Fendertele

Stumped. Couldn’t shift to large ring. Removed shift cable; no visible damage. Even without cable shifter feels it is only moving half way inward. Installed new cable. Set up FD. Tightened cable bolt but FD will not shift. Chain laying loosely on small ring.
Any ideas on what I can try next?

Iride01 

Why is the chain laying loosely on the smaller ring? Shouldn't be much if any looser on it than when it's on the big ring.

This all worked properly at some point in it's past didn't it? Or is this or something else new to the bike.

As always, I find it sometimes helpful to go back to square one and pretend it's a new install. This ensures every thing you should have done prior to connecting the cable was/is correct.

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/RA...001-05-ENG.pdf

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/RA...R01-10-ENG.pdf

You did make sure the STI was in the small ring position before connecting the cable to the pinch bolt didn't you? Usually I pull on the cable as I operate the small paddle a bunch more times than there are supposed to be rings and trim setting.

Fendertele

Sorry, disregard misleading comment regarding the chain. Chain has been removed.
Thanks for the links.
Verified your last suggestion and pulled the cable thru the pinch bolt again.
I’ve tried the square one approach. I’m thru page 16 but can’t get any derailleur movement from the shifter. when I engage the shifter inwards it doesn’t click or appear to be pulling the cable to move the derailleur.
everything worked normally until last week when suddenly the bike would not shift into the large ring. This led me to replace the shift cable.

oldbobcat

If the shifter doesn't appear to be working correctly, re-routing the cable through the derailleur isn't going to fix anything. Remove the cable completely and do some dry shifts to see if it will ratchet (click). Observe movement of the cable end anchor inside the shifter. If it's not rotating, that's your problem. If it is, take it to the next step. Thread a cable in there, make sure it's properly seated, and see if the shifter pulls cable. If it does, take it to the next step and attach the cable to the derailleur. If it doesn't, figure out why your shifter isn't pulling cable.

Iride01 

If you grab the bare shift cable for the FD going along the downtube and pull on it while turning the cranks, will it go into the big ring? If it does, then your issue might be that you just need to change the position of the pinch bolt in the cable. But it might also be that the STI isn't taking up the cable as you click. And to check for that I'd again pull the cable off the pinch bolt and then run through the range on the STI going both ways several times and note how much cable is being taken in and paid out. If that seems correct, then the STI should be okay. But remember there is a trim click too when you pay out the cable.

If it doesn't seem that the STI is taking up and paying out the cable, then again I'd have to say remove the cable from the STI and again make certain that you clicked the small paddle till the reel is in it's small ring position. If you can't get it there, then for me the STI is bad and you should check warranty status and obtain another regardless of who pays. STI's for the most part are consumables today, though if you like to tinker, then tinker away.

If pulling on the cable won't get you into the big ring, then is the high limit in too far? Surely at that point with good eyes and lots of light, you should be able to find out what is binding or blocking the FD from going to the big ring. Sometimes it's just the cable run the wrong way or on the wrong side of the pinch bolt.

Or is the cable sawing into the bottom of the BB and caught in the trench it's dug? I had that happen one time. As it did it's sawing, shifting to the big ring took more and more force and I was always having to adjust the inline adjuster. For about a 3 month period it got worse and worse and I was adjusting the in-line adjuster almost every ride. Finally I turned the bike over and looked with my eyes at where the cable went around the BB and said with astonishment... "Oh!"

Fendertele

Thanks everyone for the help. This was my first try replacing a cable.
Went to the LBS. problem resolved. As suspected I apparently didn’t start in the correct ring. I learned a lot in this process and hopefully will know better next time.
I still don’t understand what prevented the shift with the old cable though.