So, i’ve had these shifters now about 2 years on various frames/configurations. They’re 10 speed SLX dyna-sys.

Sadly, the rear 10 speed is getting a little sluggish now, heavy i guess is the best term i can think of.

I’m running full outer and have just installed a new inner which has helped a fraction, but not by THAT much. So i’m guessing the inner workings have got a bit tired and maybe even a bit rusted up.

Obviously taking a shifter apart ends in springs/disasters everywhere, so i’m avoiding that plan.

Anywhere i can squirt a bit of something and see if it loosens up a touch ?

could be the outer cable that’s got water in it at some point and is a bit gunked up. Or the mech needs a good degrease and re-oil.

Unlikely to be the shifters, though, ime.

wwaswas, agreed

maybe now is the time to fit the XTR mech i’ve had in a box for 4 months then. 🙂

Bought it a while ago but thought “there’s nowt wrong with the current one….” so it has remained in the box.

I’ll try that tonight.

Any tips on cleaning out the outer ? i don’t want to throw some GT-85 down it etc in case the residue makes the issue worse in there over time. The outer is about 6 months old BTW.

Any tips on cleaning out the outer ?

Chuck it; fit new – it’s cheap

(GT85 residue is mostly PTFE – I flush out cable quite often but ultimately it only buys a bit more time compared with the life of a new full run of outer)

Outer is not expensive or difficult to fit, I’d just put a new one on. Try this before binning the mech 😉

Chuck it; fit new – it’s cheap

(GT85 residue is mostly PTFE – I flush out cable quite often but ultimately it only buys a bit more time compared with the life of a new full run of outer)

I’d have thought i’d get longer than 6 months from outers ?

This is the first one i’ve run full length outer on though i admit as i’ve usually ran a 3 piece on HT frames.

full length outer is great

but

there’s always a “u-bend” in the cable run somewhere and if the ends aren’t well-sealed (I just shove a load of grease into the end caps but proper sealed sets must be better) water will pool there and you’ll get corrosion/collection of muck

Any tips on cleaning out the outer ?

Chuck it; fit new – it’s cheap

+1

New cable outer will fix this; the cables themselves are often useable again if not frayed, just give them a good wipe down with a rag soaked in GT85. Cable outers on the other hand only need a small amount of ingress from muddy water to start causing sluggish and stiff gear shifts.

ordered some… i think i have enough at home for 1 more.. but can’t hurt to have extra.

New cable outer, SP41 recommended and add a couple of middleburn cable oilers to it. Then you can purge the crud out of the outer fairly easily. I use a dry lube like finish line red (Teflon) as it isnt too sticky. Sealed ferrules are a good choice too.
Oh and given the choice I’d recommend a Shimano PTFE coated cable too.

You’re still using the same outer after six months? It’s amazing the gears will change at all, outer cable get clogged with dried grease, dirt and rust and need replacing every six to twelve months, especially the bit that curves around to the rear derailleur. You won’t believe the improvement in shifting performance.

add a couple of middleburn cable oilers to it

How do these work?

Its basically a lube port you put in the outer by splitting it. You roll a little o-ring back, insert the straw of your lube of choice and i sprays into the outer forcing any crap out the ends of the outer.
Think how a grease nipple works if my description confuses.

Thanks all, gave a bit of GT-85 on the old cable, dragging it in and out a bit to clean it up, stuck some new ferrules on there and a new lightly GT-85’d cable and the action is WAY way quicker and easier…

I’ve still got some new outer arriving, but i can delay installing it for now.

You could have tried flushing the outer out with some GT85 and then run the inner through it, repeating a few times. Might shift some of the crud in the outers.

i did, as stated lol

i did, as stated lol

I think Bigyinn means you could have taken out the inner cable and sprayed directly through the outer (the little red straw fits just right), than chased the remaining crap out with the cable

(or is that what you meant anyway)

(I have an old supply of ded runny fork lube that I shove in after I’ve done all that and allow the inner cable push it through as it goes in)

yeah, 🙂

Excellent, it should make the outer last a bit longer.

Another tip is to trim say 3mm off the end of the old outer. Where it corrodes at the end it expands slightly and can cause tight spots for the cable. Trimming the end gets rid of the corroded bit.

Thanks for the tip 🙂

Off out in a minute to enjoy my nice clean shifting 🙂

Another thing is be to sure not to form too tight a radius, like just before the rear mech. Some fixing points are too close but cable ties give you more options in attaching the outers with less inner friction.