Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

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seabike
Posts: 15
Joined: 20 Sep 2020, 9:38pm

Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by seabike »

I've just bought a set of these for my Orbit tourer and wanted to know which bits to lubricate, and with what. The innards containing the power ratchet mechanism seem to be retained by a thin metal plate. Can this be easily removed for maintenance or is it meant to be sealed unit. I don't want to start trying to prise things apart that aren't mean to. Anyone else using these shifter that can offer their experience?
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by Brucey »

the shifters use the ratchet on the downshift and a 'normal' friction clutch on the upshift.

The friction clutch will either have metal-to metal facings or plastic to metal. The former need lubrication (with grease) and the latter usually are intended to be run dry; if you grease them often they will become impossible to tighten sufficient to hold any gear.

The ratchet itself is similar to that found in sun tour levers BITD. These either had a plastic toothed wedge or a metal pawl bearing against a toothed wheel. I'm not sure which is used in current Dia Compe levers but in any event either type is not designed to be lubricated , and if they are lubed, it usually increased the chances of the teeth in the wheel getting clogged and/or slippage. Grease should definitely not be used in any case.

If you overtighten the friction clutch, it stands a pretty good chance of then overloading (and breaking) the ratchet mechanism.
This is the original sun tour power ratchet mechanism (with sheet metal pawl)
Image
Image

The later sun tour MTB power ratchet in thumbshifters is seen here

http://www.cyclofiend.com/Images/rbw/pdf/rbw_original_powerratchet.pdf

and it uses a beefed up pawl. I think (but I am not 100% certain) that the Dia Compe shifters use this layout. You shouldn't remove the metal plate (it is riveted) unless the mechanism is broken, and then you may not be able to obtain parts to carry out a repair.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
seabike
Posts: 15
Joined: 20 Sep 2020, 9:38pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by seabike »

Thanks Brucey, after a bit of internet searching I found a disassembled photo of the power ratchet innards, and yes, they are identical to the later Sun Tour MTB shifters with the beefed-up pawl. The Dia Compe ENE shifters use a black plastic washer beneath the D ring tensioner bolt, so definitely no lube required there. As the shifters are brand new I won't need to worry about the state of the internals, but what about a year or two further down the line? Would a very brief squirt of something like GT85 be appropriate then to keep things corrosion free and functioning correctly, without gumming up the works?
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by Brucey »

yes, corrosion-wise, but you may have to clean the residue off the friction washers. GT85 leaves a thin oily residue.

However you may also find that subsequent wear debris then sticks to the ratchet wheel (instead of just falling out as a loose dust) and turns into an abrasive, clogging sludge.

I would suggest cleaning the shifter in clean solvent a few months after using GT85 (or similar) and then examining the solvent container for residue; if much is evident then you know you need to either keep the shifters dry and unlubed or clean them at regular intervals.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
seabike
Posts: 15
Joined: 20 Sep 2020, 9:38pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by seabike »

I installed the downtube shifters today, restricting any lube to just a dab of copper grease for the braze-on downtube bosses, the square holed steel plates that go over the boss, and the threads of the D ring tensioner bolts. I can see the good sense in keeping the ratchet mechanism bone dry, and just hope the materials used are fairly corrosion resistant. The toothed wheel looks to be brass or bronze, don't know about the pawl or pawl spring, but the ENE shifters appear to be very well made overall, so I'm hopeful they'll last a few years.

The shifters really are very pleasant to use, but take a bit of getting used to as the action is much more subtle than the ones I was using previously. I keep thinking the friction won't be sufficient to resist the spring tension of the derailleurs, such is the smoothness and lightness of the lever movement, and then I remember the position is actually being held by the ratchet. I'm still on 3 x 8 speed but reckon they could successfully be used for a 9 or even 10 speed, friction only set-up.
David9694
Posts: 908
Joined: 10 Feb 2018, 8:42am

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by David9694 »

I advise against dis-assembling these levers.

A dab of copper slip when you install them is a good idea. If you ever remove them, be sure to push them off from the inside outwards - very carefully.
Spa Audax Ti Ultegra; Genesis Equilibrium 853; Raleigh Record Ace 1983; “Raleigh Competition”, “Raleigh Gran Sport 1982”; “Allegro Special”, Bob Jackson tourer, Ridley alu step-through with Swytch front wheel; gravel bike from an MB Dronfield 531 frame.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by Brucey »

FWIW if the ratchet parts are yellow in colour, it is quite likely to be a passivated zinc coating on steel. You can test if this is the case by using a small screwdriver with a magnetised tip; if the tip sticks to the part, that part is steel.

Copper ease is great stuff, but not on shifter parts that are meant to move; apply with care.

BTW my understanding is that the ENE shifters have been designed so that they will work OK with current shimano 'road' 11s equipment.

cheers
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
seabike
Posts: 15
Joined: 20 Sep 2020, 9:38pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by seabike »

Point taken about the need to remove the shifters carefully. Apparently, if disassembled, the Dia Compe ones have a habit of vigorously ejecting the tiny pawl springs, never to be seen again.

The copper grease was only applied where paint damage could be caused by the square holed backing plate being tightened onto the downtube boss. None on the moving parts.
scottg
Posts: 1218
Joined: 10 Jan 2008, 8:44pm
Location: Highland Heights Kentucky,, USA

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by scottg »

Dia-Compe make a 11s/Dynasys version of the shifter, larger barrel to pull more cable.
Just the thing for updating the Cyclo shifter on your Benelux Tourist equipped bike.
Also works with Nivex and Cyclo rear mechs, for those with posh bikes.
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Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-AG
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niloc
Posts: 165
Joined: 22 Dec 2008, 9:54pm

Re: Dia Compe ENE downtube friction shifter lubrication

Post by niloc »

FWIW - I have Diacompe friction shifters on 2 road bikes and have never felt the need to lubricate them
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