spelger

Hi, I installed a new RD and it seems not to be shifting quite right. Here is what i have done so far...

removed chain and old RD (8 speed sora), installed the new RD (9 speed sora) and attached the cable.

shifting this alone does not shift properly into the smallest cog position (7th click). i've taken off the cable and the shifter seems to shift to all positions smoothly and it did with the old RD too before i removed it.

i put the cable back on with more slack in the cable thinking that that could be the problem but no change there. when in the smallest cog position the cable is quite slack.

this is my first time installing a new RD so not sure if i should carry on with putting the chain back on, install wheel/cassete, and adjust, or if there may be something wrong with the RD.

is this typical with a new install?

alcjphil

Typically, new rear derailleurs need to have the limit screws adjusted. However, without installing the rear wheel you won't know if the pulleys will line up with the cassette cogs

spelger

yes, that is much better now. thanks.

cxwrench

You just bolted the derailleur on the bike and didn't adjust anything and then wondered why it didn't work?

Camilo

A good thing to do when doing an unfamiliar bit of bicycle mechanical-ing is to look at a reputable website and or video.

spelger

yes, i wondered why. with no cassette installed since the wheel was not on i did expect the RD to move properly, not in the proper places but. being the first time having replaced a part like this i didn't really know what to expect. everyone starts somewhere and picks up knowledge along the way, right?

cxwrench

Yes, but...I'm sure you watched some YT videos or something. That would have made it abundantly clear that some adjustment is needed. I'm amazed by how non-mechanical people are these days. Guys come in every day that can't change a flat on a bike. What the hell did you do when you were a kid? Didn't you ride a bike and fiddle w/ it? Or was it video games 24-7? Am I expecting too much? It just seems like there is no initiative these days...just post the same question that has been asked hundreds of times and someone will answer it. I guess that's why 'Let me Google that for you' exists.

Geepig

Take a deep breathe... people have always been like that. When I were young, in the 1970s, people used to come to our garage for a tune up. Tune it for power? For fuel economy? For smooth running? It was often not worth asking, because it was easy to leave them feeling confused/angry - we were the experts, therefore we should know what they want. If you read the forums here you will see the same people saying 'they tuned their bike' etc. when they might have just fiddled with the settings or oiled a few things in some non-described way. I am sure musical instrument forums also get questions like 'I want to tune my piano, but when...'

We all start somewhere, and give up somewhere else...

Kapusta

Damn, who pissed in your cornflakes?

Crankycrank

Wise words.

Litespud

Not that familiar with the intricacies of Shimano, but it sounds like you have an 8sp drivetrain, and you're installing a 9sp RD. Will the 9sp RD work with your 8sp shifters?

cxwrench

The derailleur and shifter are both the same cable pull ratio so they'll work together fine. For the OP: put the chain and wheel on and try the adjustments again, it'll work.

spelger

after the post from in alcjphil #2 i adjusted the limit screws with the wheel installed but no chain. that made adjustment very easy. put on chain and all i really needed was a small adjustment to the barrel. i did not need to touch the b screw. rode this yesterday and it was very nice. turned out to be an easy job.

i used to work in a hardware store for years while in college and learned so much from the old timers there. there is not much i can't do for my own home. i never worked in a car garage or a bike shop so i have a lot to learn in those areas. i pick up knowledge as i tackle new problems, it's the learning process.

Camilo

Like I mentioned above, whenever you need to do something on a bike that you haven't done before or haven't done in a while, just take a look at YouTube. In the old days it was just looking at a book. But same thing. Pictures, step-by-steps, etc. are better than a bunch of back and forth words-only.

Sometimes it's hard to determine which videos will be good, so I tend to default to a couple that I'm familiar with, Park is a good place to start. There are other "professional" sources. Sometimes the amateur, home mechanic self-made videos hit the spot because their shops and equipment are just like ours and they might have clever homemade tool substitutes.

But it's more interesting and enjoyable looking at a few of these, and much more helpful. By just trying this easy way of finding out for yourself, you can save yourself a lot of aggravation and time posting for answers at places like this.