# 13 speed Rohloff



## JanBoothius (Apr 15, 2010)

I purchased a used Rohloff, and recently discovered that there are only 13 usable gears. I have counted, re-counted, and counted again... but the fact remains: 13 gears.

The shifter will not move to the gear 14 position. FYI, I have not been able to open the shifter, as the previous owner stripped one of the star bolts.

Any ideas what may be causing this?


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## suba (Jun 25, 2009)

If you have an external mech take it off. Use a coin. Don't remove the screws holding the plate on. Get a 5/16 wrench and turn the shaft counter clockwise until it stops. Don't force it. You should hear distinct clicks for each gear. That will put you in gear 14. While you're at it put a little grease on the bronze shaft and nut.

Then set the shifter to 14. With your left hand put the mech back on as your right hand rotates the shifter very slightly to get everything lined up then push the mech all the way on. Use a coin to tighten.

Check to see of you have 14 gears. Hopefully you do. Then adjust the two cable screws on the mech in or out a few turns as you rotate the shifter. This will help you take out the slack between gears. Turning the screws in gives you more play at the shifter. Turning them out gives you less. Try to keep them even. That's assume they were cut at the correct length in the first place.


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## JanBoothius (Apr 15, 2010)

suba said:


> If you have an external mech take it off. Use a coin. Don't remove the screws holding the plate on. Get a 5/16 wrench and turn the shaft counter clockwise until it stops. Don't force it. You should hear distinct clicks for each gear. That will put you in gear 14. While you're at it put a little grease on the bronze shaft and nut.
> 
> Then set the shifter to 14. With your left hand put the mech back on as your right hand rotates the shifter very slightly to get everything lined up then push the mech all the way on. Use a coin to tighten.
> 
> Check to see of you have 14 gears. Hopefully you do. Then adjust the two cable screws on the mech in or out a few turns as you rotate the shifter. This will help you take out the slack between gears. Turning the screws in gives you more play at the shifter. Turning them out gives you less. Try to keep them even. That's assume they were cut at the correct length in the first place.


Good advice!

As it transpires, I had to use a 5/16th hex key to turn the gear mech just a little further than the gripshift would take it.

In other words, when I originally attempted to attach the gear mech, it would not slide on in 14th gear (even with a liberal amount of pressure applied to the gripshift, towards the hypothetical 15th gear), so I rotated towards 13th until it slipped into place... but this put it in 13th gear. With a little persuasion from the allen/hex key, I was able to make it slide on when the grip shift was in the 14th gear position.

Thank you very much, your reply provided an insight that solved the problem!!


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## dickyelsdon (Dec 22, 2010)

You shouldnt have to force it. Try fiddling with the barrel adjusters on the shifter, twisting one in and one out will rotate the position of the connection in the click-box relative to the indicators shown on the shifter. Could be your cables are not the perfect length so the gear indication on the shifter might end up a smidge out of line, but id rather that than putting delicate parts of the hub under un-necessary stress.


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## 2xPneu (Jan 26, 2004)

dickyelsdon said:


> rather that than putting delicate parts of the hub under un-necessary stress.


Delicate parts in a Rohloff hub???


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## dickyelsdon (Dec 22, 2010)

2xPneu said:


> Delicate parts in a Rohloff hub???


Everything is relative 

The external shift box changes gears in the hub by moving a few fine tolerance parts, including a thin cable. Putting these parts under a load they were not designed for wont be great for them. Ok they might not fail, but if they do it would be a major pain in the rear!


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## suba (Jun 25, 2009)

dickyelsdon said:


> Everything is relative
> 
> The external shift box changes gears in the hub by moving a few fine tolerance parts, including a thin cable. Putting these parts under a load they were not designed for wont be great for them. Ok they might not fail, but if they do it would be a major pain in the rear!


There's only an aluminum pulley and steel cable. Can't get any more simple or reliable than that.


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