Campag Ergo Wear

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Graham
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Graham »

^
That is a typical contemporary dilemma.
The basic function can be provided by the downtube shifters, but the marginal ergonomic gain from the Ergos costs ever increasing £££££££.

You appear to be in the fortunate position where you have all choices open. . . . . including evolving back to DT shifters.
If the LHS eventually fails when the new RHS-body soldiers on, you could change chainrings with DT on the left.

I bet you buy the new RHS body.
Keezx
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Keezx »

Still lots of older Ergo's (pre 2007) on the 2nd hand market for parts.

PS I have never seen a worn-out ratched ring of an older Ergopower regardless 8, 9 or 10 speed, anf I've seen and overhauled quit a bit.
You gotta be a real heavy user to accomplish that.
Brucey
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Brucey »

-or use the wrong grease?

cheers
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Gattonero
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Gattonero »

Graham wrote:^
That is a typical contemporary dilemma.
The basic function can be provided by the downtube shifters, but the marginal ergonomic gain from the Ergos costs ever increasing £££££££.

You appear to be in the fortunate position where you have all choices open. . . . . including evolving back to DT shifters.
If the LHS eventually fails when the new RHS-body soldiers on, you could change chainrings with DT on the left.

I bet you buy the new RHS body.


evolving back to DT shifters
Maybe for a few, not for everyone.
I do have and happily use DT shifters, they are lovely, but being able to shift while keeping both hands on the bars is extra safety that is always appreciated.
I think that when a shifter like Ergopowers, STI, etc. do have a decade (or two) of service with the 50k miles mark, it's already a good result. Nothing lasts forever, not even DT shifters (aside for the fact that 10sp with friction shifters is rather annoying). Every now and then money has to be spent in maintenance.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Keezx wrote: ...... I have never seen a worn-out ratched ring of an older Ergopower regardless 8, 9 or 10 speed, anf I've seen and overhauled quit a bit.
You gotta be a real heavy user to accomplish that.
That's basically what Mr Mercian in Derby said.
I replied that they've done nearly 40,000miles ............. and in Devon and Cornwall to boot!

I reckon I change gear hundreds of times per ride, and also change front rings many many times. My Ergos get well-used, and I often go from top gear to bottom gear within a hundred yards due to the terrain. Yes, the Ergos take some punishment.

If I fancy it, I'll take off the RH Ergo later today, and put a straight edge across the ratchet ........... and try and take a good photo to demonstrate.

I still haven't decided what to do with it. Yes, I could buy a secondhand unit ............... or I could just try new G springs as I have not much to lose.
Mick F. Cornwall
tatanab
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by tatanab »

On my most heavily used machine I have Campag 8 speed down tube levers, now 20 years old and going fine. They have seen an awful lot of use, far more than any of my Ergos. All of my frames have DT lever positions although most have Ergo fitted. This is so that I have a get out of jail card if an Ergo fails on tour or indexing is upset by a baggage handler bending the rear hanger. None of this has happened, and I hope it never does.
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Well ........................

I took the Ergo apart on Monday, gave it coat of looking at, and reassembled it. I went out for a ride on Thursday, and it was no better, so phoned Mercian to see if I could get new parts.

It seemed to me that the main ratchet was quite worn and definitely the G springs as well. You know the story so far eh?

Well ..................
I've just taken it apart again, and given it another coat of looking at, knowing how expensive it will be to resurrect it. The main ratchet isn't as worn as I thought it was ........... but this is mainly wishful thinking. It is worn, but it may be ok.

Meanwhile the G springs are terrible. They need replacing no matter what.

I tried to take photos of the main ratchet in an effort to show the wear, but the photos don't do it justice TBH.
See what you guys think! :wink:
Ratchet1.jpeg
Ratchet3.jpeg
Ratchet5.jpeg
Mick F. Cornwall
Brucey
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Brucey »

I'd use that; with new G springs I think it would be OK. You have little to lose by trying?

One thing that seems very clear is that the parts are covered in swarf. If they get to look like that you should perhaps clean them every now and then.

Also, might I enquire about your lubrication regime?

cheers
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Brucey wrote:I'd use that; with new G springs I think it would be OK. You have little to lose by trying?

One thing that seems very clear is that the parts are covered in swarf. If they get to look like that you should perhaps clean them every now and then.

Also, might I enquire about your lubrication regime?

cheers
Yes, Brucey, that is my plan. I have little to lose in the gamble, but I reckon it'll be ok. It won't last anther 40,000miles, but I doubt I will do either. :lol:

Yes, the bits need cleaning more, but as for a lube regime?
How do you do that?
In order to get the thing cleaned and lubed properly, they need pulling apart. I've never done that other than when replacing G springs.
They have had two sets previously - one when new, and another a few years ago. These are they, so they'll be on the third set shortly.

Some years ago, I tried using thick oil inside, but that was horrible. They worked well, but the oil seeped out and made the rubber hoods all slimey. Since then, I've used the grease we bought on here. Know the stuff?
Mobilith SHC 1500
I have some in a small grease gun, and it injects nicely and accurately.

As for "official" maintenance, there's nothing much in the instructions other than have them checked every three years or 18,000miles. That's what I've done. Each set of G springs has lasted about that distance.
Screen Shot 2017-02-19 at 11.23.15.png
Mick F. Cornwall
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Brucey »

the life you are getting isn't bad (the G springs are consumables after all) however I can't help but think that a different lubricant (eg with MoS2 and/or graphite) might work better than a grease that doesn't have such things in it.

The wear regime (unlike shimano STI internals, or typical ball bearings) is one of high pressure sliding wear.

cheers
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Whatever I've been doing isn't bad at all.
When Ergos are brand new, they have pale grease in there, and not much of it either.

As for Molybdenum Disulphide grease, can you get it in small quantities?
A quick Google brings this up:
http://uk.farnell.com/crc/mos2-superlan ... dp/1328089
Is this the stuff?
Mick F. Cornwall
Brucey
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Brucey »

MoS2 bearing greases vary quite a lot; some have <1% in and others have up to 50% in, with a price to match. You want the latter sort for this job. I'm not familiar with the Farnell product.

cheers
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Thanks Brucey.
Graphite grease, you mentioned. You could get a graphite lock lubricant from Maplins.
Is this any good?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/ambersil-grap ... cant-n68jb
I see it's discontinued. :oops:

Also, just ordered a two RH G springs.
Sigma Sport, where I got the last ones from.
http://www.sigmasport.co.uk/item/Campag ... ng/AVB?s=1
Mick F. Cornwall
tatanab
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by tatanab »

Mick F wrote:Thanks Brucey.
Graphite grease, you mentioned. You could get a graphite lock lubricant from Maplins.
Is this any good?
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/ambersil-grap ... cant-n68jb
I see it's discontinued. :oops:
Plenty of other suppliers. I have used it to free up padlocks that have a hard life with water and mud. It worked well. The container is a mini aerosol, perhaps like the ear wax clearing nozzles, so I doubt it would be easy to inject into an assembled lever but would be fine for dispensing on a stripped one I imagine.
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Mick F
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Re: Campag Ergo Wear

Post by Mick F »

Thanks.

I think one could consider an Ergo very much like a complicated lock.
Tumblers and latches perhaps?

Locks tend to have brass stuff internally and therefore naturally "oily" ............ but an Ergo is steel - cast bits and forged bits - and then may rust without any "grease"?
Seems to me that an Ergo needs some sort of oil lubricant, but no doubt with a graphite or MolySulph inside it, rather than a dry powdery lube.

......... or am I wrong here?

Back in my day in the RN, the engineers used a Graphite Grease stuff on upperdeck equipment - screw-threads and the like. It was a black awful stuff that coated your fingernails and didn't like being cleaned off. Can't remember what it was called, but it was greasy and black and sort of dry all at the same time.
Similar stuff (to look at) as CV Joint grease, but was graphite and gritty rather than soft and creamy.
Mick F. Cornwall
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