Seeking Fix for Noisy Ultegra STI Shifters

[Wayne Foster]

Help.

My Ultegra STI shifters may extremely irritating noises on moderately rough
roads. The problem is NOT the decorative cap rattling. The small, inside
levers are rattling. I can't find any way to tighten these levers. Any
suggestions.

thanks.

Wayne Foster
--

[Steven Metz]

Mike: let me do the honor.
http://www.chainreactionbicycles.com/noisystilevers.htm

[Mike Jacoubowsky]

He's talking about a different issue though. It may be the smaller lever
rattling against the bigger one. Some have found success by putting a small
dab of silicone sealant there, others have even used tiny rubber bands.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
http://www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

"Steven Metz" <steve...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:9i0gm1$pds$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net...

[whr]

Wayne,

Look on the back side of the shift levers and you should see a small round
philips-head screw. Make sure this screw is present and tight. If it's
loose, apply some locktite and tighten. If you can't find it, check the
other lever -- they are similar.
If the screw is loose, the lever will rattle as you described and the
down-shift (small lever) will hang sometimes.

The new Ultegra levers have added small lock washer (with a locking tab)
under this screw and changed the round head screw to a hex head. The lock
tab is bent up against the screw to keep it from backing out. They also
added a small rubber band around the small lever to reduce noise.

Good luck,

Walt

"Wayne Foster" <wa...@wjwfoster.com> wrote in message
news:B768F880.20D3%wa...@wjwfoster.com...

[Buck]

Even better - look for a small screw behind the small lever. It will be hard
to reach, but tighten it up a bit and the rattle should go away. It worked
for me....

-Buck

"Mike Jacoubowsky" <Mik...@ix.netcom.com> wrote in message
news:ZJP07.5940$Uj6....@open-news.pacbell.net...

[Dirk Lenart]

I struggled with this annoying problem for a whole year. Reading and
searching this newsgroup, seeking advice from the LBS.

The ultimate trick is using a special version of Loctite. It's called
Loctite 243 (blue Loctite) and is used to lock the thread of screws
so that they cannot rattle loose.

When you look from the bottom into the space where your two levers are
attached to each other, you'll see a philips screw. I'm certain it
will have come loose. Some people even lost it during riding. Even
when you tighten it really hard, it will not solve you're problem,
because with
the slightest bump on the road it will loosen a little bit, and you're
old rattling will start all over.

Now, when you take out this screw (the levers won't drop out), and you
coat it with Loctite 243 (blue stuff), put it in its place and fasten
really well. Don't go riding, let the bike rest for one night. The
Loctite will have hardened. You're problem will have gone.
Be careful when you remove the screw, because in between the two
levers, there's a little washer, which will drop out and will cause
you're levers to stick to each other when you put the screw back. So
be
certain you don't lose it when it drops out. I tend to put some
plasticine under the levers so it can't drop out. Putting it back is
difficult, but not impossible!

You can use this loctite to keep the caps on top of your levers from
coming loose too. Just pop them off with a screwdriver, remove the
screw that holds a little black piece in place (which holds the cap in
place when it's pushed onto this black piece). Apply the Loctite and
replace everything. This cap will never come loose again.

To really get rid of all noises I apply a very small piece of cork
tape
(from your handlebar) in between the two levers, where the small one
hits the large one. You've got to try to find the righ spot. Use some
regular Loctite (glue this time) to attach the piece. Be careful the
levers are not too much separated from each other, otherwise they'll
start to malfunction and the small one won't return to its normal
place.

Start with the first tip, it should really relieve you of most, if not
all, of the noise.

It took me a year to find this solution (someone mentioned blue
loctite
in a newsgroup, and I started hunting for it). I really hope this will
solve your problem, becaus it drove me nuts for a whole year. I was
almost ready to fork out a lot of money for a set of new STI levers,
STI 6510, which should solve this problem, according to Shimano.

Dirk Lenart
Belgium

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Just for info-if this screw does fall out as it seems to with alarming
frequency, the little allen screws used to hold the DA and Ultegra brake blocks
in the holders works great as a replacement....
Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl ST.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com