AKHIker

trying to help a neighbor fix up a fairly new Schwinn 21 speed. Got rear derailleur cables/housing done and tuned to shift very nicely.


Front shifter clicks nicely 1 to 2 to 3 and back with no cable tension. With the cable secured and some slack in the cable it goes 1 to 3 with the shifter on 2 with only one click. Shifter won't click up to 3. Downshifting it goes from big ring to small ring directly, with shifter going from display of 2 to 1 in one click.


if I put the tension I normally do when doing cables/tuning on front derailleur, shifter won't even go one click to display the 2 and doesn't shift at all.


I've worked on a bunch of different bikes from WM level to specialized and trek but not hit this problem before. Had to replace cable and housing due to corrosion on this so don't know if it had this problem before but am guessing so. Doesn't look like the bike was used much and nothing looks bent or banged up.


What do I do besides stop helping people fix up cheap bikes? thanks!

Bill Kapaun

Flush the shifter internals with WD-40 or similar solvent.
Trigger shifters, right?

AKHIker

Trigger shifters and did the wd40 even though it seemed to shift perfectly without any tension.


With super super fine tuning of derailleur placement it shifts in all 3 on the stand. Hopefully it does the same with weight load on the test ride.


Thanks again

canklecat

I went through that mess with Shimano Rapidfire front derailer thumb shifter on my 1992 mountain bike's triple. It would shift up from the little to middle to big ring, but nothing I tried got it to shift from the big to middle unless it couldn't reach the little, or it would skip over the middle ring going down from big to little.

Soaked it in mineral spirits. No go. WD-40. No go. Both times, removed the plastic cover and cleaned everything I could reach with cotton swabs and toothpicks, every sear surface. It seemed to work okay until it was under tension on the bike.

I finally got tired of fiddling with it. Put on an inexpensive Sunrace friction shifter for the front derailer. Works fine. Suits me as long as the right Rapidfire for the rear derailer works -- those are the only quick shifts I need for some dirt trail climbs.

Eventually I'll try to fix the Rapidfire thumbie but I'm not in a hurry. Maybe by the time I get back to it any dried or congealed grease will have softened.