# Left Tiagra Shifter locked up



## kudude (Mar 17, 2008)

Hey guys,

I'm having issues with friend of mine's Raliegh cyclocross bike. The left shifter seems to be locked up and he is stuck on the big ring. I push the blade inward to get it to shift down however I don't feel any resistance on the lever at all and it refuses to shift back to the small ring. I'm trying to get this thing fixed so that he can ride the Zoo de Mack this weekend as planned. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Andy,


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## livin4lax09 (Mar 15, 2008)

my first guess is that the housing's gunked up. That's what happened with mine. If he's actually been riding cross, that's more than likely the culprit.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

kudude said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I'm having issues with friend of mine's Raliegh cyclocross bike. The left shifter seems to be locked up and he is stuck on the big ring. I push the blade inward to get it to shift down however I don't feel any resistance on the lever at all and it refuses to shift back to the small ring. I'm trying to get this thing fixed so that he can ride the Zoo de Mack this weekend as planned. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
> 
> Andy,


Shimano Tiagra and 105 f/ der. shifters use the same models for both double/ triple cranks, so there's a possibility that it's in the 'third' position. Below is a link to a recent thread that dealt with a similar issue.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=172465


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

*solvent flush time*

Classic symptom when the innards of those things get gunky. "No resistance" to small-lever movement is the tipoff.

Hang the bike up by the back wheel so the stuff can drip off without making a mess, and spray lots of wd-40 inside while working both levers. This very often works.


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## kudude (Mar 17, 2008)

I'm not really sure what's going on with this thing now. I took it apart and cleaned it a little bit but I don't think gunk is the problem. I'm sure just pushing hard on the inner lever isn't going to fix it. The inner lever has zero resistance and I can push it as far and hard as I want and it does nothing.

Does anyone have a schematic of this mechanism?


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

kudude said:


> I'm not really sure what's going on with this thing now. I took it apart and cleaned it a little bit but I don't think gunk is the problem. I'm sure just pushing hard on the inner lever isn't going to fix it. The inner lever has zero resistance and I can push it as far and hard as I want and it does nothing.
> 
> Does anyone have a schematic of this mechanism?


Assuming you read the thread I linked to, I also mentioned that there are instances where the shifter is jammed and cannot be cleared. At that point the LBS needs to work with Shimano on your (or your friends behalf) for a replacement. This also assumes there isn't a 'gunk' build up as others have proposed. 

Here's a link to the Shimano shifter:
http://bike.shimano.com/publish/con...agra/product.-code-ST-4500.-type-st_road.html

Schematic:
EV-ST-4500-2609A


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## kudude (Mar 17, 2008)

Thanks for all your help guys but I think this shifter is done for. I haven't been able to find a detailed schematic of the actual shipping mechanism to actually be able to pull it apart and clean it properly. I took it apart myself and was able to get it to up shift when somewhat dismantled but no luck once everything was reinstalled in the same order I took it apart. I'd really like shimano to publish something more useful than what they have.


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## livin4lax09 (Mar 15, 2008)

wow, you took it apart? Kudos for you... shimano shifters aren't supposed to be rebuildable.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

livin4lax09 said:


> wow, you took it apart? Kudos for you... shimano shifters aren't supposed to be rebuildable.


I agree. Shimano provides schematics, but as the OP points out, they aren't the best.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Abandon all hope*



kudude said:


> Thanks for all your help guys but I think this shifter is done for. I haven't been able to find a detailed schematic of the actual shipping mechanism to actually be able to pull it apart and clean it properly. I took it apart myself and was able to get it to up shift when somewhat dismantled but no luck once everything was reinstalled in the same order I took it apart. I'd really like shimano to publish something more useful than what they have.


Every few years, there is someone who claims to have successfully reassembled a Shimano shifter, but the folks from Guiness have not verified these claims for their book. In practice, Shimano shifters cannot be rebuilt, and there is no point in trying to take it apart for maintenance. If the solvent flush doesn't work, the shifter is indeed done for.


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

*Piece of cake.*

Look at the drawings and read the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. It'll all be clear to you.  
http://www.google.com/patents?id=xj...+B2&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1_1#PPA1,M1


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## kudude (Mar 17, 2008)

wim said:


> Look at the drawings and read the detailed description of the preferred embodiments. It'll all be clear to you.
> http://www.google.com/patents?id=xj...+B2&source=gbs_selected_pages&cad=1_1#PPA1,M1


Awesome....I think I should be able to pic a few things apart with those drawings. Thanks a lot. I never thought of searching for there patents.

Andy,


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

just a wildcard here...the cable isnt broke in the shifter is it! (that too will create the same symtoms, but be a WHOLE lot more obvious  )


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## muscleendurance (Jan 11, 2009)

kudude said:


> Awesome....I think I should be able to pic a few things apart with those drawings. Thanks a lot. I never thought of searching for there patents.
> 
> Andy,


holy shirt! 69 parts in it on page 6, by the time you get it apart and then back together again their will be grass growing all over the roads everywhere  and you wont be able to use your bike!


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## wim (Feb 28, 2005)

kudude said:


> Awesome....I think I should be able to pic a few things apart with those drawings. Thanks a lot. I never thought of searching for there patents.
> 
> Andy,


Sorry, I was being facetious. From having looked at actual Shimano shifter guts I can tell you that a number of subassemblies can only be taken apart destructively.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Sproing!*



kudude said:


> Awesome....I think I should be able to pic a few things apart with those drawings. Thanks a lot. I never thought of searching for there patents.


First of all, read further down the thread. Wim was joking! Second, be aware that those shifters are put together under various kinds of preloads/tension, and people report that when they begin disassembly, parts fly all over the room. Just so you know! Let us know how it turns out


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## kudude (Mar 17, 2008)

Kerry Irons said:


> First of all, read further down the thread. Wim was joking! Second, be aware that those shifters are put together under various kinds of preloads/tension, and people report that when they begin disassembly, parts fly all over the room. Just so you know! Let us know how it turns out


I'm not too concerned about getting this shifter working again. I think the owner is considering upgrading his shifting components to 105 or Ultegra. I just would like to better understand the inner workings and possibly understand what fails on these lower end components.

And yes......pre-loaded components suck! Luckily I expected it and didn't have too many flying parts.


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## PolarBearB4 (Sep 23, 2012)

I know this is an old thread but I'll try here.

Just went for a ride and had to adjust my front derailleur so I got back and worked on it. I realized I still had some tension in the front shifter so I hit the paddle to lower the chainring. I should have thought about it when I was putting a lot of pressure on it but, I didn't. The shifter well, shifted, and just didn't sound right.

Now if I push the paddle or push the brake handle, nothing happens at all. I took the shift cable off to see if that was affecting it but no avail. Either way to shift doesn't let me go too far, but nothing happens. I'm guessing I just killed my shifter.

Oh yeah, it is coming off of a 2001 Trek 2000. I'm not the first owner, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the second either. I am assuming these are the shifters that came on the bike in 01.

Thanks.


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