Campagnolo rear mech - missing spring

[20130814]

Hi,

I have recently been given an old British Eagle racer which has this Campagnolo rear mech on it:



I removed the rear mech to clean it but I think I lost a spring because when I have put it back on the frame as on the photo above, the mech hangs loose instead of the way a rear mech normally hangs, where you can move it left and right and it moves back to the same resting position as there is tension created by a spring located somewhere around the part of the mech with the big screw that screws the mech onto the frame.

There are other photos of the mech and a small insert that fits into the back of the mech. I have probably lost the spring section but I don't know what type the rear mech is, or whether it'd be possible to find / buy the spring I have lost.

Here are the other photos:

Another view of the front:



View of the back with the insert removed:



View of the back of the rear mech with fixing bolt and insert removed:



View of the insert:



I removed the rear mech about 2 weeks ago and have since swept up in the shed so if a spring unit did fall out of the rear mech I have since lost it.

Any advice much appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

[gaz]

Campagnolo Triomphe/Victory? If so the B-pivot is unsprung.

[20130814]

Campagnolo Triomphe/Victory? If so the B-pivot is unsprung.

Hi Gary.

Thanks for your reply.

Do you mean by design that type of rear mech does not have a spring?

Thanks

Jim

[tatanab]

As Gaz says, no spring. See page 20 for parts diagram http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/d/1 ... Record.pdf

[Brucey]

There is no second spring, the body of the mech sits at a fixed angle, which is defined by the position of the toothy insert. The mech is pulled forward by the chain tension; it moves backwards freely (when not under chain tension) in order to allow rapid wheel changes. A campag mech from the early 1950s would work in an identical fashion, apart from the toothy insert which was a new(ish) idea when the victory mech came along.

FWIW this kind of mech results in an, ahem, 'unsophisticated' action. To get good shifting it is best to use HG-style sprockets, a good chain, and if necessary a guide pulley with more prominent teeth which gives better lateral traction on the chain.

[NB C-record rear mechs looked vaguely similar and did have two springs. You have not got one of those.]

cheers

[Mick F]

Campagnolo Triomphe/Victory? If so the B-pivot is unsprung.

Yep.
A few other models too.

[peetee]

It's a Victory. The Triomphe has black pulley wheels. They really were poor performers. I spent ages saving up for a Triomphe groupset in the mid 80's and spent even longer cursing the vague gear change.