RX100 shifters woes - any advice?

[Ugo51]

Ah! Now I get it. Thanks for explaining. Not patronising at all. I simply had not considered the idea of discarding a sprocket!
In my head I was fitting a 8-speed cassette and simply not use one of the sprockets.

Do you reckon the lockring will work without the smallest sprocket in place?

 

[gtturbo]

That pawl you mentioned with the tired spring. Spray it with WD or similar and move the pawl back and forth a bit, I use a bradl but something pointy like that will do. It's probably just gummed up and the lube and a good bit of wiggling normally gets them engaging again.

 

[Jonny69]

These shifters look like they’ll strip down like the old Dura Ace ones did. I’d get in there with the tools and see what’s stuck/missing/unlatched/broken*

*delete as appropriate

I’d do that first.

If you decide to go the route of using 7 gears off an 8-speed cassette, I’d strongly recommend doing 9 gears off a 10-speed. It works perfectly and I use this setup on my Hobbs: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/yellow-hobbs-winter-beater-of-distinction-wbod.488739/

Two more gears in the same space and if you’re replacing everything anyway the parts are the same price. If you want to take the smallest cog off, you’ll need to make up a ring of wire to fit in the slot on the next one up. See in my thread above. The smallest cog acts like a lock cog for the lock ring and sits in a slot in the next cog up. Without the ring of wire, the lock ring won’t tighten the cassette down.

 

[Jesper]

After rear cluster is replaced (if needed), your mech limiter adjustments will make it shift just like a 7 seven speed and eliminating any "extra" clicks on the shifter.

 

[Canuk]

I would forget any rehabilitation of the left lever. Every RX100 set up I've seen in the past 20 odd years at least one lever (usually the right) is beyond saving. You're lucky it's the left. Too many plastic parts inside I've heard. Below Shimano 105 in 7 or 8 speed groups, the quality was never there from the get go.

Up thread is good advice, strip out the insides and use it as a brake lever and mount one of these on your down tube boss. They come indexed, but you can use them friction only also. Gets you all your 21 gears back for a couple of quid.

I've known several people take these apart and "degrease" them, only to have it bugger up again within a week or so. It's not worth the hassle for what it is. It's not the grease , it's just at the end of its usable mechanical life. It's worn out, and that's the top and bottom of it. A left lever like this will give you full functionality with years of service in your triple set up for a very small investment.

 

[jason1788]

Get the shifters into an ultrasonic tank. I did this just a few weeks ago with a 105 3x10 set and they went from inoperable to snick-snick perfect.

 

[bikeworkshop]

Sounds advice above.
Bike sounds good.

Sometimes to get the re-oiling working it's worth spraying a load of solvent like disc brake cleaner in there first.

 

[Ugo51]

Sadly, cleaning the mechanism didn't solve anything. In fact, I think that's exactly what the previous owner did as it was indeed really clean inside.
Looks like the "tooth" the pawl engages with has worn out over time and it just doesn't works any more.

 

[Ugo51]

Get the shifters into an ultrasonic tank. I did this just a few weeks ago with a 105 3x10 set and they went from inoperable to snick-snick perfect.

I'll think about it. I have one just lying around..

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

As Jimo said spraying WD40 inside shifter can loosen up the old grease to allow the pawls to move. After getting it to shift OK you will need to re-lube it as WD40 ain't no lubricant, it will tend to wash off the lube that was there and it will be shifting, or attempting to, dry. I used spray chain lube when I fixed an Ultegra shifter lever I had on a bike I'd bought.