sofa R3000. How similar is the R3000 to my 9 speed? I'm tempted to just pull off the hood but would prefer some detailed info on my particular shifter before diving in. Any recommendations or pointers would be appreciated.
Will I need to look for and order a specific replacement cable??
​​​​​
You can replace the cables by rolling the back of the hood forward. The hardest part might be getting the old cable end out, if it's broken off.


also: Sora R3000 is 9 speed.
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Old 04-07-20, 04:19 PM
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Iride01: I found no model number otherwise I'd have included it.
Tyriron: Thanks. Just looked at the video, it's the same one I'd found and one of the better explanations I found.
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Old 04-07-20, 05:28 PM
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On Shimano road STI levers the model number is usually found printed (molded) on the lever body just under the hood and near the clamp band that secures the lever to the bars. Roll up the hood about an inch and look on both inside and outside of the body. The info can be hard to see so I use a flashlight to help.

The most common problem has been mentioned, the shift cable breaks about a half inch from it's head inside the lever. The "danger" is that the broken off head with it's short length of now tangled and frayed cable can be hard to remove. This is why preventative maintenance will save you money in the long term. Andy
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Old 04-07-20, 06:38 PM
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Originally Posted by Andrew R Stewart
On Shimano road STI levers the model number is usually found printed (molded) on the lever body just under the hood and near the clamp band that secures the lever to the bars. Roll up the hood about an inch and look on both inside and outside of the body. The info can be hard to see so I use a flashlight to help.

The most common problem has been mentioned, the shift cable breaks about a half inch from it's head inside the lever. The "danger" is that the broken off head with it's short length of now tangled and frayed cable can be hard to remove. This is why preventative maintenance will save you money in the long term. Andy
Andrew, thanks, I'll have look and try to find the number.
So, what is this maintenance you are referring to? Guess this confirms my level of knowledge, mechanical experience, yadda, yadda. Willing to learn though. Thanks.
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Old 04-07-20, 07:03 PM
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Periodic loosening of the cable to allow it to be slightly pulled out of the shifter and that last half inch+ can be viewed and handled. try twisting the cable head and watch the cable. Do the strands open up (twisting in the correct direction), can you see flattening of the cable strands that wrap around the shifter spool, or is any fraying beginning? Shimano has a sort of cable replacement recommendation of every couple thousand miles, IIRC. For som this is years of use. For others that's a few months.

Additionally the shifter pod (where the ratchet and spool reside) likes a lube addition every so often to keep the lube liquid and prevent the gummy results that we read of here so often. This advice applies to MtB shifters too. Andy
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Old 04-07-20, 07:07 PM
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Use carb cleaner on it get it cleaned real good then lube it. Should work then. Be careful not to get the carb cleaner on your paint!
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Old 04-07-20, 07:29 PM
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Andrew, Def: Thanks for the pointers. Time to find a comprehensive book on maintenance, me thinks.
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Old 04-08-20, 02:39 PM
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Here's what it looks like:

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Old 04-08-20, 03:11 PM
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Tyrion, thanks for the video. I might be needing this soon.
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Old 04-08-20, 03:47 PM
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https://si.shimano.com/pdfs/dm/DM-ST0001-05-ENG.pdf
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Old 04-08-20, 03:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Def.Dope
Use carb cleaner on it get it cleaned real good then lube it. Should work then. Be careful not to get the carb cleaner on your paint!
I'd shy away from carb or brake cleaner due to the plastics involved
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Old 04-09-20, 10:13 AM
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Thanks, looks quite detailed. Not sure, but right now, between my failure to disassemble beyond the point in the the attached picture, and my inability to find "any" model number, I'm feeling way in over my head.
The crude arrow is pointing to a screw I removed that I thought would allow lifting some cover to see the cable end. Wrong! The two smaller holes above it simply let me remove the dome cover for the gear pointer. Sigh!
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Old 04-09-20, 11:02 AM
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Old 04-10-20, 07:26 PM
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It's remarkable how much those look like my 4500 (Tiagra-9sp) shifters. On that particular design of shifter (like all pre-7900s) the hole to find the cable end is pretty much directly across from where the cable housing comes out of the shifter body. You shouldn't have to take anything apart, besides rolling the hood back. If you pull the brake lever, it should also swing the shifter assembly out of the shifter body somewhat and give you more room to see / work. Look in from the side, not the top. Shift gears all the way 'down' and you should see where the cable groove opens up to get the cable head out. (about where you drew the arrow, but just down on the side of the shifter)

Originally Posted by bobwysiwyg
Thanks, looks quite detailed. Not sure, but right now, between my failure to disassemble beyond the point in the the attached picture, and my inability to find "any" model number, I'm feeling way in over my head.
The crude arrow is pointing to a screw I removed that I thought would allow lifting some cover to see the cable end. Wrong! The two smaller holes above it simply let me remove the dome cover for the gear pointer. Sigh!
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Old 04-10-20, 08:22 PM
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I think the cable end swage is there circled in red:


(are those cable ends called "swages"?)
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Old 04-10-20, 09:32 PM
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Swaging is a compressing connection. Most current cable ends are a cast connection, SA AW cables being one exception I can think of. As are KNARPS. Andy
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