Installing new Ultegra Levers and cables.

[def]

I'm going to help a mate install some new 10sp levers and cables in a week or so. I've just done this for some 105 levers for someone else.

Do you need to lube a brand new cable set? The previous campagnolo installations I've done say there's no need but there was discussion over coffee aprė velo yesterday that you need to syringe lube into cables before installing.

If so, what's the best lube to use?

On a related note, I tried to take apart and investigate the internals of the old 105 levers. What a mess they are inside. I replaced the internals of my veloce levers a few years back and although it was fiddly it was at least doable!

[r2160]

I have never had to, however, you also need to make sure the levers match the derailleurs. The older ultegra and new ultegra have different lever ratios.

cheers
Glenn

[Duck!]

No need to lube the cables. The supplied outers are greased as well as having a Teflon liner, and the inners (assuming 6700 shifters) are also Teflon-coated.

[su-pista]

Not 100% necessary but worth doing, as it helps minimise cable friction and the shifting action will be lighter and will drop down through the cassette better. I use triflow and have had good experience with it on all cable sets including 9000 and 7900

[macca33]

No need to lube the cables. The supplied outers are greased as well as having a Teflon liner, and the inners (assuming 6700 shifters) are also Teflon-coated.

I'd agree with this comment!

[def]

Thanks for all the comments. They confirm my suspicion that lubing new cables is unnecessary.

I had assumed that Ultegra 10sp is Ultegra 10sp. So long as you avoid 11sp surely 10sp will work OK? Seemed to be OK with 105 levers I've just done even
though the new levers had no "lobster antennae" sticking out of them.

[Duck!]

As you suspect, all the 10-sp. stuff is cross-compatible.

[QuangVuong]

Not necessarily, Duck. The internal routing of the 6700 levers have a slightly different cable pull than levers with the cables sticking out the side. It should still work, but the shifting may not be as good as it can be.

What happened to the 105 lever you dismantled? And which series was it?

[Duck!]

The only leverage that got tweaked was the front derailleur/shifter, in order to pull across the slightly wider chainring spacing of the 7900/6700 cranks. They'll easily tune down to older cranks, but it's harder to tune an older left shifter/front derailleur up to a later crank.

Any reduction in shift quality with internal routing is due to the inherently greater friction of the design.

[Dan]

Not necessarily, Duck. The internal routing of the 6700 levers have a slightly different cable pull than levers with the cables sticking out the side. It should still work, but the shifting may not be as good as it can be.

What happened to the 105 lever you dismantled? And which series was it?

Here we go again... Internet expert V bike mechanic.

[warthog1]

I've got 6700 levers on a 6600 groupset on the commuter. You've got to squeeze the brakes a bit harder due to a different brake lever pull but it still works fine. Shifts beautifully and great to be rid of the cables flapping around out the side of the hoods. I never liked that.

[def]

Not necessarily, Duck. The internal routing of the 6700 levers have a slightly different cable pull than levers with the cables sticking out the side. It should still work, but the shifting may not be as good as it can be.

What happened to the 105 lever you dismantled? And which series was it?

The old 105 levers are in bits in the bin. I got fed up with failing to diagnose the problem (some weird issue with an escape mechanism).

I'm pretty sure they are 5600 series - the last series with the antennae as far as I know (not a shimano expert).

[Duck!]

The old 105 levers are in bits in the bin. I got fed up with failing to diagnose the problem (some weird issue with an escape mechanism).

I'm pretty sure they are 5600 series - the last series with the antennae as far as I know (not a shimano expert).

Not an early ('06-'07 model years) left shifter in particular by chance? Those things (also '07 4500 Tiagra) were not separate double/triple-specific units, instead one shifter for both crank arrangements. The mechanism between the second & third gear positions was quite delicate, and when used on a double, if the upper derailleur limit & cable tension weren't absolutely spot on, the shifter would start to "overshift" into the third gear zone and blow up its guts terminally. From '08 (mid-'07 release) to the end of production, there were separate double & triple-specific shifters to address the problem. The simple way to tell which version is to look at the nameplate on the left shifter; if it only says 105, it's an early one - the later ones had the word "double" or "triple" as appropriate just under the 105 logo.

[def]

The old 105 levers are in bits in the bin. I got fed up with failing to diagnose the problem (some weird issue with an escape mechanism).

I'm pretty sure they are 5600 series - the last series with the antennae as far as I know (not a shimano expert).

Not an early ('06-'07 model years) left shifter in particular by chance? Those things (also '07 4500 Tiagra) were not separate double/triple-specific units, instead one shifter for both crank arrangements. The mechanism between the second & third gear positions was quite delicate, and when used on a double, if the upper derailleur limit & cable tension weren't absolutely spot on, the shifter would start to "overshift" into the third gear zone and blow up its guts terminally. From '08 (mid-'07 release) to the end of production, there were separate double & triple-specific shifters to address the problem. The simple way to tell which version is to look at the nameplate on the left shifter; if it only says 105, it's an early one - the later ones had the word "double" or "triple" as appropriate just under the 105 logo.

I don't believe so. It was the RH shifter that shat itself. It wouldn't change with the big lever (ie from small cogs to big cogs on the back). I could make it work by pushing on a bit of sticky-out metal whilst applying tension to the cable and it would change down fine. Like I said earlier, there is some problem with some escape mechanism.

I've dug the bits out of the bin and they are 5600 - that's what's stamped on the plastic housing. Also, there is no "3" or "2" under the 105 on the LH lever.

Unsure of the year but I don't think they go back to 2007. They're of a mate's bike who only recently got into riding - 2010 comes into mind but that could be wrong - time flies past and I've lost track.....