Venusdepablo

Ive just bought a second hand bike. It a marin endurance 2017 ish. My fault I didnt look properly at it. I thought that it had a double crank but it's got a triple. It looks like it was converted. After cleaning it I've tried the gears the back is fine but the front only shifts to the first two rings. After closer looking I've found the front derailleur won't go to the top chain ring. The derailleur won't even go that far. Even when I've loosened it all. The derailleur says triple. What do I need to make it work? Or just get another crank?

Andrew R Stewart 

How did you try moving the front der? By the lever, by the cable (and your hand) or did you grab the der cage itself? Can you measure the crank's chainline? (the center of the seat tube to the middle ring)

With so little current info we can only shoot in the dark so far. Andy

bboy314

Here is a place to start:

https://www.parktool.com/en-us/blog/...eur-adjustment

Crankycrank

Along with Andrew and bboy314's suggestions it could be the limit screws are not set properly to allow the derailleur to move that far or cable not adjusted properly to pull all the way.

Venusdepablo

It's about 46mm. And I loosened of the front derailleur and then pulled it with my hand.

Iride01 

Being a used bike you never really know what the previous owner's did to it.

So make certain the FD is a 3x FD if you have a 3x crank. If it's Shimano, then the part number stamped on it will tell you what it is. Usually it's on the backside. Might have to clean off some dirt.

Also check that the shifter is a 3x shifter. For a Shimano STI, pull the rubber hood up or down and it'll be embossed on the shifter body somewhere.

Venusdepablo

I've got a st-2303 which I've just looked up and says triple. The crank is a fsa vero. Square taper. The front derailer says fd-2303 derailleur

MilhouseJ

Is it by chance a square taper BB? If it was originally a 2x that somebody converted to a 3x, there's a chance that the spindle length on the BB is incorrect and won't match the throw of a triple derailleur. This goes out the window if it's not a square BB taper though...

tFUnK

Limit screws

Venusdepablo

it's a square.

Venusdepablo

I've moved the derailleur to the furthest it go's out without the cable being on.

Iride01 

Be certain the cable is run on the correct side of the pinch bolt. This has a pictogram of what it should be. https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/si/5L...0A-001-ENG.pdf

Also make certain the limits are set correctly. That's also in that document. And if you have the cable disconnected from the pinch bolt, then hold some tension on it and make sure you are getting all the clicks going in both directions that you should be getting.

Here are some of the other doc's for those ...

https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/si/6S...002-00-Eng.pdf

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


The first document says that the FD-2303 expects a chain line of 45mm. Measure from the centerline of the seat tube to the centerline of the middle ring. Is that anywhere close to being the same?

MilhouseJ

How capable are you with bike maintenance stuff? Do you have any experience with removing a bottom bracket? You can find new ones in many different lengths (widths?). Keep in mind that any increased spindle length is cut in half, so get a measurement of the distance you're short with your current BB, pull it and find the spindle length on the body of the BB (should be on the shell between the bearings, or just measure the one you have), and get the next suitable size up.
If you're 4mm short in derailleur throw, get a BB with a 10mm longer spindle.

icemilkcoffee 

OK. Now while the cable is still detached, pull the cable taut with one hand, and then work the left shifter with the other hand. Does the shifter shift through all 3 full shifts? There would be trim shifts in between as well.

oldbobcat

For 20 bucks a bike shop will either adjust that derailleur for you or tell you why i can't be adjusted and give you your money back.

79pmooney

(Scratches head) If he puts in a longer spindle, the chairings move further out. The big is already out beyond the FD reach. OP needs a shorter spindle and needs to check that the inside chairing doesn't hit the chainstay or the crank the BB after the switch.

tFUnK

Ok let's start over:
1) so the bike shifts fine going from small to middle, middle to small, correct?
2) another click on the shifter doesn't move the cable? Or is there not another click because the FD can't move?
3) what did you loosen exactly?
4) if you detach the cable, back out both limit screws completely, and re-attach the cable, can you move the FD far enough outward by pulling on the cable?

grumpus

Shimano says that FD should have 45 mm chainline, so measure from the middle chainring to the middle of the seat tube - is it more than 45 mm?

MilhouseJ

Yep, that's what I was getting at, I just crossed wires in my brain. Good call out! OP, you'll need a NARROWER spindle. I was thinking back to some work I'd done to push a crankset out to overcome this same issue on the smallest ring.😁

MilhouseJ

Did your bike originally come with a Claris groupset? What's the actual model of your bike, 2017 Marin ______?

LesterOfPuppets

This site claims FSA suggests 116 mm spindle for that crank but that's hard to find, so go with 113mm for a 130mm rear end or 118mm for 135 rear end.

https://bikesmithdesign.com/Short_Cranks/vero.html