So its all attached, H limit lined up with small sprocket. I have now clicked over and the pulley sits under gear 3/2 so I turn the L limit screw but no movement, so I pulled the cable this moved it over so it sits under cog 1.
Does this mean I need to get more tension in the cable before attaching it to the mech? I would go to the LBS but A) I'm jobless and B) it's richardsons cycles.
what on earth are you trying to do with this derailleur??
sounds like you're seriously overcomplicating it.
with the cable unattached, set the screws so that it lines up with the small sprocket, push it by hand to the top of its range and use the screw to line up with biggest sporcket.
let go.
check shifter is fully clicked to left. pull cable tight and attach.
try shifting, if up shift isn't going well, unscrew barrel adjuster on mech or shifter a litlle and try again.
ride.
push it by hand to the top of its range and use the screw to line up with biggest sporcket.
Thats where I may be going wrong I'm attaching the cable before this as per shimano instructions a may add.
tails, that ought to work of course, but I've always found it more effective to set the limits without the cable.
not sure what your struggling with so this is how i do it:
limit screws unwound to start with.
if its a mech with a twiddly adjuster on it, (mech or shifter end) set the twiddler to the middle of its range.
note what gear the shifter is in (a middling one)
push the mech so it sits over that sprocket, then push it a little more as you nip up the cable, to account for slack in the cable.
if its miles out, undo the cable, and re set it, tighter or slacker.
once its nigh on there, use the twiddler (its a technical term) to get it so the sprockets are quiet.o nce its ALLL setup and its happy in gears 2-8 (assuming 9spd, then fiddle with the limiters.
the large sprocket, low gear, should be tight enough that you can still over push the cable (as if going to a lower gear) every so slightly (1-2mm of play ish) but should not allow the chain to drop behind the cassette at all)
the hardest gear, smallest sprocket, will probably rattle if the rest is set up properly, screw in the limiter so it is in the right, quietest position.
ta daaaa.
a useful thing to remember with the twiddlers (tm) is, as you look at the bike, from the rear, rolling it to the right, moves the mech right, to the left, moves the mech left.
also remember that setting a bike up in the stand isnt much use, as once you load the chain up with proper weight, it tightens all the parts and moves everything (inboard iirc)