mazdaspeed

Does this mean they need to be rebuilt? I have to push quite hard to make it shift, but with the cable detached from the derailleur they shift freely. I did some troubleshooting with the cable routing and it doesn't seem to have an unusual amount of friction, nothing seems to be wrong with the rear derailleur either. I sprayed penetrating lubricant in the shifters and it made little difference. Opinions welcome and thanks.

thirdgenbird

In my experience ergos that need rebuilt shift much softer than normal. It's possible these just need some lubricant.

mazdaspeed

Should I try riding them and keep lubing them and see if they loosen up? Apparently I have a modified cassette so I can use them and would consider doing so, I'm just worried about the durability. Thoughts?

Andycapp

Is the slot in the hood restricting the thumb lever from retracting fully? I had a similar issue with mine. Not sure that was the issue but it's one of my theories. Is it all across the range or just from the smallest cog to the second. Another theory I had was that the high limit screw was out just enough to affect it. Again I'm not really sure because I was tuning too many things at once to single out the issue. It was, however, resolved with out rebuild.

-Andy

thirdgenbird

Me? if I didn't know the history behind them, I would take them apart. It doesn't take long, it would clear up the mystery, and it would give you a chance to properly lube them. Penetrating oil may have removed all the grease fom the bearings and ratchet. You won't get this properly relubricated without taking them apart.

mazdaspeed

Any other ideas? I really don't want to take them apart unless I have to. Will it break them if I ride them as they are with more effort to shift than they probably should have? They're better than when I got the bike at least.

MetinUz

Is it hard to shift in both directions?

mazdaspeed

The thumb lever effort feels acceptable to me, similar to my newer veloce shifters, however the paddle that shifts to a lower (larger cog) gear takes more effort than I think it should to shift. I have very, very little campy experience, especially older stuff

thirdgenbird

The 8spd shifters take more effort than the newer 10spd stuff.

I know you don't want to take them apart but I think it is your best option. It really is an easy process and it will make sure there isn't a problem. I can't think of anything that would cause them to bind and/or break, but I would play it safe. If you force it too much it may break the spring carrier. The carrier is no longer available and not compatible with the newer rounded body levers. It took me several months to track a right hand one down last time I looked.

As a comparison, I would put taking an 8spd ergo apart on the same level as repacking a freehub. Later ergos have an extra spring to complicate manners but 8spd is truly a cakewalk. If you are really nervous, feel free to ship it to me. I can take it apart, clean, relube, rebuild, and return it free of charge. Because it actually shifts it probably doesn't need parts, but if it does I would be happy to help track them down and restore it to new.

thirdgenbird

How does the effort compare to the front shifter? They are basically a mirror of each other and should feel identical.

Chombi

+1, the NOS Campy Ergos in my stash is a bit stiff to shift at the thumb shifters. I think they would actually break-in a bit and maybe smoothen out after some use. I first thought they were jambed but then discovered that they did shift if I pushed on them a bit harder.

Chombi

MetinUz

I would suggest taking off the rear wheel, then feeling for any resistance in the shift cable. You can shift up and down with the shifter, then move the derailleur by tugging on the shift cable. I bet there is dirt and/or caked grease somewhere.

thirdgenbird

8spd ergos are stiff but it conserns me that the thumb lever requires more force with the RD attached. If anything it should be the finger lever that gets more difficult. It is the one that actually pulls cable, the thumb button just let's it go.

mazdaspeed

Thanks for the offer. I guess if it's that easy I'll just buy new cables, take the shifters apart and lube them, then make sure all the cables are perfect and see how it shifts then. I like the shifters and they work pretty well, I just think something isn't right because I wouldn't describe shifting as smooth and I know it should be.