GormyGorm

So, I have been building up this old 1977 Bridgestone Kabuki SSD, new tires and inner tubes, new cables and housings, new handlebar tape, brake pads, and chain. With all of this I am also trying to get the drivetrain shifting smoothly, the rear derailleur shifts great, but in the front, it shifts down onto the smaller chainring just fine, but when I try to shift onto the larger ring, it just keeps slipping off and never manages to shift onto it. I have tried moving the height of the derailleur, rotating it, adjusting the stops, but I can't get it to shift onto that larger ring.

Also let me know if you have any suggestions for what I can do with these bikes. I have two, one is the SSD which I am working on building up to be a general good 10 speed, and then a Kabuki Superlight which I do not have plans for yet. (It needs a new front derailleur, tires and tubes, cables, and brakes to be in good condition.)

79pmooney

If the Kabuki is going to get a new derailleur anyway, why not just wait until you have it? FDs always have to be fussed with; that's their nature.

Is the cable and housing in good condition? If it is original, I'd go new on both. Is the shifter slipping? You might need to tighten the screw or take it apart, clean and lube it. (Do one side at a time so you have a reference on the order of the small parts. It matters. Also there will be two "washers" that are not to be greased. These are your friction plates.)

Ben

GormyGorm

Basically, I have two of these bikes, the one I am working on appears to have a working derailleur, the second one's derailleur is in pieces. The one I am working on I put all new cables and housings on. The shifters feel very stiff, but don't seem to be slipping. I will post a video of it trying to be shifted when I get the chance.

trailangel

Make the shift fast and positive...... don't baby it.

indyfabz

Tighten the cable?

GormyGorm

Already done. I have tried most of the stuff that I feel like would be the first thing to go to, but I am no expert on bikes with friction shifters.

Milton Keynes

Really, it shouldn't be that much different than any other shifter. The only difference is that there's no click stop or set position where the shifter needs to be in order to shift into the next gear. As someone explained it once, trigger/brifter shifters are like digital, and friction shifters are like analog. The trigger shifters and brifters go directly into the next gear with a click, but the friction shifters have to be eased up into the right spot to shift into the next gear. Usually you just feel it as the derailleur shifts.

But for all the simplicity of a friction shifter compared to any other shifter, the friction shifter ought to be easier to figure out. The worst problem I've ever had with a friction shifter is one which loses friction and doesn't stay in gear.

JohnDThompson 

Start by setting the outer cage plate of the front derailleur parallel to the large ring, and only a couple millimeters clearance above the teeth when shifting from the small ring. Still have problems? Use an adjustable wrench to bend the forward 5mm or so of the inner cage plate slightly inward. Make sure the cable is taut, shift quickly and smoothly, with a slight overshift (inner cage plate contacting the chain on the large ring), then trim back to clear the chain.

wphamilton

Loosen H-limit screw, also if the cage is already parallel to the ring maybe it's bent.

Unca_Sam

Move to bike mechanics?

Homebrew01

Good Idea. Done