How To Refurbish A Rear Derailleur

Alex is a huge fan of repairing and servicing old parts. Getting the maximum life out of your beloved bike components is a very rewarding process. In this video Alex guides you through the process of stripping, cleaning and refurbishing a rear derailleur. Sit back, relax and start taking notes... Things get very nerdy!
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[@andrewmcalister3462]

While it's understandable that GCN Tech showcases shiny new (and expensive) bikes, it's great to see a video showing how to service some classic parts and keep them running for years yet, at little or no cost. Thanks Alex.

[@rangersmith4652]

Another plus to refurbishing bike parts is that it can be quite therapeutic and relaxing, as long as you don't get eager to be done. Always take close-up photos from many angles, or even better shoot a video, as you take things apart. That way you can go back and look at how things go back. If you do a lot of rebuilds like this, an ultrasonic cleaning machine is worth every penny.

[@songfta]

I did this to a 26 year old Deore XT rear mech and it's amazing how well made these older Shimano (and Campagnolo and Suntour) parts are. As long as a methodical approach is taken they clean up nicely and can serve for many more years.

[@heinzholger8321]

Putting the hanger bolt back on is the most tricky part of the process, because you only have a relatively small leverage for tensioning the spring. I watched the whole video hoping you'd show us a neat little trick on how to do it. Unfortunately you simply skipped that crucial step.

[@KarlosEPM]

The easiest way is to use an allen key clamped on a vice. Use it to keep the small axle in place while you use both hands to spin the derailleur while holding the B-tension assembly with pliers until it fall into place. Look into RJ the bike guy's tutorials for details. Removing de B tension screw itself makes it way easier, and removes the risk of damaging the screw's threads.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

@@KarlosEPM Used a 3mm allen key method for 30 years .

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Alex…..please show this in a part 2

[@EhButU]

I had the same issue, the most important, re-assembly part just fast forwarded through here, so found the answer with Si at kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJWZlJ-mftulnMk. I found a better way if spring tension is too high to turn and hold steady is to remove B tensioner screw, and grip that tab using a molegrip, you can then easily hold it, turn it past the stop-block, and hold it in place tightly whilst trying to push circlip in with other hand

[@redauwg911]

good old regular gcn video👍

[@demand61]

That is a very pretty edition of Dura Ace! No disrespect, but at 7:50, shouldn’t you have screwed out the stop that is in the cage. I believe removing that allows you to loosen the spring tension so you can remove the cage without tension being on the spring.

[@Pav_1983]

I'm pretty sure in that model limit pin is fixed in place and not removable.

[@emmabird9745]

Hi Alex (wow I know your name!). I would suggest wire wool (also known as steel wool) for polishing your pivots. Much better that abrasive paper. Find it in the plumbers store.

[@1Barista1]

When I do this type of work my most useful tool is a high pressure air hose with a blower nozzle. Cleans out those little nooks and crannies better than a brush ever could.

[@ravennexusmh]

couple of things being and older derailer those are the incorrect jockey wheels for that mech hence it had bushings and bearings. shimano started using sealed bearing pulley's lower and ceramic upper g pulley beaing on xt and ultegra waaay before that mech came out and those are 105/lx and below pulley wheels. you need y-5v598150 for the correct pulley wheels for a dura-ace 7600 which are ££ and basically unobtainium alternatively use ultegra/xt/saint jockey wheels from a 6700 mech to get the correct sealed bearing pulley and up grade to ceramic bushing on the top. 7600 used sealed bearings top and bottom but needed specal side plates for the top one which you don't appear to have anymore.

[@mohammedtabrez4750]

More vids like these please. How about servicing old Shifters

[@siriustraining1774]

Do NOT use 'emery' paper on the outer finish of that 7800 D/A derailluer, as it has a very thin clear coat over the aluminum!!

[@brianrichards350]

I use safety glasses when using brushes..easy to fling some dirty IPA in the eyes. Or borrow some glasses from Si for full face protection.

[@schrodingerthecat]

Great instructional video - I find those pulley wheels will be worn with pointy contacts for the chain (or sometimes none at all) on sets that are a little less high-end than Dura Ace, and are the easiest and quickest thing to do to restore some lost functionality of your rear derailleur without having to do a complete rebuild. You don't even need to take it off the bike to change them!

[@CatManDoSocial]

I have that exact RD, and the rest of the groupset, on my road bike right now. It still works mint.

[@xcskidude]

Just did this with an entire groupset (ultegra 6500) that I'm going to use to build a new (used) frame from scratch. 2hrs and lots of scrubbing, it turned out amazing! At some point in the future I'll do a bigger teardown and re grease as needed.

[@davidhellyer5353]

Nice, clear video details. More of these please!

[@andreemurray7039]

I stripped my rear mech down and put it all in my ultrasonic cleaner then dryed it regressed put back together good to go

[@tanderson278]

Refitting the sprung hanger bolt: That bit was edited out! I found partially refitting the Mech on the dropout and then turning to tension the spring, pushing home and then refitting the circlip to be the best method. I also recommend wearing eye protection when removing circlips, and do so facing a wall so they are easier to find when then catapult out,

[@Jayneflakes]

Lovely video Alex, it is nice to see old parts being reused.

[@rickhellard1406]

I have that derailleur on my trainer bike with 10spd downtube shifters. It works wonderfully well.

[@serious_cyko]

Both springs should be removed and cleaned. For cleaning springs I clamp one end of a cloth into the vise, apply tension on the loose end with one hand, stick the spring onto it, and wind it from one end the other. Another great advice: get a toothbrush for cleaning purpose. 😀

[@joegamas1194]

This was so therapeutic and awesome to watch, I actually learned quite a bit, thank you Alex, I would love to see more of this type of videos

[@woodworks2123]

Decent Alex. Love segments like this, this and upgrade components or parts of components like swapping the cage for a large wheeled carbon fibre cage. More like this please!

[@alfredongos]

Wow Alex: you are triple awesome! This is the first time I watch a video where a rear derailleur is dissected for a deep clean up.

[@madpeddler8263]

You should have spent that time more wisely and refurbished a Campagnolo Record rear derailleur

[@grahammitchell9415]

He doesn't do Campag.

[@dtsybulskyi]

Thanks for a great video, Axel! Really enjoy your restoration project videos and it's great to see that GCN presenters actually love and care for their bicycles, especially the older ones. The only wish is that you were to show the assembly process - as many other commenters noted, that's where many make a mistake or two :)

[@donwinston]

I took apart my rear derailleur to clean it when I was a teenager. It was a miracle that I was able to put it back together and get it working again. Nowadays I would just get a new one.

[@cyclingSausage]

Nice video. This could come in handy as I'm not into buying new stuff and my Shimano 105 5600/5700 10sp setup still works perfectly.

[@N5Gabe]

This video was like a meditation. Great content! Cleaning the limit screws for the peace of mind and using the original grease were really good ideas! Hats off, Berthold! ;)

[@under88Me]

Very satisfying video. Even if it does not worth it, it is a fun activity to refurbish/clean old bike parts.

[@rg807]

PRO TIP: take pictures as you go along. This way, you have a visual record of how the parts go together.

[@adadinthelifeofacyclist]

Great video. Good to see a feature that isn't geared (😬) towards product partner profits! 😍

[@roberttell1587]

Great Video! Fun to watch even if you aren't taking your derailleur apart. Having cleaned up an old derailleur this video would have been a great comfort as I tried to get things apart.

[@2uiator325]

Orientation matters! Plus, Alex, you made removing the c-clamp securing the pivot spring look too easy, as it’s under a bit of tension, it’s all too easy to have that thing fly off and never be found again. Ask me how I know!

[@neilcampion5265]

Love this video and need to see more! I love tinkering with my bike and videos like these always give me more confidence to do so!

[@livegamingyt2833]

here in my country lots of Derailleur like that are disposed off in trash but here this man cleaning them carefully to be reused again

[@JMcLeodKC711]

How did remount those springs? I have struggled with this

[@TimR123]

R&R is really underrated. It's particularly fun taking old parts that have been used but not ruined and putting them back to service on a fun, value point build. I recently took a Campy Record CT 10s kit and put it on a 90s Litespeed frame. A bit of 'elbow grease' and patience and a vintage/restomod 'superbike' for around $1k. It's really a shame how many parts in newer groupsets simply cannot be serviced properly. I'll pick on SRAM for a moment (and I basically like SRAM stuff) because they have a stupid plastic wheel in their 11s brifters that can get worn. Rather than selling parts they say to just buy a whole new one. That's not right. (Thankfully I found a solution out of the UK kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5eUoZd5h8aYl9k)

[@archy_bold]

Good video, and quite timely for me as I've just ordered a fresh pair of pulley wheels and noticed my rear derailleur isn't moving completely freely. However, it would have been useful to see where you'd applied the grease and how much.

[@johnstrac]

At what stage would you think of stripping it all down and using an ultrasonic cleaner ?

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Most screws on derailleurs are Japanese International Standard, buy the correct screwdriver if you can.

[@ghowell13]

I was thinking the same. Missed a prime opportunity to educate people on this. Its likely why those screws looked "worn." They were likely stripped a bit from using the incorrect screwdriver. Ive tinkered with bikes my whole life, and I'm embarrassed to admit that, at nearly 50 now, I've only rather reacently found out those screws were/ are JIS, and not a "normal" Phillips head screwdriver. And apparently, Shimano has finally switched, and gone to Phillips now, so you get to worry about which screw a part has now.....

[@ebikescrapper3925]

@@ghowell13 It would not surprise me if most multi tools / bike tool kits don't use the JIS standard including Park. I only found out 2 years ago (when I was 49 years old) so you are not alone.

[@blusoda0021]

Man, those old Dura ace rear derailleurs are amazing, I smear by them, use them on all of my bikes and they don't skip a beat. Not to mention they're probably some of the best looking derailleurs ever. 😃

[@AeroComfyTri]

Good video, how about one servicing older mechanical shifters?

[@mlee6050]

Axel I would of added when remove the jockey wheels to make note to keep them in order as how many have a top and bottom one that go in a certain way

[@viffer94]

Nice video Alex, part of the Madone rebuild I presume? I would take my derailleur apart and clean it but it would never go back together again.

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Remember that the pulley screws may need BLUE Loctite to keep them from backing out.

[@okantichrist]

Never had pulley wheel screws come out after maintenance in 30 years of riding .Just screw them tight

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

@okantichrist I've pulled pulley screws that had blue Loctite on them just to keep them from backing out.

[@omarllama]

It's sad you didn't show how much grase you've put on. Still very informative. Thank you :)

[@colincampbell8311]

Just one question - once you have that mechanical derailleur in tip top shape, where are you going to use it for the next 20 years? I guess you’ll have to find a bike frame that will accept mechanical components. That frame will be a few years old, since bike companies are making their new frames to be used with electronic group sets. So, who is going to be riding this old frame with old components?

[@guilhermeazevedo1250]

Everyone who has ever tried to service any component knows that is much harder to assembly everything back together again. Of course I liked the video but I would really love to see the parts that were skipped.

[@buster.keaton]

I was hoping the video was going to show how to polish the derailleur to a mirror finish while it was apart.

[@overcookit1433]

Don't forget to put some liquid screw securing liquid (the blue medium strong one) on the thread of the bolt that keeps the derailleur cage in place to prevent it from getting loose.

[@fitzt70]

Timely video. My rear mech is a bit sticky, ‘95 XTR. Are pulley/jockey wheels proprietary? Can I pick up anything that looks close?

[@myownsite]

When working with degreaser and brushes I’d prefer eye protection too

[@JudeTheCoolGuy]

Andrew in his element

[@mrward3631]

Satisfying

[@alessandromattei2819]

Great video! Just a little advice: don't speed up the re-assemblying operations 😅 could be useful as well for noobs like me

[@savagepro9060]

0:00 Famous last words of a typical GCN presenter, at the recommendation of Marketing Department!

[@wspmjw]

Do the Jockey wheels like cassettes and chainrings need replacing periodically?

[@KarlosEPM]

Yes, but much less frequently. They will become visibly deformed before they affect performance. Google for images "worn derailleur pulley wheels" and see what I mean. The teeth become pointy looking.

[@roydrink]

Just finished a 50 year old Campagnolo Nuovo Record overhaul.

[@Ronald-qj5nx]

The biggest problem that I have with old rear derailleurs is that they aren't designed to work with wider range cassettes

[@pallew6898]

Cotton buds or pipe cleaners are very good to clean with.

[@iansingleton]

Hi Alex,GCN tech, how come when we take things apart for the first time the nuts and bolts have all had some kind of lock tight pasted on during the initial factory build,we then clean this off and grease them all before rebuilding? I always grease nuts and bolts, there's nothing worse than stripping a bolt because it's rusted in place! But why doesn't the factory apply grease in the first place? Why are they all covered in blue lock tight?

[@TheMASDrummer]

Lol I'm currently using this exact derailleur

[@savagepro9060]

you can't have the same exact derailleur, however, you may have a SIMILAR one

[@cyclingSausage]

@@savagepro9060 I used to have a workmate who came out with comments like this LOL 😀 Cheers

[@davidburgess741]

I didn't realize Wahoo had a speed sensor that fits onto the chainstay. Using ride with GPS phone navigation and a cheap Bontrager wireless computer now. Any flashing light near the head unit or the fork .mounted sensor creates serious radio interface. I found putting the light on the other fork low rider rack ends the interferance problem. However the fork mount is slightly damaged on the sensor. Time for me to upgrade to Garmin, Wahoo, or karoo navigation aid? Has interferance from flashing lights been a problem for you with any of these you've used? Also, how's the sound on these, because if it rains with glasses, a head unit becomes useless with water spots, and the phone goes under clear plastic, making things even worse! Throwing money at a problem seldom is the solution, but with foreknowledge..... What works?

[@gijsie5]

#gcntech after watching the video 'how to refurbish a rear derailleur' I am wondering how did Alex clean the microfiber cloth after cleaning all the parts?

[@suzuki06g]

Now that it's refurbished, what would it take if you wanted to step up from a cassette with a 32 to a 36 tooth big gear?

[@oliviajones2674]

Can you take apart a Shimano Claris 8 speed derailer like the one in this clip??

[@owenchase4017]

I have an older Shimano rear derail with a broken spring. Is there any way to get replacement springs without robbing one from another derail?

[@stuartmisfeldt3068]

As excited as most of us novices are to rebuild a mech, we always can disassemble the thing. The difficulty is reassembling, which you skipped over. Also, you didn’t show the repacking of grease in the tension springs or cleaning of the parallelogram.

[@rogerhickman2919]

Cleaning things like this (inc chains) is far easier with an ultrasonic cleaner; just keep a look out for Aldi and Lidl's middle aisles.

[@newickn]

Why not pull the derailleur apart in order to clean all components properly to start with?

[@wrench_n_ride8159]

You forgot cotton swabs. They are the best for deep cleans.

[@Justmarcusdave]

does this work on older 'lesser' groupset? can you do a video of doing something similar with a SRAM electronic mech?

[@grahamaustin9085]

With all that egreaser swilling around I'd definitely oil the pivots.

[@endcensorship874]

Would a hydrostatic cleaner be better for fully removing the corrosion instead of emory paper?

[@leightonbohl1920]

If this is a dura ace 7700 GS and it takes 13 tooth pulley wheels you will not be able to replace them. Shimano no longer sell them. You will have to use an all purpose Chinese ceramic bearing thirteen tooth wheel. These will work ok, but they will not give the chain stability as it runs through the jockey wheel and the speed and precision of the shift will be compromised.

[@tub5190]

Nice

[@rident]

Great video! Are there tension specs for any of those bolts/screws?

[@henrybikeman]

Rubber gloves but no eye protection using chem. sprays and dealing with spring clips etc???

[@docolemnsx]

To answer your question, I find it hard to throw away a 20 year old 6 speed shimano off the kid's bike just because it's a little stiff when shifting... Bike needs a lot of replacement parts, some stuff is going into the bin, but I'm greasing that part and putting it back on, even if it's $10 new 😂

[@matthewbaynham6286]

Personally I would suggest taking off your watch before spraying all that industrial alcohol all over the place. On the other hand if you get the watch from some sponsored deal related to being on GCN, then I suppose you could just ask your sponsor for a new watch if the old watch gets damaged.

[@a1white]

In 20 years time I doubt you’ll be able to service Di2 Dura Ace derailleur the same way 😢

[@lubosst]

nice video, but in this kind of videos, you should not skip / speed up any part. Those parts are crucial to watch. At least for me. It's not hard to disassembly and clean derailleur. Put it together and use right amount of grease on the right part is the hard part.

[@Viperlsw213]

Good old video with a handsome reviewer 😂

[@fomrug]

Short cage FTW

[@billkallas1762]

It's hard to beat 20 year old 7800.

[@davidholmberg7397]

What’s the lifetime of the little springs inside? Do they wear out over time?

[@savagepro9060]

everything wears out over time: basic high school physics

[@stevemahoney1733]

@@savagepro9060 Dude, when used right, sarcasm has it's place. But, without offering a solution or a helpful suggestion, your use of sarcasm had one purpose......do you feel better about yourself?

[@stevemahoney1733]

I'm sure they do wear out however if you need to disassemble the der's pivet points to re grease every couple years I think you'd see them beginning to wear out & part source a new one. Usually, by the time they are done, we've already upgrade our drive train to the next 'lastest & greatest".

[@savagepro9060]

@@stevemahoney1733 "do you feel better about yourself?" when you give yourself a thumbs up?

[@stevemahoney1733]

@@savagepro9060 Ya couldn't simply take the reminder with humility & leave it there?. The guy was asking a sincere question & for no reason other than serving your ego you took a shot. Now bc I reminded you of tht fact, you take a shot at me. Over compensating ?

[@Spongeblunt]

Doesn't help that you put a top and bottom blur on the frame when he's operating off a desk at the bottom of frame. Half the time it's like trying to look through vaseline.

[@savagepro9060]

OK, Alex I'm impressed.Hell I am. But you can impress me ad infinitum. Let's see you repair a Di2 rear derailleur. Waiting!👀

[@jimsonjohnson3761]

Take your meds bud

[@savagepro9060]

@@jimsonjohnson3761 "meds bud" -->> pharmaceutical marijuana flowers, I was expecting Meth from jimson-Johnson-and-Johnson

[@Mr229357]

I like to take car and tinker with my bikes 😊👍🏻👍🏻

[@Pav_1983]

Good, but not good enough. You have missed very , if not the most important step. You did not remove, cleaned and lubricated main pivot on the cage assembly. You spent time cleaning rust from an irrelevant part, but did not take apart the part which moves. Other than that, this a good video.

[@savagepro9060]

Wouldn't it be even NICER to replace the cage with one of those OSPW thingies?

[@Dominik3636]

It's Snake oil

[@savagepro9060]

@@Dominik3636not for functionality, just aesthetics

[@rondvivre3636]

#askgcntech What is a “mil”? Slang answers not allowed.

[@roydrink]

Slang for millimeters