Cold weather - Shimano 9000 shifters

[buddybikes]

I store bikes where it isn't heated. Yesterday when riding shifting on left was finicky inner lever just swinging. I dowsed it with WD-40 and seemed to help a bit. Now today went to the shed and right one was doing the same. Is is common for these old shifters to fart out in the cold?

I have heard taking off the bike and giving them a bath in dawn is best solution agree. Don't want to resort to this.

Reality has hit me on my "old" Firefly, if things like this break will be expensive/challenging to find new old stock, and new stuff is all this stupid hydrolyic stuff.

[GregL]

It’s very common for the grease in Shimano STI levers to dry out and gum up the mechanisms as they age. If you search this forum, you will find multiple threads like this one that discuss STI lever cleaning and re-lubrication. Based on a recommendation in one of those threads, I have used Liquid Wrench Lubricating Oil to clean and lube my ST-9001 levers with good results.

Greg

[carlucci1106]

Pull the hoods off, soak in warm dish-soapy water overnight. Rinse thoroughly, and dry. Use a light oil to re-lube. Replace hoods-- Right out of Shimano's tech docs.

Works every time for gummed up shifters, and yes, can confirm the cold will gum 'em up.

[dddd]

Shimano STI levers having hidden shift cables under the bar tape have more-accessible lubrication points, actual square windows in the plastic main housing where a tiny blast of light lubricant can be applied directly to the pawl pivot/spring.

This is so much simpler/better than having to hang the bike pointing downhill in order to be able to flood out the innards with foaming sprays without having the lube drip down and get under the rubber brake hood (necessitating premature hood replacement).

The pawl area on the hidden-cable STI levers should however be wiped thoroughly free of the lubricant or may touch the inside of the hood and start a dissolving process, but again this is so much easier than doing a "flush" of the entire shifter.

I don't subscribe to the belief that STI levers need to ever have all or any of the dirt flushed out of them, mainly because the dirt is all held stationary, and because flushing it away inevitably washes a ton of grit into spaces where it would be better not to have, mainly in the various bushings and bearings (or carrying grit into the cable housing). Having lube leak seep out later is a destroyer of hoods, causing them to have a slippery, loose fit.

[Bob Ross]

Yeah, Shimano mechanical levers + Winter temps = Crap shifting
Recently discussed ATH in this thread, it's something I've noted and dealt with for over a dozen years.

[John H.]

Check the derailleur cables for fraying or bunch up coating (up inside the shifter near the cable head). Common issue.
Poor shifting is 1st symptom before cable breaks.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by carlucci1106

Pull the hoods off, soak in warm dish-soapy water overnight. Rinse thoroughly, and dry. Use a light oil to re-lube. Replace hoods-- Right out of Shimano's tech docs.

Works every time for gummed up shifters, and yes, can confirm the cold will gum 'em up.

Yes, as mentioned above, flush and lube STI..brings many 'back to life' BUT...I'd not use water unless you can blow the water out of the lever. There is a lot of steel in these levers and there are many parts that will rust.

I like a huge flush with WD-40...great solvent, then light spray lube.

Just thinking..since WD-40 is 'water displacement'...maybe a WD-40 flush after a water bath.