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After almost 15 years of flawless service my 8 speed Ultegra bar end shifter has suddenly stopped working.

With the wire detached from the derailleur so there's no tension in it the lever now only moves through 5 clicks.

If I switch it into friction mode the lever seems to be limited to a smaller sweep of motion than the left hand lever. I think they used to move to about the same extent.

Is there anything I can try to get the lever working again? Anything to look for that might explain the symptoms?

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    Sounds to me like you have something blocking it - a pile of former-lubricant or a piece of something. Can you dump the whole thing in a jar of solvent like petrol overnight? Agitate it several times (ie shake) Then dry it, and let it air dry. Should improve things, without the need for a full rebuild.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 9:23
  • @Criggie Thanks will give that a try - will need to find something a bit less flamable than petrol though as I live in a flat.
    – henry
    Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 9:26
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    Citrus-based degreaser would be just as good, but more expensive. Smells delightful though :)
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jul 19, 2016 at 9:28
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    Having finally got round to taking it apart the little sticky out "spike" looks to protrude too far and seems to have scoured into the metal ring that's held against the lever. I can't quite picture in my head how this works - but as there is metal wear I think the lever may be dead.
    – henry
    Commented Jul 22, 2016 at 19:57
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    They never actually went away. chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/…
    – Nathan Knutson
    Commented Aug 19, 2016 at 1:07

2 Answers 2

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There are pawls inside that allow for the clicking of one gear to the next. After years of service it is quite common for those little pawls to shear from their body and become lodged in between the shift space of two gears.

Even if you free the pawl the shifter will only work in friction mode as the pall will no longer be there to click anymore.

8-speed ultegra should be able to found readily and cheaply.

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Just a guess. Cable may have become tangled in shifter without tension (solder piece pushed out of seat). It needs tension to operate correctly. Check the shifter end of the cable for proper seating.

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