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Anyone know how to put together a late 80s Campagnolo rear derailleur?

bawbag

Maximum Pace
Mar 20, 2013
450
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Hello dear people of the internet.

One came with the bike frame I just got. It was covered in grime, so I decided to clean it...

All was going well until I decided to overhaul the jockey wheels. Unbeknownst to me, the screw on the upper jockey wheel is the one which also holds the cage and the tensioning spring onto the derailleur. It wasn't a problem as I could see how it went back together.

Until I tried to put it back together.

Every time I try to tension the spring, it gets part way round before the end of the spring jumps out of the hole in the cage. There must be some way to do it, but I haven't a clue. I've hunted for instructions online, but they're all for 10s derailleurs, not the "vintage" 8s varieties, so the instructions are different enough that they don't really work.

Grrrrrrr. I guess it doesn't matter too much at the moment - I got wiped out by a Friday night oyaji on his mamachari and am now the proud owner of a fractured clavicle and elbow. No cycling for me for the next month at least.
 
I'll add some pictures of the derailleur in "assembled but not tensioned" mode - the main issue is the stopper/limiter in the third photo - it prevents the cage rotating back to zero tension. To get it past the body, the bolt has to be loosened. However, once it is loose enough, the spring just pops out of the hole in the cage as soon as you try to rotate it. It's driven me insane for about three hours. Off to bed.


 
I did have a look around the web last night just in case & I couldnt find anything either. If I'm at the LBS this weekend I will ask them but most of my LBS's are now staffed by people younger than me :(
 
Pretty easy to do mate, infact this is one part of the rear derailleur that hasn't changed in years!



It might be helpful if you could also post pictures of all the parts :D
 
I remember having trouble with that same spring but I would just walk away and come back and try it later if it didn't fit. Eventually it would all fall into place, don't force anything.
 
I actually managed to get it back together and tensioned by reversing the spring - the short end was barely making it through the guide hole into the cage, so any rotational force would pop it out. The marginal extra length of the other side was enough. I could have straightened the short end with some pliers, but plumped for the quick'n'easy fix. I checked to see if there were any issues with the longer end poking out near the pulleys, but it's fine.

Thanks for the video FarEast! I never thought to check Youtube! Kiwisimon - yeah a 24-hour rage dissipation period was well in order.

Now to decide whether to stick the Chorus components or the 7400 Dura-ace ones on the Gazelle frame. Technically and weight-wise the Dura-ace is the superior groupset, but aesthetically, the Chorus stuff is rather lovely.
 
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