raybo

My trusty Waterford touring bike will turn 20 this year. I haven't replaced the derailleur in all that time and the bike seems to shift fine. I don't do a lot of shifting when I ride but I do work the gears a bit up and down the San Francisco hills.

Is there any way to check if my derailleur needs replacing?

Tourist in MSN

If it works fine, keep it.

That said, I have removed, cleaned and re-greased the jockey wheels every year or two. That includes re-greasing the bushings in them.

If you try cleaning and lubing the jockey wheels, the top and bottom jockey wheels are different, do not mix up the parts. For example, the top has some side to side play that the bottom lacks, that side to side play is something that you want to retain. I use some thread locker on the screws when I re-assemble.

Don't lose your bike, you won't be able to replace it.
https://bikepacking.com/news/waterford-gunnar-closing/

pdlamb

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Since it's still working, it ain't broke.

That said, you might want to join the throngs of buyers snapping up old-pull long cage derailers since we don't know what the new Shimano "standard" derailers will do with old shifters. Just in case.

zandoval 

Pull it off, inspect it closely, clean it, inspect it closely, then put it back on.

Many times I have felt a need to replace something and then after cleaning and inspection did not; but, at reinstallation felt a whole lot better about it.

So many times people don't think about replacing or inspecting components till they are beyond repair... *UBAR

raybo

Truly sad news.

Velo Mule

Jockey wheels are the usual maintenance item on derailleurs, however, since you are likely putting a lot of miles on the bike, I would pull the entire derailleur off the bike. Disassemble the jockey wheels, regrease (lightly) and clean the derailleur. I would use a "!Q-tip for this, or spray it with compressed air.

raybo

I have never removed and remounted a derailleur. Is this something I should attempt or should I ask my LBS to do it?

Doug64

Removing and replacing front and rear derailleurs is not difficult. Adjustment may be a little challenging until you get the hang of it. A good primer on derailleurs can be found at Park Tool's site. Look at some of the videos and you can get an idea if you want to tackle the job.

The derailleurs don't have to be removed for cleaning. The Jockey wheels can also be removed without removing the derailleur.

Park Tool Repair

Tourist in MSN

I have no clue how much mechanical aptitude you have, so I won't say if you should do it or a mechanic should.

Park apparently does not have a video that is exactly what you need. They have some others here:

Arts apparently does not have the exact one you need either.
https://www.youtube.com/@artscyclery875

I think those are the best two sources of bike mechanic videos. There are other sources, but others vary in quality. Good luck.

If your bike had a replaceable hanger, I would caution you to be careful you do not damage or bend it, but your bike likely has a steel hanger that is part of the frame and it is unlikely that you would cause a problem with that.

djb

raybo, over the years what I have found is that simply by keeping a rear derailleur clean and not gummed up with old chain oil and dirt embedded gunk is pretty much all you need to do. I regularly wipe the exterior as best as I can, wipe down the jockey wheels all the time to keep toothpaste gunk from building up, and once in a while I apply a thin lube on all the pivet points. Wipe off excess, dirt will just get stuck in it.
Once in a blue moon I will use a toothbrush and clean any crud from out of the spring area etc that is hard to get to with a finger and a rag.
Spraying wd-40 in all the crevices does a reasonable job of getting grit out of areas that are hard to get to, but a good thin lube on pivot points is really good. Again, wipe down excess always.

Also, Ive always stored my bikes for the winter with the chain on the smallest rear sprocket and smallest front sprocket-- I figure why have the rd spring under tension when not needed? In other words, I have rear derailleurs that are 15, 20, 30 years old and that are still working perfectly fine.

don't know how you are with keeping your drivetrain clean, but this is the easiest way to keep a rd working fine for ages. The less dirty they are and pivot points lubed, the less wear there is on the various parts.
Heck, one of my bikes is a late 90s mtb that I have used as my Canadian snow, salt and grit winter bike, and that old xt rd is still going, but I do try to keep it clean ish , even in winter.
Depends on how much rain riding you do also, and of course how much dirt riding also.

basically I am amazed by how well front and rear derailleurs hold up over time with fairly simple regular common sense cleaning and lubing.

taking off a rd makes it easier to clean, but I really never do that, although having a bike repair stand is great for making it easier to get to it more comfortably. Removing the chain can make it easier to get to all the nooks and crannies easier too, so if you have ever removed a quick link, this makes it easier.
Dont know how much bike repair stuff you do, but its not that hard.

veganbikes

Really I would just clean it, I have derailleurs that are 30 years old (granted not originally purchased by me) A clean derailleur is a happy derailleur and in the end if not damaged and still shifting fine you are good and you can always just replace the pulley wheels. Tacx would generally be my go to for vintage pulleys but they stopped making them.

saddlesores

if you do it yourself, be very careful when re-installing. take your time, do it slowly, make sure the threads are aligned before tightening. it\s easy to cross-thread if you're not careful.

if you've taken the jockey wheels off, pop out the metal bushing in the center and check for wear. after all this time, you've probably got some flat spots worn down. LBS might have some metal bushings in the take-offs bin you can get for free.

or just replace the pulleys...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/363255236851

rm -rf

My 10 speed Campagnolo Veloce rear derailleur had worn out pivots. I could wiggle the derailleur body and see the movement. So the shifts weren't nearly as crisp as when it was new.
The replacement derailleur had been redesigned with sturdy pivots instead of the previous pressed-in thin pivots. Much sturdier and longer lasting.

Yes, if yours shifts well and doesn't seem excessively worn, I'd keep it as-is.

djb

Raybo, I really recommend taking the jockey wheels off, but ONE at a time, and note or photograph the parts layout. I've never had a big wear spot, but cleaning with a rag and lightly greasing the simple bearing that fits inside the jockey wheel center is important.
I'm never really sure if grease or chain lube is better to use, but better than nothing.
Do one at a time so no parts mix-ups.

Tourist in MSN

I used Phil grease when I re-grease jockey wheels.

They are quite filthy before you clean them. If you have some disposable gloves like medical personnel use, they are good for cleaning the jockey wheels. Dawn dish soap is a good cleaning agent, a used toothbrush can come in handy. (When I replace toothbrushes, the old ones get re-purposed.)

djb

I have tended to put in some bearing grease also, but always wonder if a thinner chain lube would be better for less resistance (but in the end figure Im not going to do this again for years, so use the thicker stuff......)

and yup, old toothbrushes are handy things for bike stuff.

saddlesores

i use bearing grease.
chain lube will wash out after a couple rides in the rain, resulting in annoying squeaks.

djb

guess Ive done the right thing then. merci

raybo

Thanks everyone for the good advice. The derailleur still shifts fine so I did a thorough clean yesterday (without removing or disassembling it). I learned things, too!

Tourist in MSN

A drop of oil on each of the moving parts (now that you cleaned it) will reduce wear in the future and might reduce friction a bit. Any light oil will do.