Shimano Altus shifter running to an 8 speed derailleur. It has about 12000 miles on it. The action of the lever develops slack, especially in cold weather. It isn't translating to slack in the cable and shifts fine. It just gets slack after a bit. I have to press it and it'll be loose at first, then meets the resistance of the cable most of the way down into pressing it. Then it'll index shift. I can't see anything wrong with it externally, or any way to service it. I'd be happy to replace and upgrade it if that'd solve it. If y'all have a solution or a good recommendation for a replacement I'd appreciate it. If it matters, it's on a fairly heavy duty ebike I use for commuting. Thanks in advance.
by atxbikenbus
7 Comments
Sorry, I meant 9 speed.
Just replace it. They are cheap and in general not meant to be repaired.
The grease in these can become sticky and in cold weather it will seize up and not actuate the pawls. Spray some good degreaser in there like white lightning and actuate the shifter. It should bring it back to life, it may take a few treatments. If it doesn’t come back time for a new shifter.
They all have slack in. I had a customer in the shop saying he thought the lever had too much slack before it engaged. I checked about 10 other shifters on bikes I have in the shop and they are all identical, quite a bit of play before they engage. The way the lever is made I don’t think it’s possible for this slack to increase without the gears not working, I think… Would be a good idea to find some other bikes with Shimano shifters and check to see if they move a similar distance, just to put your mind at ease.
The grease inside these tends to harden up over time, especially in the cold. A few light sprays of Triflow or similar into the body of it will probably help a lot.
The grease inside is getting stiff and gummy. Flood it with WD40 for a temporary fix.
Make sure your brake lever isn’t pressing down on top of the shifter.