# right ultegra shifter wont downshift



## nyvram (Apr 11, 2002)

unless I grab the brake lever and hold it while I'm shifting. it seems the lever wants to move even if I'm just pressing the little paddle. if I don't hold the lever in place the paddle swings but wont click. any ideas?


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

read this...lots of posts here about sticky shifters.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=228343


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

To summarize, spray the internals with WD40 while working the shifter. Once it starts working properly, then spray some lubricant into the shifter.


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## Bridgestone (Sep 6, 2007)

frdfandc said:


> To summarize, spray the internals with WD40 while working the shifter. Once it starts working properly, then spray some lubricant into the shifter.


WD 40 is a mediocre solvent at best. Brake clean will do a much better job followed with compressed air and a lube like triflow. Barnett's & shimano recommend partial dis-assembly of the shifter before a solvent or you won't get into where you need to be to remove the solidified grease.


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Bridgestone said:


> WD 40 is a mediocre solvent at best. Brake clean will do a much better job followed with compressed air and a lube like triflow. Barnett's & shimano recommend partial dis-assembly of the shifter before a solvent or you won't get into where you need to be to remove the solidified grease.



Actually its a pretty darn good solvent when dealing with the grease used in shifters. And you don't have to take anything apart to get this to work. 

Brake clean is pretty harsh. It does clean well, but experience dictates that its overkill, and sometimes destroys plastic and rubber. Not so much with WD40.


BTW, if you do a little search. WD40 is widely used by many experienced cyclists here on the boards, just for this purpose.


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## nyvram (Apr 11, 2002)

thanks guys! I think you're right on the money here. I'll try cleaning it...might as will do both while i'm at it so I'm not doing this again in 6 months with other one.


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## crossracer (Jun 21, 2004)

I have done a lot of these at the shop. WD 40, followed by triflow is the way to go. Brake clean is way overkill in my honest opinion. And everyone we worked on came back, even some old 8 spd ultegra shifters that hadnt been ridden in 15 years. 

Bill


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Overkilling*



Bridgestone said:


> WD 40 is a mediocre solvent at best. Brake clean will do a much better job followed with compressed air and a lube like triflow. Barnett's & shimano recommend partial dis-assembly of the shifter before a solvent or you won't get into where you need to be to remove the solidified grease.


The purpose of the WD-40 is to flush things out and loosen things up, not remove every last trace of lube. Partial disassembly significantly overcomplicates what should be a 5 minute task: remove rear wheel, shoot in the WD-40 while working back and forth through the gears, wipe up the excess, and shoot in some TriFlow (or whatever). No disassembly required, no expensive cleaners either. If you're working through all the gears, the solvent got to where it needed to be.


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## Fred Smedley (Jun 20, 2006)

Kerry Irons said:


> The purpose of the WD-40 is to flush things out and loosen things up, not remove every last trace of lube. Partial disassembly significantly overcomplicates what should be a 5 minute task: remove rear wheel, shoot in the WD-40 while working back and forth through the gears, wipe up the excess, and shoot in some TriFlow (or whatever). No disassembly required, no expensive cleaners either. If you're working through all the gears, the solvent got to where it needed to be.


So you are advocating mediocre and half-azzed work. A 16 oz can of Berryman's brake clean runs between $3.00 & $4.00 , very expensive cleaner isn't it! Spending 30 to 40 minutes to do the job right would be to much to expect. I suppose you are a shop mechanic and have trained many a $7.00 hr kid to band aid bikes back together so you can fix it again in six months...... carry on.


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

I guess he told you Kerry!


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Fred Smedley said:


> So you are advocating mediocre and half-azzed work. A 16 oz can of Berryman's brake clean runs between $3.00 & $4.00 , very expensive cleaner isn't it! Spending 30 to 40 minutes to do the job right would be to much to expect. I suppose you are a shop mechanic and have trained many a $7.00 hr kid to band aid bikes back together so you can fix it again in six months...... carry on.


I'd rather "half ass" it than damage the rubber/plastic parts of a shifter using ridiculously corrosive cleaners...


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Fred Smedley said:


> So you are advocating mediocre and half-azzed work. A 16 oz can of Berryman's brake clean runs between $3.00 & $4.00 , very expensive cleaner isn't it! Spending 30 to 40 minutes to do the job right would be to much to expect. I suppose you are a shop mechanic and have trained many a $7.00 hr kid to band aid bikes back together so you can fix it again in six months...... carry on.



What we are advocating is not mediocre and half-azzed work. We are advocating what actually works without further damage to the shifter.

I know what brake cleaner can do to plastic and rubber parts. WD40 works perfectly in this application.

I know for a 100% fact that between just two of us in this thread alone have over 25 years of bike mechanic experience. One of those - not me - has actually ran a store for many years.


So before spewing insults and accusations, you might want to check yourself at the noob door.


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## Andrea138 (Mar 10, 2008)

Fred Smedley said:


> So you are advocating mediocre and half-azzed work. A 16 oz can of Berryman's brake clean runs between $3.00 & $4.00 , very expensive cleaner isn't it! Spending 30 to 40 minutes to do the job right would be to much to expect. I suppose you are a shop mechanic and have trained many a $7.00 hr kid to band aid bikes back together so you can fix it again in six months...... carry on.


If you spray brake cleaner into a shifter that's got a gear indicator, it will make the paint on the indicator lines dissolve. That pisses some people off.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*your return spring is dying*

it is a 'less than a cent part' that will cost you the price of a set of shifters to replace
WD40 / Triflow will help for awhile but typically they are on the outs

think I'm joking? go on ebay and notice how many people are selling Shimano Left STIs

it's because they had to buy a set to replace the dying right brifter


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## Fred Smedley (Jun 20, 2006)

frdfandc said:


> What we are advocating is not mediocre and half-azzed work. We are advocating what actually works without further damage to the shifter.
> 
> I know what brake cleaner can do to plastic and rubber parts. WD40 works perfectly in this application.
> 
> ...


Since you two have figured it all out, I'll refer you to the Barnett's manual, argue with them.


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## nyvram (Apr 11, 2002)

atpjunkie said:


> it is a 'less than a cent part' that will cost you the price of a set of shifters to replace
> WD40 / Triflow will help for awhile but typically they are on the outs
> 
> think I'm joking? go on ebay and notice how many people are selling Shimano Left STIs
> ...


wow really? dang why did I think spending extra to go ultegra was worh it? in my normal life I would never spend $300 on bike shifters if I thought they wouldn't last for the life of the bike. 

will I be as disappointed with the record stuff on my new 586? I strongly detest throwing something away vs repairing it.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Fred Smedley said:


> Since you two have figured it all out, I'll refer you to the Barnett's manual, argue with them.


welcome to the forum fred...maybe you should get to know some of the "old timers" who offer consistently good advice based on practical experience before you light them up.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Campy rebuild*



nyvram said:


> will I be as disappointed with the record stuff on my new 586? I strongly detest throwing something away vs repairing it.


No. Campy shifters can be rebuilt.


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## nyvram (Apr 11, 2002)

thanks for the kind responses. update: i was unable to get it working..took it to lbs and they worked on it for a bit and said it was probably dead  

its an old 9-speed ultegra..he recommended going to 10-speed and getting a new cassette and chain.

thoughts about that? i like the idea of being more up-to-date but i dont want to lose my flight-deck. i really like that computer and i know new ultegra levers dont support it.

i guess as an alternative i could llook for an old 10-speed ultegra shifter set that still has flight deck built in..but am i asking for trouble going with an older/used ultegra set?

what was the last year they built ultegra shifters with FD capabilities? how far back would i have to go?


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

If your LBS uses J&B Importers for their distribution of parts, I spotted a set of Ultegra ST6503 shifters on J&B. They actually have a few pairs left.


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## Amfoto1 (Feb 16, 2010)

nyvram said:


> thanks for the kind responses. update: i was unable to get it working..took it to lbs and they worked on it for a bit and said it was probably dead
> 
> its an old 9-speed ultegra..he recommended going to 10-speed and getting a new cassette and chain.
> 
> ...



FYI, Ultegra 6600 do support Flight Deck, although I think it's a different computer (SC-6502.... probably paired up with a different wiring harness). I like and use Flight Deck, too. 

You might be able to pick up a set of 6500 shifters... they're pretty cheap these days. Check the classifieds here or eBay. Note: I think the 6503 someone mentioned is for a triple, not certain if it will work with a double, if that's what you need. I do know a 6500 or perhaps 6501 set will work with double. I have a set and can assure you 6510 will work with _either_ a double or a triple. IOf course, on all of them the righthand shifter is a 9 speed, only the LH is of concern (so you might be able to use the one you have, if it matches well enough). I was able to get some parts and rebuild a 6510 set recently.... hoods, front covers and a few other things. Working great now. 

Alternatively, start watching eBay for a 6600 "take off" group, if you'd like to update to 10 speed. You don't really need all the bits to convert to 10 speed, but might as well get matching stuff if you go this route. Lots of lightly used 6600 groups are getting replaced with 6700.


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