Campagnolo 8 speed ergo Soft action

[kbmpi]

Hello

So, 1.5 years ago I've managed to buy a very nice pair of record titanium ergos (8speed) with intact hoods and very positive, crispy shifting action. It was a charm-dreamlike in action.

Last year (around a year ago) I got into an accident, and fall onto my levers so that I actually torn out the release thumbie button from the lever. Got them rebuilt with another thumbie and changed the G-springs too, but unfortunately their action is not so great as it used to be. The clicks are soft, and the shifting is very easy witout too much effort on the levers (like some PowerShift lever or shimano).

The gears are not slipping-skipping, but, unfortunately, the levers lack the real positive feel to them.

What could be wrong? The spring carrier ring appers to be intact, at least, the mechanic observed that after de-greasing-cleaning the internals, that everything seems to be fine and sound. He reassambled it with new springs and grease. He said that it's totally normal after G-spring replacements, that the lever action becames softer compared to the original, because the new replacement springs are much weaker and softer than their predecessors from the 90ies.

Anyone has a better ecplanation ?

hmm the real solution would be to convert to 10speed.. the wheels are already 10-11 speed compatible, I'm just using the 8speed cassette with the 10speed lockring..

 

[hamster]

Several points: I had a similar effect on my Record Titaniums (which are converted to 9 speed). An ovalised carrier ring will give a lighter pressure on the springs. Replacing mine gave the familiar clunky shift and stopped the front mech from slipping inwards under heavy load.

Secondly, do not run 8 speed cassettes on 9/10/11 hubs. The splines are shallower on 8 speed as the freehub body was steel. Moving to a lighter aluminium body required deeper splines. Your 8 speed cogs will gouge their way into the body and eventually damage it irreparably.

The 8 speed Record ergo can allegedly be converted to 10 speed but needs some filing to get the 10 speed innards to fit. 9 speed is a straight swap.

 

[kbmpi]

I'll only use the 8speed cassette in this season. Just fitted a new cassette @ march, but it's a miche 8speed, and already shows signs of wear only after 1.1 k miles..

So next year I'll convert to 10. Just wanted to know why are my ergos so soft ..

 

[gfk_velo]

Re:

The normal reason for soft post-spring-replacement action is that the spring mount ring has developed two small indents under the heels of the springs, and that the drillings that the tails of the springs pass into have become slack.

In general we recommend replacement of the spring mount ring at the same time as the index springs.

Mount rings don't usually ovalise - normally they will crack as they are a casting & quite brittle.

8s cassette on 9 /10 /11 body is fine, so long as you do the lockring up tight enough - most lockrings that we see are nowhere near, though. 40 - 50 nms is the recommended tightness as the compression generated at the lockring face by this type of torque is sufficient to prevent any risk of sprocket to cassette body fretting in normal use. I have worked on several 8s bikes that run the shallow spline 8s cassettes on the alloy cassette bodies with only minimal marking.

Conversion of 8 and 9s version 1 and 1a type levers to 9 or 10s is do-able but it's never great - the broaching in the middle of the cable bushing has to be accurately opened out and the fit to the central spindle is difficult to get exact. There is sometimes a bit of fannying with shim washers as well, to get an accurate degree of longitudinal float of the body components inside the lever, such that the internal neither binds nor slops about - we used to offer the service but now no longer do so as it is too time consuming and customers in general don't want to pay for the labour - plus we'd rather not take the risk as the older 10s inserts are becoming hard to obtain now - we can still get the late version Record items from the factory but if you make a mistake with one of those, it's pretty expensive! I should make clear that we have a fully equipped machine shop - we are not working with rat-tail files to open out the broaching - but despite that, we don't really want to be doing it!

HTH
Graeme
Velotech Cycling Ltd
Main UK Technical and Service Centre, Campagnolo

 

[kbmpi]

Thank you for the detailed explanation! Definitely checked the Carrier ring, which seemed intact, without dents or cracks.

I have spare carrier, but it does not fit :\ I've ordered from a shop, the seller told me that it fits every right handed ergopower, but alas, it's not the case. the 10speed ones maybe, but not the old pointy top 8speed models.

I'll try sending the lever either to Wheeldoctor or somebody else who knows what to do.

Kind ragards and thanks for the details :\

I have this part:

http://www.amazon.com/Campagnolo-Spring ... B001GSKSDE

but should neeed this one:

EC-RE011

http://www.campagnolo.com/media/files/0 ... part_B.pdf

The seller told me they identical and would fit, but alas, it's not the case

 

[gfk_velo]

No, the current(ish) part EC-RE111 is different to EC-RE011 although with careful use of a hacksaw and a file, it can be made to fit - in fact that's pretty much the only option now as EC-RE011 went out of production / availability from the factory some time ago - having said which there might be a few lurking in old stock at shops / wholesalers, I suppose - but they are definitely not made any longer.

If you are in the UK we can help you with this - postage costs from elsewhere in the world might make sending the lever to and fro prohibitively expensive - but Ergo lever servicing is part of our portfolio as the main Technical and Service Centre for Campagnolo in the UK.