jp185149

Folks, I just bought an older hand built Italian Tommasini that I am trying to rehabilitate.

I have broken cable tension barrel adjuster.

I need help finding a replacement if you can point me in the right direction.

It is from a Campagnolo Chorus rim brake gear train set.

I would like to buy two so that I can replace the other one also and have a single spare.

Since I am new, I am not allowed submit a photo. So, I can only describe it, it is 28 mm tall, has knurled head. Head is 10mm in diameter and is 9 mm tall, which leaves 19 mm for the threaded portion below the head.


Campagnolo cable tension adjuster

FBinNY 

The days of factory supported small oart service are long gone. To their credit Campagnolo was among the least to abandon their users.

I see 2 options. If you have a relationship with a shop that sells and services Campagnolo, their mechanic might scavenge one from his RD scrap bin. Most save broken parts in bins for this very purpose.

Otherwise, I'm sure the Campagnolo service center has one on a returned RD, and should help you if you ask nicely.

BTW the odds of success at a bike shop go up if you stop off and pick up a couple of Cannoli first.

13ollocks

which barrel adjusters are we talking about? It sounds like you’re talking about paired adjusters, so unlikely to be the RD adjuster (ie on the RD itself). I dont think Campag FDs have an adjuster.
brake cable adjusters?
downtube/head tube shift cable adjusters? These last are frame-specific rather than “Campag-specific”. I looked into some for my frame and going loads on eBay. Pretty sure the threads are standard, but if frame-specific, doesn’t matter if Campag /Shimano/whatever

jp185149

The broken adjuster's receiver (the place it screws into) is welded to the side of the head tube (where the headset bearings are housed). There is one on the left side and one on the right side of the head tube. The broken one is on the right side of the head tube. The cable passes through it, then down under the bottom bracket and terminates at the rear derailleur.

The unbroken on is on the left side of the head tube and the cable that passes through it also goes down to the bottom bracket, but it terminates at the front derailleur.

Thank you for asking for more information and for trying to help.

jp185149

Thank you for the suggestions.

The broken adjuster's receiver (the place it screws into) is welded to the side of the head tube (where the headset bearings are housed). There is one on the left side and one on the right side of the head tube. The broken one is on the right side of the head tube. The cable passes through it, then down under the bottom bracket and terminates at the rear derailleur.

So, the adjuster I need isn't directly attached to the read derailleur and does not look like the adjuster that is normally found there.

If I lived near a bike shop, I would follow your suggestions and see if they could help.

Andrew R Stewart 

I'll second Francis's suggestion of checking out a LBS. IIRC the threading of the adjuster is M5x.8, a common thread size. If the adjuster barrel is frozen in it's base that bolts to a shift lever boss it will likely be easier to replace the entire base and adjuster as a unit. Do both sides if you want a matching look. No need to retain the Campy brand here unless you have a thing about that. These frame boss mounted cable stops with barrel adjusters were dirt common for quite a while only a decade+ ago. They were essential when converting an older frame (or a newly manufactured one that wasn't "updated" to current no frame located shift levers) to Ergo or STI levers. They came with each aftermarket pair of Shimano STI road levers for many years.

I, and likely many here, have a few pairs somewhere in my stash. If you can't find any locally (and who knows where that is, no location provided yet) get back to me and I'll take a look. Andy

frankhertz

Hello,
I don't know where you are located but you could check out the Marinoni website at store(dot)marinonicycles(dot)com. Sorry, I also cannot leave a link. When you get to the site, click on the world symbol to change to English (they are locate in Quebec). Under the menu go to Drive Train, Rear Derailleur, Parts. Look for Cable Tension Adjusters and click on it. You will see a number of examples. Click on the small pictures to get a larger version. Maybe one of these will look like the other one and work.
Good luck,
Harry

Andrew R Stewart 

"If I lived near a bike shop, I would follow your suggestions and see if they could help." jp185149

Well, that answers that I do have a new pair of black plastic stops with Shimano like adjusters and a single right/rear side black plastic stop with weathered grey adjuster that I can send you for the cost of shipping and a beer. This won't happen till later this week so if you're in a hurry hit up EBay or Amazon. If you're interested let me know and I'll PM you my email (IIRC you can't send a PM for another 7ish posts). Here's a pic of the pair and single stops. Now back to house duties before the wife comes back from her walk Andy

PS- Whatever you do make sure the replacement adjuster is greased before threading the cable through. I have seen dozens of bikes where the front/left side adjuster is still freely moving but the right side isn't, for easy to understand reasons... the first being no lube in the threads.

alcjphil

I take it from this that the adjuster is not actually on the rear derailleur. As such, it may not be a Campagnolo item at all. With a few more posts you will be able to upload a picture of the offending component. Actually you can do so now and upload a photo to your gallery on the site here. Someone else will be able to find it and examine the adjuster

jp185149

Andy

Thank you so much for the suggestions. The broken part looks like the knurled metal portion of the rightmost object in your photo. The threaded part is snapped in two. I think something hit the head of the adjuster and broken it (about 1/3 down from the head). The receptacle it screws into is welded to the head tube and looks nothing like any of the objects in your photo. I was able to unscrew the broken end out of the receptacle. I wish I could post photo...it would make this so much simpler.

Enjoy your holiday and thanks again for your help to date and hopefully for more suggestions after the holiday.

Jim P

alcjphil

So, the broken barrel adjuster was installed by the frame builder. You are looking at what sort of barrel adjuster that Tomassini used on their frames. Not necessarily a Campagnolo item at all
As an example, I have an older Look 481SL. It has a 10 speed Campagnolo Chorus component groupset. The bike has barrel adjusters on the downtube like your bike. I built the bike up from a bare frame. The barrel adjusters were installed by Look at the factory long before I installed the derailleurs. If I had installed Shimano components, I still would have used the same adjusters

jp185149

That makes a lot of sense. I will try to research what they have/use. I may contact them directly and see if they can help. I appreciate the idea.

Jim P

mpetry912 

many of these on ebay campagnolo downtube cable stops in Cycling for sale | eBay

in this application the Shimano part works fine too

/markp

13ollocks

This is what you're looking at I think - slightly different location and design (mine are actually at the top of the downtube rather than on the head tube), but same idea. The adjusters themselves are easy to obtain - this link is to an eBay ad for a couple of nice new Serotta adjusters - $17 inc shipping, but there are loads more out there (actually not sure if the ones I linked to include springs - these stop the adjusters moving - so maybe look at others)

FBinNY 

Since it's a braze on, you have no assurance as to the thread. Most, but no all, are the same.

However you have the broken part out (or it's partner on the other side) and can measure the thread. Or post a photo of them here.

Either way, someone here can point you to a readily available part that will fit. Buy 2 so they match.

Dave Mayer

I ride Campagnolo on most of my bikes, and I have a few sets with the official Campy adjusters that fit over the downtube shifter bosses. But I prefer the Shimano adjusters with the little paddle/lever for the right-hand side. Easier to make on-the-fly adjustments. I think these came with the higher-end product such as 105/Ultegra/600/Dura-Ace.

BTW: the adjusters are left and right specific. But you will probably have to buy a pair. And the adjusters are specific to your frame type. The ones that have a flat back are designed for the alu frames with big oversized tubuing. The curved back versions are made for traditional small-diameter steel frame tubing.

dedhed

https://www.google.com/search?q=camp...t=gws-wiz-serp

​​​​​​https://www.google.com/search?q=camp...t=gws-wiz-serp


​​​​​​https://www.google.com/search?q=camp...t=gws-wiz-serp

mpetry912 

interesting little detail, did not know that ! thanks !

Also, dedhed these links resolve a number of great online sellers, Golden Velo and NonStop Cycles are two good ones.

/markp


/markp

Shadco 

These are from a Campy Record rim brake set and should be able to be sourced from somewhere.




.

Oldguyonoldbike

Velo Orange has these options. They're not Campagnolo, but would work. For what it's worth, I have three Campy equipped bikes and consistently use the Shimano cable stops.
https://velo-orange.com/collections/parts

Crankycrank

Just pointing out that OP has mentioned at least twice that he has braze-on, headtube, threaded adjusters, NOT the downtube shifter bosses so the downtube screw-on adjusters mentioned will not work.

jp185149

Just wanted to let you know that I did contact the US dealer for Tommasini and they have the correct parts in stock....you had a great idea and I thank you for pointing me in that direction.

wheelreason

Oh good, it's not jut me....

jp185149

Parts have arrived from the Tommasini US dealer. They aren't the original ones the factory installed so many years ago, but they do fit and do work. Thank you again for that idea. At some point, I will finally reach 10 posts and finally be allowed to post a photo of my rehabilitated Tommasini fire (in Italian colors).