# INSIDE 2009 Ergopwer



## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*INSIDE 2009 Ergopower*

2009 Ultrashift Ergopower

I disassembled a 2009 Centaur 10 speed and a Super Record 11 speed ergopower lever this morning. The idea was to see if the more distinct clicks of the 11 speed lever could be transferred to the 10 speed lever. The Centaur 10 speed levers have a much lighter click that some people don’t like. The hope was that exchanging the diaphragm springs (EC-SR009) might create a firmer click. The bad news is that the clicks appear to be a function of the shape of the detents in the index plates (EC-CE160 and EC-SR013) and not any of the springs in the mechanism. 

I also verified the accuracy of Campagnolo’s spare parts PDF during this experiment. What that means is that all of the levers have ball bearings on the main pivot shaft, making the lower level models a real bargain. The only slight difference with Super Record levers is the cutouts in the brake lever and part number EC-SR017 that is made of titanium rather than steel.

See pages 40-44:
https://www.campagnolo.com/repository/documenti/en/Spares09-A-3009.pdf

The good news is that these levers are a lot easier to disassemble and reassemble than the old model. The new design separates repairs into a front section with the brake and finger levers and a rear section, where the indexing mechanism is housed. The only tools required are a T25 torx screwdriver to remove the handlebar band clamp (optional), a 2.5mm hex wrench and a simple hook tool made from a small screwdriver. 

I started the disassembly with the thumb button in the smallest cog position. Note that the flat sides of the index shaft are vertical and the ear on the ceramic cable guide is positioned at 3’clock. It’s wise (but not absolutely necessary) to roll back the brake hood, over the thumb button, but the brake hood does not need to be removed. One end of torsion spring EC-SR015 is hooked over a post in the thumb button. The spring must be unhooked by pushing on the end of the spring with a small screwdriver, so the hooked end drops under the post. It will snap back and come to rest against the ergopower body. Unless this spring is being replaced, it does not need to be removed. Unscrew the center fixing bolt and remove the ceramic cable guide. The thumb button is then lifted over the end of the index shaft and slide out to the side. Remove each of the remaining parts from the main index shaft, laying them out in order. Be very careful with part number EC-RE017. It holds two very small coil springs and two 2mm ball bearings. If that part is dropped, you’ll probably be hunting for a long time to find the springs and balls.

I found two minor differences between what is shown in the spare parts PDF and the actual product. EC-SR012 looks like a single washer, but it’s really two thin washers that combine to a .6mm thickness. Part number EC-SR020 consists of a plastic washer resting against the torsion spring and a steel washer in front of it, not one piece, as shown.

Reassembly is just the reverse of the above. About the only thing that needs minor attention is the ratchet teeth on part number EC-RE017 face down, where they can be seen from the underside of the ergopower body.

Below are some pictures of the internal parts, laid out in order, a comparison shot of the 10 and 11 speed index plates and picture of my hook tool.


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## Magsdad (Jun 29, 2005)

Maybe I am nuts, but the shifting of my new Veloce seems to have more click to it than I presumed it would from many of the early releases and assessments. I thought the internals were pretty much the same throughout the 10 speed line. Is this correct?


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*2009?*



Magsdad said:


> Maybe I am nuts, but the shifting of my new Veloce seems to have more click to it than I presumed it would from many of the early releases and assessments. I thought the internals were pretty much the same throughout the 10 speed line. Is this correct?



If your Veloce levers are the 2009 ultrashift model with the new brake hood design, then yes, the internals should be the same as Centaur. There is also a Veloce escape mechanism model, that's just like '07 and '08 models.

The clicks on the 10 speed Centaur are significantly lighter than any 11 speed model.


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## Sherpa23 (Nov 5, 2001)

Wow. Look at the shape of those detents. I would have never thought of that. I guess those guys really thought of everything about how to upsell this stuff. So unless you go 11s, you can't get the stiffer shifting. Oh well, it was worth a try.

That's really disappointing, though.

Thanks a lot for doing that. It's a big deal and not something that's taken for granted.


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## uspspro (Oct 23, 2008)

Or you could get:

- 09 Centaur Levers
- the 11spd index wheel
- 11 spd cassette
- 11 spd chain

Cheaper way to upgrade (avoiding the RD, and spending less on the levers).


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## onrhodes (Feb 19, 2004)

You've got to be an engineer, who else would work on the something that wasn't actually broken?


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## Magsdad (Jun 29, 2005)

Yep, they're the 09 Ultrashift model. That's why I was a little "concerned", that maybe I had not set them up correctly. They shift fine, but it doesn't feel particularly smooth to me. Some on this board have commented how smooth the shifting is; to me, it still feels like Campy.


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## veloci1 (Nov 29, 2005)

C-40,
so, do you think that if i install the 2009 Record or super record 11 sp shifters and adjust the upper limiting screw (rear der) with my current 10 speed drive train i might be able to get it to work?

let me know.


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## jmkimmel (Jul 13, 2007)

Nicely done!

I recently opened up a couple pair of 09 levers (centaur silver and veloce) - I was able to use a corkscrew as my 'hook tool' for getting the spring back onto the thumb lever


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*no...*



veloci1 said:


> C-40,
> so, do you think that if i install the 2009 Record or super record 11 sp shifters and adjust the upper limiting screw (rear der) with my current 10 speed drive train i might be able to get it to work?
> 
> let me know.


The cable pulls and actuation ratio are not the same. You would need a J-tek shiftmate and then use the first 9 clicks. I measured the cable pull and the first 9 clicks only pulls .90 inch of cable, while a 10 speed shifter pulls 1.02 inch. That's 12% short of the required amount.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*info..*



Magsdad said:


> Yep, they're the 09 Ultrashift model. That's why I was a little "concerned", that maybe I had not set them up correctly. They shift fine, but it doesn't feel particularly smooth to me. Some on this board have commented how smooth the shifting is; to me, it still feels like Campy.


The new shifters won't change how the chain and cogs interact. The difference is primarily in the feel of the right finger lever action - less effort with minimal clicking to indicate a shift. The thumb buttons are also a little lighter in action, but the clicks seem more positive to me. The left finger lever doesn't feel much different, but it does have limited dead travel, like the previous QS shifter.


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*no...*



uspspro said:


> Or you could get:
> 
> - 09 Centaur Levers
> - the 11spd index wheel
> ...


11 speed shifters need an 11 speed RD to work properly. I tried a 10 speed RD and it comes up short on travel, since the actuation ratio is slightly different. The cost of the upgrade parts could easily be more than the price difference between Centaur and Chorus. The cheapest upgrade would be Chorus for all parts.

Not all FDs may work with the 11 speed chain. A 2008 QS FD will work, but others have reported problems with earlier models. The cage width might benefit with a little squeeze in a vice to narrow it a bit. I had to do this to use a 5.9mm chain with a triple FD (10 speed).


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

thanks c40, on the strength of your observations that 1) centaur has bearings and 2) it is easier to rebuild, i have purchased some alloy centaurs to replace my 05 chorus alloys...

any pics of the springs??

so the 10sp ultra index gears are the wider ones? - it all looks good to me as long as they are metal!

the other thing i didn't like apart from g-springs, is that carrier that supports the thumb coil spring.... can see that lil protruding finger snapping off... (i believe in later carbon record it was made of plastic!?) parts are IMPOSSIBLE to get here in oz, at least with the lamo LBS's here, so i figure i'll sell off my still good chorus before something happens... the mech in the ultrashift looks much better...

while i like the positive shifts, as long as the teeth are substantial and made of metal, i don't see em wearing out much, at least not without very considerable use.... :thumbsup:


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## C-40 (Feb 4, 2004)

*springs...*

There are two diaphragm springs (second and third parts from the left in the first picture) and the two small coil springs pressing against the 2mm balls. These parts are shown closer in the 2nd and third pictures. The coil springs are so small they are hard to see.

The thumb button torsion spring I left in place and did not photograph. One end simply slips into the ergo body and the other hooks onto the post on the thumb button.


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

oh yeah! see the coils now! too easy! looks a lot simplier to engage the springs upon rebuild than before... also i s'pose there is the finger lever return spring which remains the same as before.... cool, so i s'pose the campy blurb is pretty accurate, 'no parts that wear out, but servicable nonetheless'.... within reason, s'pose that's true...


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

wankski said:


> the other thing i didn't like apart from g-springs...


...is that besides them getting worn out or breaking, the spring carrier itself can crack leading to lost shifts, and this is what happened to me. The spare is only $6 + shipping so that's not too bad. This is why I like Campy among other things...


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## wankski (Jul 24, 2005)

really?... was yours alloy or plastic? that's the thing i was talking about, the g-spring carrier is what has that long finger like protrusion that the coil spring levers on... haven't heard of the circumference cracking tho, i spose if it did, it would cause that problem


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## nenad (May 5, 2004)

wankski said:


> really?... was yours alloy or plastic? that's the thing i was talking about, the g-spring carrier is what has that long finger like protrusion that the coil spring levers on... haven't heard of the circumference cracking tho, i spose if it did, it would cause that problem


It's alloy, and it cracked right where I put the red lines. To be honest, that lever was involved in two crashes and the impact from one crash was right around that area where the holder is so that may well have been what did it. In either case, I ordered a spare holder + 2 G springs (the lever has 15k km on it) for around $20 including shipping. If that's going to put the lever back to functioning properly, then I say that's a pretty cheap fix!

Cheers,

Ned


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## ainsy (Aug 24, 2008)

*Thanks C-40 & Sherpa23*

As title states thank you very much for the invaluable info.

C-40 for your expertise and Sherpa23 for donating your Centaur and Super Record ergos for the sake of sharing information. Top job!

Now all we need is someone (or Campag) to make an aftermarket index plate (EC-CE160) or someone to come up with a work around to make these indents a little larger.

Maybe we can donate some to C-40 to play with when Campag release spare parts...

Cheers


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## Sherpa23 (Nov 5, 2001)

ainsy said:


> As title states thank you very much for the invaluable info.
> 
> C-40 for your expertise and Sherpa23 for donating your Centaur and Super Record ergos for the sake of sharing information. Top job!
> 
> ...



You're welcome but C-40 is the one that did everything. I all I had were the parts sitting in a box and the faith that he knew what to do. Pretty easy.

I do want to be clear about something here: although all of us here are C-40 fans, I have seen the few occasions where he people have called him out as a grumpy old curmudgeon. They could not be further from the truth. He is an extremely nice, knowledgeable, and clearly generous guy. Every now and then it comes up somewhere on the site and I hope that this post can make a clear statement in that regard.


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## orestis (Dec 11, 2004)

Nice job.The lacks of g spring seems to make the shifter more durable because there are not many parts to wear.This mechanism looks similar to ergopower flatbar mechanism.

A question : the shifting occurs from the locking of the small spring loaded balls in the detents of the inded plates?


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