Flushing Shifters

[semdoug]

In the repair v replace thread there is mention of flushing the shifters to fix a gummy problem. I’m not sure what is meant by gummy but my right shifter kind of sticks a bit on occasion.

Is flushing simply spraying lubricant into the shifter body while the lever is squeezed and then exercising the levers? Is it more complicated than that?

[jtakeda]

Sometimes you can just use compressed air but tri-flow works wonders.

Exactly what it sounds like. Shoot it in there, play around with the shifters.

Sometimes a pre soak is necessary if it’s super gummed up

[Gummee]

The guy I was discussing things with says he runs em thru the ultrasonic cleaner for 5min, then re-lubes with Tri-Flow.

Another guy says Tetra somethingoranother flush

M

[eddief]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49lAdo_vUX4

[brewsmith]

I have found that a soak in hot soapy water to help warm/loosen the frozen grease, followed by a wd-40 flush then tri-flo lube can bring back 90% of Shimano shifters. Really neglected ones may need two rounds of said steps....

[cmbicycles]

Often times you can look inside the shifter and see the pawl that sticks. Sometimes just a couple drops of triflow on the pivot and then work it back and forth a few times manually with a sharpened spoke. You will see and/or feel it move more freely after a couple times. Flushing the whole thing can be messy and may not get the lube where it is needed most, but can also work.

[tumbler]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49lAdo_vUX4

This solution worked well for me a while back when I was fixing some ST-6600's that started to stick and miss shifts. WD-40 to free them up, Tri-Flow to lubricate, and they were good to go.

[andrewsuzuki]

[redacted]

[weisan]

wrap a blue paper towel around hood to absorb excess, saturate with WD40, shift 20+ times up and down the whole range of gear stops.

I have used this method to "fix"about 10 pairs of gummy 9, 10 speed shimano shifters that I brought back from the co-op.

not rocket science, just repetitious and messy.

[semdoug]

Success! Thanks all

[oldpotatoe]

Success! Thanks all

That’s why it’s called a ‘STI repair kit’....

[chiasticon]

looks like problem solved but fwiw, I'm a fan of this approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB0rtab2eXw

works quite well. and it's useful to take such things to races, especially if you crash in the sand during a pre-ride and shifters are immediately dead. :eek:

[jcs7282]

I need to try this on my 14 year old Dura Ace front shifter! It gets grumpy in cooler weather.

[Bradford]

I flush all my Shimano stuff once a year after discovering this phenomena, except for tandem because I've never had a stoker who will ride in the cold. Well, now my 11 year old is getting into riding with me and we did our first 32 degree ride on Sunday. Sure enough, time to flush the tandem.

I don't know when I'll have time to overhaul the tandem until ski season ends, but it sure is great that my son is turning into a rider. :banana:

[eddief]

be fun to do that do all my STI.

looks like problem solved but fwiw, I'm a fan of this approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB0rtab2eXw

works quite well. and it's useful to take such things to races, especially if you crash in the sand during a pre-ride and shifters are immediately dead. :eek:

[Hindmost]

I had a pair of 105 shifters that sat unused for nearly 20 years. Zip, zilch, zero, no ratchet action whatsoever. After trying flushing, I ended up disassembling, removing the ratchet assemblies, scrubbing them in solvent, and relubricating. The old grease had turned into something like clay.