campy shifter advice

[MadRocketSci]

Yesterday I was bombing down one of the more tricky descents in the bay area (page mill) and noticed that it took more effort to get the front brakes to work, and even then, I wanted more. First thought was that maybe my new koolstop salmon pads weren't the greatest for fast dry descents. Upon further inspection, I saw that the quick-release pin on my '04 campy centaur front brake/shifter had worked its way out towards the right, opposite the quick release position. This was the second time it happened, and first time during an actual ride.

So I went down to my lbs, and asked them about taking care of the problem. They recommended ordering just the brake lever assembly for about $50, which comes with a new pin. The mechanic I spoke with didn't really have an estimate of how long it would take for the replacement. Has this happened to anyone else? I was wondering if this would be a long process, or if it was relatively simple, or if it made more sense to just buy a new shifter and save on the labor cost. We talked about just replacing the pin, but that seemed to involve some non-trivial labor time without any guarantees it would fix the problem, in case the lever was the problem.

Any advice and thoughts are appreciated!
Thanks,
MadRocketSci

[Bill Bove]

Have you had that lever (I dislike the term "brifter") rebuilt before? That pin is single directional, if it is pushed out the wrong way it will widen the hole and continually vibrate loose. It will be cheaper to replace the entire lever rather than transfer all the internals to a new lever body.

[SoCalSteve]

Have you had that lever (I dislike the term "brifter") rebuilt before? That pin is single directional, if it is pushed out the wrong way it will widen the hole and continually vibrate loose. It will be cheaper to replace the entire lever rather than transfer all the internals to a new lever body.

And I thought that part of the reason people buy Campy over Shimano is because Campy is "rebuildable" and Shimano is "throw away".

This is not to start any flame wars, mind you.

Steve

[MadRocketSci]

Have you had that lever (I dislike the term "brifter") rebuilt before? That pin is single directional, if it is pushed out the wrong way it will widen the hole and continually vibrate loose. It will be cheaper to replace the entire lever rather than transfer all the internals to a new lever body.

By lever I assume you mean the whole assembly: hoods, shifting lever, brake lever, etc. Never had it rebuilt, it's about 2 1/2 years old. Unless Excel sports sent me some second hand stuff. Basically, my lbs mechanic can't/won't give me a labor estimate, so I'm trying to figure out what the most cost efficient and effective method is. Would this be under warranty? Is there a place that can sells only the left shifting assembly?

Thanks.

[Too Tall]

Than JBweld it in place. Do you really need it? If you run 25+ mm tyres you probably do need the shifter QR button working however if you run 23s than why bother? Lock r' down.

[MadRocketSci]

Than JBweld it in place. Do you really need it? If you run 25+ mm tyres you probably do need the shifter QR button working however if you run 23s than why bother? Lock r' down.

Yeah, I run the michelin 25's which are more like 28's. I was thinking about some krazy-glue type solutions.

[Dave]

If you have the receipt or your LBS is willing to back you up, it should be under warranty (3 years). Your LBS has to send the lever in for repair. Campy won't accept defective parts from individuals. You LBS shoudl know this, otherwise it makes me think they are trying to screw you.

To answer the question about being rebuildable, the real part that needs replaced is a little plastic piece that's probably worth $2 at most. Unfortunately it seems to be one of the few things not sold separately. If your shop doesn't know that it's about a 10 minute job, tops, then they don't know squat. All you do is push out the pivot pin, remove the lever and push the new lever and pin in place.

Sometimes, it's tempting to buy a pair of $96 Veloce levers, just for spare parts. The cables and brake hoods alone are worth $70 as spare parts. Worst case, a new pair of Centaur levers can be had for $120 from www.11speed.com. Personally, I'd spend $120 and get new levers before I'd pay $50 plus labor to fix old ones.

The Campy spare parts PDF shows the part number you might need.

http://www.campagnolo.com/techinfo.php?did=c

[MadRocketSci]

Dave, thanks for the great advice. It turns out that today I went back to the store and talked to the head mechanic, whom I never dealt with before because he doesn't work weekends. He was much clearer on the problem and probable solution than the other mechanics. Basically, he's 99% sure the problem is either in the little plastic sleeve or the grooved pin itself, rather than the actual lever. He was also able to dig up a little bag with those specific pieces! Apparently this happened a lot more on the 8 and 9 speed campy shifters than the 10 speed. He said it'd take 10 minutes of his time, tops.

Thanks also for the 11speed link and campy pdf. About the warranty, I bought the original group from Excel to put on the Atlanta frame I got off of ebay, so I'm imagining it'd be a PIA to get warranty service.

[Dave]

Sounds like you got legitimate advice this time. It's an easy fix. I agree that warranty service for this small item is not worth the trouble.

[steelrider]

And I thought that part of the reason people buy Campy over Shimano is because Campy is "rebuildable" and Shimano is "throw away".

This is not to start any flame wars, mind you.

Steve

It is re-buildable, and any competent wrench knows that to be a fact. In this age of the throw away society, Campagnolo stands head and shoulders above the competition. Reuse, renew, recycle!

[97CSI]

Give Tim at Branford Bike (www.branfordbike.com) a call. He'll tell you what's wrong and will sell you any piece that is available inside a Campy Ergo shifter. In fact, you can look at the exploded view of the shifters on his website and find the part you need. http://www.branfordbike.com/cgi-bin/perlshop/perlshop.cgi?ACTION=push&thispage=brake/brk05.html&ORDER_ID=286834480#item1

Tim will also do the work. He just rebuilt my 1999 Record shifters and upgraded them to 2006 spec's.

[shinomaster]

I can't believe that is happening unless your ergopower is seriously effed up. I could see a person pushing the buttons without realizing it...but I can't imagine them just opening up. But "***" do I know?

[MadRocketSci]

Campy's rebuildable, as long as you have access to a campy-comfortable mechanic or like to do things yourself.

GPdavis, branfordbikes is amazing! I had to listen to my lbs's buyer whinge about not being able to buy those parts. The parts in question are #20 and #21. I think it's conceivable that #21's inner ridge, which sits in one of the two grooves of #20, could be a bit rounded or worn. I think it worked out of the groove when I was braking over rough pavement. Doesn't seem like a completely robust design. I rarely take my front wheel off, so perhaps I got a mis-molded piece.

Thinking about mavic ssc brakes now, too, for the more robust leaf spring.

[swoop]

i'd have the shop order you the parts from QBP.. mark up on components isn't that huge but you could ask for a good 10%off .. and have them replaced.

[97CSI]

Campy's rebuildable, as long as you have access to a campy-comfortable mechanic or like to do things yourself.

GPdavis, branfordbikes is amazing! I had to listen to my lbs's buyer whinge about not being able to buy those parts. The parts in question are #20 and #21. I think it's conceivable that #21's inner ridge, which sits in one of the two grooves of #20, could be a bit rounded or worn. I think it worked out of the groove when I was braking over rough pavement. Doesn't seem like a completely robust design. I rarely take my front wheel off, so perhaps I got a mis-molded piece.

Thinking about mavic ssc brakes now, too, for the more robust leaf spring.I use Centaur and take my wheel off and on and off and on every ride. Never a problem.

My guess is that your LBS doesn't want to be bothered with a $2 repair. Want to jack it up to make it worth their while. That's why I do 90% of my work. As a general rule, LBSs are like auto dealers. They suck.