krems81 

Anybody know how to troubleshoot these? The bike was not really ever ridden so I assume some internals just dried up?

3speedslow

The lite grease in there has dried up and stuck the pawls. Some degreaser with working the levers should wake them up. Let the degrease run out for awhile then add lite lube back to the inner mechanism.

Utube has the vids to watch.

krems81 

I thought about as much. I’ll give it a shot

3speedslow

@krems81

i find it weird that bikes which rested on their wheels for all the years have this problem. My 95 GT Force was hung upside down for a few decades but shifted fresh and snappy when I first put it on the stand. No troubles yet.

krems81 

I can’t get it to release cable. That’s the problem. I hope degreaser works. It does look like the grease is dry. Any other tips on diagnosis?

phenry24 

https://imgur.com/a/0tPBK

Here is a step-by-step overhaul for ST-6400 shifters. I haven't attempted this, but the steps to access the parts that are likely gummed up look fairly straightforward. But probably best done in one sitting so how everything came apart is still fresh on the mind when everything needs to go back together.

jiangshi

Flush and shift, it can take awhile.

mpetry912 

lube the cables and the derailleurs too. Has been sitting 20 years from the look of it.

Mark Petry
Bainbridge Island, WA USA

krems81 

Thanks for the resource. I’ll try that if the flushing doesn’t work in the end

krems81 

I shall try to have patience sensei

true

P!N20

I have. It's fairly straight forward and strangely satisfying! I found pulling my Ergopower levers apart was a lot more difficult than my Shimano brifters.

Best attempted with a nice brown ale.

GrainBrain

Oh those look like they have little wear!! Very nice. There's also a guy that refurbs them on Facebook. I don't think it's super pricey, would be worth it.

jamesdak 

I've brought several back to life simply with repeated flushes of WD40 and then relubing with Triflow. I bet this will come back with the same simple treatment.

cudak888 

As everyone has already said, flush and shift.

Fair warning: It is not unusual for the flush-and-shift method to take much longer than you think. I had one set that I'd WD40 and shift for 5 minutes straight, and it took a few days of this until I was guaranteed not to have a missed downshift.

If it won't downshift at all, you may have to put the shifter cable in a vise so you can put sufficient pressure against the system for the mechanism to begin clicking back.

In other words, if you are not prepared for the process, you'll get frustrated. Do a little spray-and-shift every day, multiple times a day when you can. Be patient, and you'll be rewarded.

-Kurt

krems81 

This is excellent advice. Don’t worry I’m not afraid of process, I’ve rebuilt hundreds of bikes. Just never really worked on old brifters till now

jiangshi

From experience, I have covered everything in towels I can throw out and squirted cheap lubricant and just kept shifting, constantly, until it started to click.

It could be a two beer job, wear gloves.

KCT1986

While doing the flush/shift, don't force the small (b) lever. It's steel part ways, with a plastic tip. Too much force can break the tip (paddle) off or put cracks in the plastic covering at the upper end.

If you need to do a "strip-down", just a partial will probably be enough. Just work from the front cover. Disassemble to the part of removing the large lever. All of the parts that need cleaning/re-lubing will be exposed. Going as far as removing the rear "castle" nut is probably not needed.

There is a thread on here somewhere about how to do this. May have been for the 105 or RSX but is very similar to these.

noglider 

It took me weeks to revive mine! I flushed it every few days.

Lascauxcaveman 

Yes on this, And yes on all those advising patience. I've had a pair of 6400s that took several days to loosen up (with WD40, of course, it's a very good solvent) also a pair of (I think) RX200 MTB click shifters or whatever they call the type of brifters they made for MTBs.

Another tip: if your brifter is maxed out on the lowest gear setting and will not budge, disconnect the cable at the RD. loosening the tension there may make things start working again, once you've hosed the thing out with solvent.

Chris_in_Miami

I just rehabbed a set of those a few months ago. The lube in my shifters had transformed into a putty-like consistency and it took a combination of solvent and mechanical removal of the goo (with various small pointy things) to get them freed up. Just be patient and be careful not to force anything or bend any of the tiny springs.

easyupbug 

I used:https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...ti-levers.html
Worked out well.

curbtender

This will get you as far as you need to go... https://www.bikeforums.net/bicycle-m...ti-levers.html

curbtender

Like minds, lol.

zukahn1 

Too do things in short order but with a bit more work pull the cables all the way take the levers off the bike and clean flush them best you can. Then rebuild with new cables and you should be fine,

krems81 

Thanks everyone a bunch of flushing over a few days got them both going again!