Exage 500LX replace or upgrade advice

[Beeewu]

Exage 500lx replace or upgrade advice for a rear derailleur thats playing on a 1990 Saracen Traverse..need to replacing... maybe shifters too.
Whether to find old 500LX or upgrade with something old but decent or buy new...would rather keep it in theme...but overall i want it to work.
Thanks
B

 

[xxnick1975]

Re:

Basically any 7 speed shimano jobbie will do. I suspect it would take a while to source a 500lx now a days as nobody is really interested in the lower end groupset

Look on the for sale page here, posted a wanted add and on eBay and buy on condition - you will have your pick, there’s thousands knocking about

Deore 2, DX or XT all likely to come up. XT highest ranked on paper but academic really in 2020, as I said buy on condition

Re shifters, if you have STIs then get some thumbies and brake levers, as sti units from this era are crap really. I’d go with Deore thumbies personal over XT as the clamping mechanisms is less sophisticated but way more reliable esp with 30 year old units

If you do need both might be worth looking for a donor bike, another Saracen would fit the bill and harvesting what you need from that

 

[Beeewu]

Thank you Nick, just want something decent and reliable...just heard 500lx is not much different to Deore lx...would rather better but not looking to spend alot.
But would like to hear some knowledge on any old reliable replacements that could be a upgrade..as the bike is decent enough for me and would like to use it for years.

Definitely agree regarding the shifters.

nice1
B

 

[MR OX]

Re:

Shifters might just need the dry grease cleaning out & re-greasing, I think I have a 500 Lx mech kicking about I'll have a look.

 

[hamster]

I'd agree that functionally 500LX is identical to Deore LX. I bet that in the dark you couldn;t tell the difference. A good scrub with a toothbrush and new jockey wheels on the rear mech (if they are wobbly) usually sorts out most problems.
Almost everything else (apart from gummed up shifters as @MR OX said) can usually be cured by new cables and outers. It's amazing how many dud gear systems come magically back to life with new cabling! Use stainless inners as they don't corrode and get sticky.

 

[Beeewu]

Re: Re:

Shifters might just need the dry grease cleaning out & re-greasing, I think I have a 500 Lx mech kicking about I'll have a look.

thanks mate, going open the shifters up see whats lurking..i'll may need the rear mech tho..will hit u up if i cant get it working.

 

[Beeewu]

I'd agree that functionally 500LX is identical to Deore LX. I bet that in the dark you couldn;t tell the difference. A good scrub with a toothbrush and new jockey wheels on the rear mech (if they are wobbly) usually sorts out most problems.
Almost everything else (apart from gummed up shifters as @MR OX said) can usually be cured by new cables and outers. It's amazing how many dud gear systems come magically back to life with new cabling! Use stainless inners as they don't corrode and get sticky.

thanks mate..yes hopefully i can save them.

 

[Nick76]

Re: Re:

Shifters might just need the dry grease cleaning out & re-greasing, I think I have a 500 Lx mech kicking about I'll have a look.

thanks mate, going open the shifters up see whats lurking..i'll may need the rear mech tho..will hit u up if i cant get it working.

I'm also resurrecting a 1990 Saracen with a 500LX groupset (or at least most of one, with a couple of parts-bin substitutions). Last time I had it running the STI shifters were causing trouble. The front mech wouldn't stay on the big ring - it fell off as soon as I let go of the button because a pawl inside the shifter wasn't engaging - but there's no obvious way to get it apart to clean out the solidified grease and relubricate. A short-term bodge of squirting a load of GT85 into the mechanism got it working.

 

[hamster]

It's not a bodge to squirt GT85 inside!
The grease hardens - adding solvent to the grease softens it and you are good to go. If you use loads then you can dossolve the olf grease and flush it through. Then spray in a new semi-fluid grease (it must say semi-fluid on the can for best results) and you are good to go.