Campagnolo - what do I need?

[Dave]

I'd skip the Campy chain tool and joining pin idea. There are several quick links that work adequately with any 12 speed chain. I had Chorus 12 and tried a SRAM AXS 12 speed chain. It made less noise and shifted great. I switched to SRAM AXS drivetrains back in 2020. No regrets. Campy cranks were kept in use for awhile with the rest AXS.

I still have my fancy Campy chain tool, but haven't used it in years.

[Ken Robb]

Originally Posted by gfk_velo

Most of the advice above is good.
To summarise it, here's the list we give to mechs who've not worked on Campag before (I run the UK Tech training for Campag and am their Lead tech in the UK).

There is now a Campag-made quick link for 12s (fits all their 12s chains) which doesn't shaft your warranty - otherwise, bite the bullet and use the UT-CN400 chain tool (does 13s as well, but not 11). The peening anvil is set to make sure that the pin is properly inserted to the correct depth (adjustable peening anvils on other tools don't necessarily do that) and the spacing to the plate block from the saddle is correct so the link isn't overly distorted when driving the rivet (a problem with some "universal" tools).

If you are going to work on your brakes:
Oil level tool & bleed kit.
Campagnolo "red" oil.
Hose cutters.
Barb tool.
Old galvanised (not stainless) gear cable, if internal hoses - makes it easier to draw the hoses through, if they're new they have a fitting on the end to carry a gear cable to use as a draw. Galvanised because it's easy to route with a magnet.

Crankset area:
Standard Shimano-pattern external BB cup spanner is screw in.
BB cup press if press in. Don't mess about with trying to hammer them in or using a bar and washers - the real deal will get them in straight which is what you need - don't assume the frame is square, it likely isn't.
If PF - Recommend Loctite 7649 & 641. 603 or 609 are alternatives if you can't get 641 (not sold in some countries).
Fine nose pliers.
Ectended 10mm hex key that fits to your torque wrench.
Small screwdriver.
Fine-nose pliers.

Derailleurs:
Nothing outside of general tools (see below)
FD setting tool makes life much easier. 12s FD needs to be pretty much spot on. Note the FD set up is totally *not* like any other FD set-up in Campag (or for that matter,Shimano or SRAM-world).

Levers:
Easiest to use a long t-handle Torx 25 key. Multi-tools are usually too short & people usually end up making a Horlicks of the bolt head.

Wheel / rotor area:
Cassette tool, strongly recommend one that fits your high range torque wrench. It says 40 nm on the lockring. It's not lasered on there for decoration :-D

General tools:
High range torque wrench 10-60nm say.
Low range torque wrench 4-20nm typically.
Torx 25, 27 and 30
Hex 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6
8mm open end crows-foot that fits your low range torque wrench (brake flare nuts).
Good if you have all of the keys as torque-wrench fittings with an extender bar so you can get to some screws in an awkward location - I recommend the Prestacycle Pro torque wrench & fittings. Not too expensive, light, robust, reliable, accurate. Head will fit other torque - square drive wrenches.
External cup BB spanner (same as Shimano) for threaded cups unless T47, in which case the Park 16-notch tool.

Advice:
RTFM
Check the chairing bolt torques. Should be 8nm. Worth a regular check.

Enjoy!

I wonder how many amateur mechanics would use the specialized tools enough to amortize their cost vs. just paying a pro to do it right the first time. I'm an ok home tech on mechanical groups using tools I have owned for 50+ years but these helpful instructions are daunting to me.

[feynman]

First, again, thank you to all for the replies. I'm not worthy of such attention, but I do really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by robertbb

A good bottle of Montepulciano.

Done.

Originally Posted by NHAero

Extra virgin olive oil for all lubrication points

Of course.

Originally Posted by gfk_velo

To summarise it...

MANY thanks for taking the time to type this all out for me. I'm going to print it as a poster.

Originally Posted by gfk_velo

RTFM

Also, I will do this. I like reading.

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I'm still a novice mechanical klutz, but I want to become self sufficient on this particular bike.

The bottom bracket is a BSA threaded, if that changes anything.

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I'm a little surprised that I don't have any recommendations for stickers, wall banners, or neon signs. I thought those were required.

[Mark McM]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

I wonder how many amateur mechanics would use the specialized tools enough to amortize their cost vs. just paying a pro to do it right the first time. I'm an ok home tech on mechanical groups using tools I have owned for 50+ years but these helpful instructions are daunting to me.

As noted above, there are only a few tools that are really Campagnolo specific. Most of the tools (allen wrenches, Torx wrenches, pliers, etc.) really should be a part of any home bike mechanics tool set. The cassette tool is cheap and used often enough that it is worth picking up. The same tool can be used for rotor lockrings and threaded BBs, so it is also worth getting. The bleed block (aka oil level tool) and bleed kit are Campagnolo disc brake specific, but they will pay for themselves by the 2nd or 3rd time you do a bleed. The two question marks are:

Campagnolo chain peening tool - this is very expensive, and if you are going to remove the chain regularly (for example, for re-waxing), then you'll probably want to use the new 12spd C-link.

Cup press and removal tools - generic bearing/cup press and removal tools can be used so they can be used on other brands as well, but installing/removing Campagnolo cups is so infrequent, one might have a shop do this rather than investing in your own tools.

[gfk_velo]

Originally Posted by Ken Robb

I wonder how many amateur mechanics would use the specialized tools enough to amortize their cost vs. just paying a pro to do it right the first time. I'm an ok home tech on mechanical groups using tools I have owned for 50+ years but these helpful instructions are daunting to me.

There's always the question about how much value a home mechanic gains from tools.

Some do it for the love and will use the tools again next time they build a bike, or just because they enjoy playing with bikes.

If you're like me, you develop into being a complete tool-tart along the way. I joke with my long-suffering wife that the reason I stayed as a mechanic my whole working life, is because it gives me a watertight excuse to hang around in tool shops and spend our profit on an expanding collection of high end tooling (when not riding my bike, of course) :-D

Seriously, there's another reason to use a shop, even if you don't price your own time (most people don't) ... if you make a hash of something, it'll cost you. If *they* make a hash of something - less likely because in theory at least, they'll be very familiar with the jobs - it's out of their pocket. Where things like squeezing PF bearing cups in are concerned, it is possible, if you don't do it very often, to not realise something doesn't feel quite like the 30, 40, 50 sets you've done this year (because this may only be the 1st set you've ever done) and so break something in the process. I had a cracked Argon18 frame in a few months ago, where the user just thought that the cups were a particularly tight fit so carried on squeezing - the carbon eventually cracked. Turned out there was a burr inside one of the alloy inserts that the cup was being squeezed into, that wasn't letting the cup past. Cost him about £1800.00 for a new frame. I couldn't even help him out (which normally I would have done) at the time because it was during a hiatus in supply as Argon 18 switched UK importers ... he bought a replacement at full retail from Germany.

[Gwerziou]

Originally Posted by feynman

First, again, thank you to all for the replies. I'm not worthy of such attention, but I do really appreciate it.


I'm a little surprised that I don't have any recommendations for stickers, wall banners, or neon signs. I thought those were required.

Here, I'll help you out. Unfortunately for me, my extreme love/need for espresso during grad school here in Seattle destroyed my body's tolerance for the beverage, now forced to drink tea, but if you do enjoy it, Campy makes a delightful espresso cup and saucer that I would ultra-nerdily get if I could still partake.

[dancinkozmo]

most importantly....dont forget the big campagnolo corkscrew tool for apres bike maintenance