sekaijin

Hello C&Vers,

Sorry to be checking in after another hiatus, but another bike project draws me back ...

I've got a right Campy Ergo lever (8spd, 1992-97 era) that is having shifting issues - sticking, overshooting and ghost shifting.

From online research (such as here and here and here) it looks like I need to rebuild it with new G springs and perhaps a new G spring carrier as well.

I've never done a Campy Ergo lever overhaul yet, but it looks feasible - a challenge I can take up.

But first, I have a couple of questions I'd love to hear from the Campy experts on:

1. I'm finding plenty of online info and parts for servicing 1998-2006 era Ergo levers, but not for servicing 1992-97 era Ergo levers, which is what mine are. Are the G springs and G spring carrier the same? Will the ones linked here work for my 1992-97 era Ergolevers?

2. Right G springs vs. left G springs. If I buy the Right G spring 4-pack, will (2 of) those suffice for the right Ergolever overhaul? Because when I look at the photos here, it looks like you need mirror image G springs - i.e., a "right G spring" and a "left G spring." So I'm trying to figure out, do I need to order separate "right" and "left" G springs to have the pair I need, or can I just buy "right G springs" to replace both G springs in the right side Ergo lever?

Here is a photo album of the bike with the Ergo lever in question.

As always, thanks in advance for any help!

RobbieTunes

My source is Branford Bike. They'll know.

crank_addict

Great timing and thanks for all the links! Just received a scruffy looking pair and that's about all I know about these leeever's

Not attempting to hijack, but is there some compatibility chart available and also non-Campy compatible derailleur knowledgebase?

mtnbke

Please just send them to Vecchio's in Boulder and have it done right.

Dave Mayer

I have successfully serviced about 10 levers, both the older (pointy) and newer (rounded) designs.

The older levers without the coiled return springs are easier to reassemble.

Recommendations:

• There are right hand G springs and left hand G springs. They are mirror images of each other. You need 2 compatible springs in each lever. The left-hand springs never wear out. Think how many times you shift on the right vs. the left side. Don't buy left-hand springs, or even bother to overhaul the left levers, unless the lever is acting up.
• When buying right-hand springs locally, check to make sure they did not sell you left-hand springs by mistake. Plus Ebay is awash with useless left-hand springs.
• I should know this, but I think all generations of right-hand levers take the same spring carrier. Please check.
• The left-hand spring carrier is of a completely different design than the right side. It is in no way compatible with the right side.
• Get the Campy kit that includes a new right-hand spring carrier with 2 installed right-hand G-springs sealed in a little baggie and box with Campy grease. This will be around $25. This will solve all potential problems. The new spring carrier is made out of a composite material that has more flexibility than the old carriers, that seem to be made out of pot metal that cracked.
• Replace your old hoods while you are at it. Use hot water and some diluted dishwater soap to help get the new hoods on.
• For the shifter servicing, create a lever holder but cutting the end off of an old handlebar. Clamp the bar stub in a bench vice.
• Before servicing, remove the brake lever blade. This will avoid several problems, the greatest of which is trying to reinstall the new hoods.

Wildwood 

I would not have Branford Bike rebuild Ergo shifters.
A couple of years ago they were located in Seattle.

Soody

Rear Shifting | CTC

dddd

I only replace springs when needed, or when someone asks me to (as in when they are needed).

I never replace the carrier, have only come across one broken one in twenty or so shifters. I've rebuilt lefty shifters when a lever-return spring broke, but the indexing springs do seem to last forever on the left side.

There are good deals to be had on springs, that can depend on the quantity ordered. Right hand springs in a four pack can be a good deal, and there are larger packages at even lower unit cost.

Work slowly and take notes during disassembly, including every shim. I even draw a diagram of the castle nut deal that the spring hooks into, as to the orientation of the spring, so it gets tensioned properly. Do grease all moving mating parts.

I have rebuilt levers in my hands, using a hex key to hold things in place for applying counter-torque. I prefer to do this work slowly, just like a sloth. A quiet shop area with internet connection is perfect so you can watch as many rebuild/assembly videos as needed while working.

Take your time, have fun!

Drillium Dude 

Subscribed. One can never know too much about early 90s Campy Ergopower levers

DD

sekaijin

Thanks so far ... things not going well. I started disassembly and haven't gotten very far.

The central pivot fixing bolt is so tight, I can't loosen it. I'm worried that I'm overtorquing it to the point of damaging something, and it still won't budge.

Ideas to loosen this stuck bolt?

gfk_velo

I'd stop right there ...

Don't try to loosen the central bolt until you have determined whether it is RH or LH thread!

Early 8s "pointy" type levers (v1), in their first two incarnations, with a broad, black central bolt with a 4 mm allen socket were LH threaded. They were also often already done up pretty tight (from the factory) and Loctited - typical tightening torque was around 4-5 nm.

Yours looks like it's a v1.2 type, as we refer to them internally - it's the second variation on a v1 lever.

Other notes - if you have a lever with a LH threaded centre bolt, the most current spring carrier patterns referred to in some of the above posts will not fit - you need EC-RE011, which is no longer made / supplied from the factory. The most current metal EC-RE111 can be modified to fit (which is what we do when servicing these levers).

The kit EC-RE065 referred to above contains a composite spring carrier which we have never tried to modify but would not recommend in an older lever anyway - it's more flexible than the alloy variant and where you have any significant wear and tear on the ratchet that the index springs work against to give the index intervals, that flexibility in the spring mount ring will not give you as positive an index action as you would get with the alloy type.

Easiest way to work on the lever is to pop the brake lever blade out and support the central bolt on the end of a 4 mm allen key with a sqaure (not ball) end, held vertical in the vice.

When you open up the lever assembly, you will see some differences in the back of the lever from the one shown in the Campagnolo video on line - there is no return-assist spring overlaying the back of the thumb lever, for instance. Hence the assembly sequence at the end is much shorter and rather simpler.

We rebuild all Campagnolo Ergopower levers on a regular basis - as the main UK Service Centre we did over 30 in August alone, including 10 v1 8s Ergos all for the same customer!!

easyupbug 

A hot soldering iron held on the bolt can break the Loctite bond.

Wildwood 

By golly it's good to obtain free advice from an expert source.
I've been thinking about upgrading a nice pair of Veloce 9sp to 10. but I realize (once again) that rebuilding shifters (and a few other components) must be done precisely - which is best left to the hands of craftsmen and tinkerers far more adventurous than myself.

Michael Angelo 

The last ones I did the Bolt had left hand threads. So I had to turn to the right to loosen . Also don't forget to lube the thumb release pivot, very important.

sekaijin

Sure enough ... the central pivot fixing bolt is reverse threaded. Duh! *smacks head*

OK, now it's apart, and we're making progress. Thank you, great advice from all of you!

And look, the G spring carrier is broken. And one of the G springs is broken.



Yes, the broken G spring carrier (EC-RE011) looks hard to replace.

EC-RE111 looks much more available.

gfk_velo, could you tell me more about modifying the EC-RE111 to fit this? Do I just shear off the post cleanly?

Michael Angelo 

The G spring Carrier comes right out, after you take a out the bolt. Very easy to do, just clean, lube and reassemble with replacement parts.

miamijim

In regards to alloy versus plastic/composite spring carriers.....

I was working on a pair of 92+ 8s Record levers and ran them under very hot water...both metal spring carriers popped. Luckily a local dealer had them in stock.

easyupbug 

I have slept since I did this modification, but yes.

gfk_velo

Ummm, no - you need to saw off the post flush *and* carefully file away the extension of the post that runs down the outer circumference of the mount ring - I'd stress the "carefully" because you don't want to thin the wall of the ring down any more than you absolutely have to - equally, though, the ring needs to be free to rotate slightly (within the limits set by the two "dogs" on it that engage in the lever body) in it's recess in the lever body as this is what produces the overshift function, needed when going from a small sprocket to a bigger one - the gear actually moves slightly "too far" under the pressure of the shift lever and is then rotated "back" slightly by the tension on the gear cable ....

This link goes to the wrong part - the kit illustrated is EC-RE065 which uses the composite spring carrier. Suitably modified it will probably work but you may hit a problem unless you also fit the washer that comes with the spring carrier as this sits into a recess that the cable winding bush / ratchet would otherwise potentially sit down into changing the internal clearances of the lever - plus as it's composite, as I commented earlier, we generally find on older levers you are better with the alloy part.

I think you should be able to get EC-RE111 from QBP or Branford Bike in the US or us in the UK <grin> ...

sekaijin

OK, is this the right part?

Thank you, hint taken - first I'm going to work a little harder to track down an EC-RE011 - then we may have something to discuss!

gfk_velo

I have done a quick trawl of the usual suspects for EC-RE011 but no joy - it's not a hard modification job, though and the link you embedded does indeed go to the right part :-)

I didn't actually intend my comment to be taken as a hint though I can see how it might be read that way - more that many of these posts are read by people on both sides of the pond so I was trying to give an option either way!

Otis

It's where I send mine. They do a good job as far as I'm concerned.

sekaijin

Found one!

sekaijin

And the job is done.

Thanks everyone for the help!

Observations:

- reminder to self, be patient - research and ask experts first, don't just start going at things with tools

- For v1 Ergopower lever reassembly, I followed the official manual (Ergopower Technical Manual: Cover and Index) and it's surprisingly unhelpful - very spare in its guidance.

- Thank goodness for BF C&V! Another fix I couldn't have done without this forum. Thanks again!

PS - I asked Branford Bike. They said they are out of this part, and I'd have a hard time finding one. I feel lucky to have found one at Yellow Jersey.

elhalpern

looking for an EC-RE011 ?? go to Thingiverse and search Campagnolo