Ergo 10-spd conversion - DOH!

richard said:

Greetings. I have two pair of 9-spd Ergo levers - 1999 Athena and 1998
Chorus (which look like the current design, not the first generation
Ergo's).

I'd picked up a 10-speed index disk for half price some time ago. Once
I'd acquired the Chorus shifters, used, I decided to rebuild them (new
g-springs and carrier) and convert them to 10-spd. I ordered the finger
lever ratchet along with the springs...

I couldn't get the index disk to fit. It seems the keyhole into which
the bushing must fit was much smaller than the key on the bushing. I
looked at the parts diagrams for the 1998 Chorus and the 1999 Athena.
The bushing had the same part number. (Note - no problem with fitting
the finger ratchet on the bushing, which was unfortunate. I had to pull
the finger lever assembly back out again to put the 9-spd back on.)

SO, is the bushing the same part number but a different shape after a
certain date? Is the "convertablility" by changing out just those 2
ratchets on 2000 or newer levers? Finally, if I bought a "new" bushing
(for my next re-build), would I then have sufficient parts to complete
the conversion?

1998 is a unique year for ERGO 9s in that the next year they converted
the innards slightly for ERGO brain. So you discovered that 19908 levers
cannot be converted to 10s. 1999 andf later has the same innards,
specifically the thru bolt, to allow conversion to 10s.

richard said:

Greetings. I have two pair of 9-spd Ergo levers - 1999 Athena and

1998

Quoted message said:

Chorus (which look like the current design, not the first generation
Ergo's).

I'd picked up a 10-speed index disk for half price some time ago.

Once

Quoted message said:

I'd acquired the Chorus shifters, used, I decided to rebuild them

(new

Quoted message said:

g-springs and carrier) and convert them to 10-spd. I ordered the

finger

Quoted message said:

lever ratchet along with the springs...

I couldn't get the index disk to fit. It seems the keyhole into

which

Quoted message said:

the bushing must fit was much smaller than the key on the bushing. I

Quoted message said:

looked at the parts diagrams for the 1998 Chorus and the 1999 Athena.

Quoted message said:

The bushing had the same part number. (Note - no problem with

fitting

Quoted message said:

the finger ratchet on the bushing, which was unfortunate. I had to

pull

Quoted message said:

the finger lever assembly back out again to put the 9-spd back on.)

SO, is the bushing the same part number but a different shape after a

Quoted message said:

certain date? Is the "convertablility" by changing out just those 2
ratchets on 2000 or newer levers? Finally, if I bought a "new"

bushing

Quoted message said:

(for my next re-build), would I then have sufficient parts to

complete

Quoted message said:

the conversion?

I've heard mid 1999 was the year the Ergo levers became both 9 and 10
speed compatible. You can convert one to the other. I would guess the
levers built in the first half of 1999 used the non convertible insides
and those built in the second half of 1999 used the convertible
insides. I suppose you have to take the levers apart to figure out
which 1999 lever you have.

Being the owner of 1998 Chorus levers I learned about this
convertibility issue. But as of now both my Campagnolo bikes have 9
speed and I haven't come across any rational reason to convert my 2003
Centaur 9 speed levers over to 10 speed yet.

Quoted message said:

I've heard mid 1999 was the year the Ergo levers became both 9 and 10
speed compatible. You can convert one to the other. I would guess the
levers built in the first half of 1999 used the non convertible insides
and those built in the second half of 1999 used the convertible
insides. I suppose you have to take the levers apart to figure out
which 1999 lever you have.

Being the owner of 1998 Chorus levers I learned about this
convertibility issue. But as of now both my Campagnolo bikes have 9
speed and I haven't come across any rational reason to convert my 2003
Centaur 9 speed levers over to 10 speed yet.

Not so-1999, with 1999 levers, with the back plate with the notches for
ERGObrain can be 8/9 or 10s. 1998, 9s only, 1997 and earlier, 8 or 9s.

There wasn't a 1/2 year type conversion. If you have levers that cannot
be converted, the converter is either wrong or your levers are 1998.

Qui Si Parla Campagnolo said:

Quoted message said:

I've heard mid 1999 was the year the Ergo levers became both 9 and 10
speed compatible. You can convert one to the other. I would guess the
levers built in the first half of 1999 used the non convertible insides
and those built in the second half of 1999 used the convertible
insides. I suppose you have to take the levers apart to figure out
which 1999 lever you have.

Being the owner of 1998 Chorus levers I learned about this
convertibility issue. But as of now both my Campagnolo bikes have 9
speed and I haven't come across any rational reason to convert my 2003
Centaur 9 speed levers over to 10 speed yet.

Not so-1999, with 1999 levers, with the back plate with the notches for
ERGObrain can be 8/9 or 10s. 1998, 9s only, 1997 and earlier, 8 or 9s.

There wasn't a 1/2 year type conversion. If you have levers that cannot
be converted, the converter is either wrong or your levers are 1998.

Is this true for the full line across 1999? I didn't tear down my 1999
Athena levers (again) after rebuilding the 1998 Chorus, I just looked at
the parts list. The numbers for the index disk and ratchet was the same
for 1998 Chorus and 1999 Athena. Could it be that Athena used different
index disks and ratchets (with the larger hole) in 1999 than did Chorus
and Record? Just curious...