Campagnolo 8 Speed Ergopower Shifter Rebuild

[Gman79]

On my commute into work this morning my beloved Chorus 8 speed right ergo-lever lost it's "clicks". The googlings, and searching thru this forum mention when the g-spring goes the rear derailleur has issues holding indexing. Yet I'm not having that problem at all. Right now it works, but kind of like a friction shifter.

I get a slight click on the thumb lever, and zero noise on the paddle, and the derailleur will not hold the chain on the largest cog.

I knew it was a matter of time before I'd have to attempt to rebuild these levers but want to make sure a rebuild is the culprit and not something else.

Thanks for any feedback on what might be happening.

[Black Dog]

It will be a rebuild. Reach out to Oldpotato here on the forum. He has all the parts and probably has rebuilt more of these shifters than anyone in North America. Probably just the g springs. This is how they fail in many cases.

[Gman79]

Originally Posted by Black Dog

It will be a rebuild. Reach out to Oldpotato here on the forum. He has all the parts and probably has rebuilt more of these shifters than anyone in North America. Probably just the g springs. This is how they fail in many cases.

Great THANKS

Will do

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Gman79

On my commute into work this morning my beloved Chorus 8 speed right ergo-lever lost it's "clicks". The googlings, and searching thru this forum mention when the g-spring goes the rear derailleur has issues holding indexing. Yet I'm not having that problem at all. Right now it works, but kind of like a friction shifter.

I get a slight click on the thumb lever, and zero noise on the paddle, and the derailleur will not hold the chain on the largest cog.

I knew it was a matter of time before I'd have to attempt to rebuild these levers but want to make sure a rebuild is the culprit and not something else.

Thanks for any feedback on what might be happening.

PM sent..yes, probably just shift springs. You can either send it to me or I can send you shift springs.

They are not hard to take apart and get back together. Remember the back bolt for that RH lever is left threaded..righty-loosey. If it's a 1992-1996 lever.

[cnighbor1]

Flooding with WD-40 till clicks come back
Let dry
Use Tri_Flow to keep clicking
old grease gets gummy preventing clean shifting
Worked for me

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by cnighbor1

Flooding with WD-40 till clicks come back
Let dry
Use Tri_Flow to keep clicking
old grease gets gummy preventing clean shifting
Worked for me

You might be thinking of Shimano shifters, which use a ratchet escapement, not
spring detents like Ergo shifters. Once the Campagnolo detent springs become worn or broken, they will no longer hold the indexing gear detents, and lubing it won't improve that. In fact, adding extra lubricant would probably help the springs slide out the detents and just make matters worse.

Unlike Shimano shifters, Ergo shifters are relatively simple mechanisms and easy to rebuild, and spare parts (springs) are still available.

[Gman79]

Originally Posted by cnighbor1

Flooding with WD-40 till clicks come back
Let dry
Use Tri_Flow to keep clicking
old grease gets gummy preventing clean shifting
Worked for me

I did this with a pair of 7800 shifters and worked great. Already got the replacement springs needed from oldpotatoe.

The rebuild looks super straightforward, thanks tho

[zmudshark]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

You might be thinking of Shimano shifters, which use a ratchet escapement, not
spring detents like Ergo shifters. Once the Campagnolo detent springs become worn or broken, they will no longer hold the indexing gear detents, and lubing it won't improve that. In fact, adding extra lubricant would probably help the springs slide out the detents and just make matters worse.

Unlike Shimano shifters, Ergo shifters are relatively simple mechanisms and easy to rebuild, and spare parts (springs) are still available.

Charles means well, but this is true. Rebuild Campagnolo, flood Shimano and pray.

[bikinchris]

Originally Posted by Mark McM

You might be thinking of Shimano shifters, which use a ratchet escapement, not
spring detents like Ergo shifters. Once the Campagnolo detent springs become worn or broken, they will no longer hold the indexing gear detents, and lubing it won't improve that. In fact, adding extra lubricant would probably help the springs slide out the detents and just make matters worse.

Unlike Shimano shifters, Ergo shifters are relatively simple mechanisms and easy to rebuild, and spare parts (springs) are still available.

Sometimes the q springs just plain break too.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by bikinchris

Sometimes the q springs just plain break too.

Yup...broken shifter springs, followed by early gen, 1998/9, where the post on the spring carrier broke off(Big, flat 'watch' spring around the post to make shift click 'easier'..it broke)..Campag then modified with little shoulders around the post but that caused the spring carrier to split...When Campag then made the 'Ultra' shifter, spring carrier was then resin/carbon-ee...and they didn't split any longer. If I see a split spring carrier, I replace with the resin one.