Preventive maintenance on Shimano STI shifters?

Triathlon Forum
1

I was wondering today how exactly you can clean and/or lubricate these shifters in a preventive manner.
It is the only part of our bikes that I have never dared to dissasemble.

Sergio

2

I took one apart once back in the 8-spd era when something got mucked up and quit working… I consider myself pretty good mechanically, and goddammit I finally got that SOB put back together and functioning properly, but I will never try that again. On a time/aggravation cost basis, I consider those to be dispose & replace units, and this is coming from someone who actually enjoys MacGyver-ing old stuff back to life.

3

I was wondering today how exactly you can clean and/or lubricate these shifters in a preventive manner.
It is the only part of our bikes that I have never dared to dissasemble.

Sergio
You don’t. Preventative maintenance is what causes maintenance to be needed.

4

The only thing to maintain on ShimaNO…is um…Campagnolo! You can maintain, rebuild and even turn a 9 speed lever into an 11 speed lever!

5

Sergio-

The only thing I’ve done is when my STIs get clogged with sand and salt on my CX bike. I use a liberal amount of the Finish Line Speedclean, let it dry then follow with their Dry Teflon lube. Again, not preventative, just to treat shifters that get clogged.

-Pete

6

I am a mechanical engineer at work. I love bikes because they are mostly still simple enough for me to play with.

I won’t touch an STI lever…certainly not without eye protection and a cup! From what I can tell, touch just one critical thing and the whole lot will fall apart, with one spring bouncing off the walls and disappearing for all eternity. The heaviest part would no doubt whack me in the nuts, and the smallest piece would go in my eye. All I’d be left with would be a handful of parts that are most of what I need to put it back together. I would need a Phd, detailed instructions and a 12 year old Chinese girl (small hands) to help me put it back together again. Hey,you can’t unexplode a grenade, right?!

I’ve actually heard rumour that it’s easier to find the G-Spot, that rebuild an STI lever! LMFAO

Do yourself a favour and just get a new one!

7

About the only thing I do to mine is to spray whatever I can access with some WD-40 whenever I wash the bike. I just move the shift/brake lever as far over in all directions to expose as much of the innards as I can and spray copiously away. Seems to clean them out well enough and keep them working properly.