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I am trying to register my old rear derailleur (a 15-year-old Shimano "7sis"), and I'm trying to find what every guide calls the "B-tension screw". I looked everywhere and couldn't find anything that looks like it. I only have the two screw for the upper and lower limit.

Here are a couple of pictures: enter image description here enter image description here

Can anybody point me in the right direction? Thanks

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  • I've never seen one on that style of derailer. May 14, 2016 at 17:06
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    A quick Google search with 'Shimano "7sis"' shows a good number of similar pictures ... unfortunately I have no idea of what model it could be
    – Bob-it
    May 14, 2016 at 17:14
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    Just ignore it. You need to set high, low and the indexing tension (that barrel adjuster).
    – Batman
    May 14, 2016 at 17:15
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    If you can rephrase your question to include the issue you are having you may get a more definitive answer. They can be adjusted to work reasonably well even without a "B" screw.
    – mikes
    May 14, 2016 at 17:35
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    At a guess, it may not have one. Some of the simplified components have no adjustment, like my bottom-end cleat pedals have no tension adjust.
    – Criggie
    May 14, 2016 at 21:02

3 Answers 3

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As other comments have stated some older derailleurs did not come with a "B" screw. This is also true of newer low end components.

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I have adjusted the "B tension" on old bottom-end Shimano junker derailleur very similar to this one. Though there is no screw for the adjustment, what you can do is drill another hole for the B axle spring, to create a lower tension position that will bring the jockey wheel closer to the cog for better shifting (which I'm guessing is almost certainly the adjustment you want to make, judging by the picture, showing a very sagging jockey wheel on the highest gear.)

Since there is hardly a shred of aluminum to be found in these things, you're drilling though steel, I'm afraid. Use a carbide drill bit if you have one, go easy and slow and take your time. Don't do what I did: namely, don't drill a new spring hole through the hanger, which is a fairly thick plate of steel; drill it on the opposite side, in the B axle housing, if you can. On the hanger side, the new hole hole is retarded relative to the old one (counter-clockwise or backwards rotation around the axle) to bring about more looseness so the jockey wheel is pulled closer to the cogs. On the opposite side, of course, it is backwards: the hole is advanced relative to the old one.

I seem to recall that the "C clamp" on the B-axle is underneath the black plastic cover through which protrude the H and L trim screws. That can be gently popped off with a screwdriver, immediately revealing the axle end with the clamp on it, which can be popped off, after which the whole pivot assembly separates from the hanger, and the spring comes out.

Though this is a fun thing to do, you can replace the whole derailleur with its modern low equivalent: a Shimano Tourney TX-55, pretty much the Shimano bottom end as far as derailleurs go. Anyway, these Tourneys have the angled geometry of the pivot to track left-right in a way that tries to follow the variation in cog size (unlike your SIS derailleur which tracks horizontally), and they have that darned B-tension screw.

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I have the same derailleur as you, and I cannot find a B screw either. However, it looks to me that your axle is not properly seated in the fork slot (1/2" gap). Try seating the axle all the way in to see if that makes a difference.

I need a B screw to back my gear pulley away about 1-2mm, as it's grinding a little when using the largest sprocket. I guess it's factory set.

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  • Those diagonal dropouts allow for single speed conversions, as well as regulating the B gap. There's no requirement for it to be seated all the way in.
    – MaplePanda
    Jul 6, 2020 at 5:23
  • Hi, welcome to bicycles. If you have a question of your own about adjusting your derailleur that this question (or any other) doesn't answer then you could ask it yourself.
    – DavidW
    Jul 7, 2020 at 16:09

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