# Sprint derailleur help needed



## Jay81 (Jul 8, 2018)

Been tinkering with this 66 Collegiate I picked up the other day. Trying to get it dialed in so it shifts properly and now it won't shift out of first gear. The cable moves as it should. Wondering if this spring is broken? See where I'm pointing with the screwdriver, the spring hooks onto that little tab that sticks out. There another tab facing the other way, that looks like it should have the other end of the spring hooked onto it.


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## GTs58 (Jul 8, 2018)

Most common error is letting the jockey wheel cage rotate when removing the wheel or chain. No tension on the spring then. This has to be done when reinstalling the wheel. Looking at the bike picture this is what I'm seeing. 

The derailleur should be positioned like this.


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## Jay81 (Jul 8, 2018)

GTs58 said:


> Most common error is letting the jockey wheel cage rotate when removing the wheel or chain. No tension on the spring then. This has to be done when reinstalling the wheel. Looking at the bike picture this is what I'm seeing.
> 
> The derailleur should be positioned like this.
> 
> View attachment 836109




Thank you, I'll try repositioning it. May have gotten moved out of place when I removed and reinstalled the wheel because it was shifting before that.


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## vincev (Jul 8, 2018)

GT is correct.I dont see any tension on the spring. Cage is horizontal and should be vertical.


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## Metacortex (Jul 8, 2018)

How long is your chain? I ask because the chain appears to be far too short. From some Schwinn bulletins I have a 1970 and later 5-speed Collegiate chain should be 57" (114 links) long, however that bike had a 14-32T freewheel while the '69 and earlier Collegiate came with smaller 14-28T cogs. The 1970+ Suburban 5-speed had the same 14-28T freewheel as the '69 and earlier Collegiate and that bike had a 55" (110 link) chain. Yours should probably be close to that.


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## Jay81 (Jul 9, 2018)

Metacortex said:


> How long is your chain? I ask because the chain appears to be far too short. From some Schwinn bulletins I have a 1970 and later 5-speed Collegiate chain should be 57" (114 links) long, however that bike had a 14-32T freewheel while the '69 and earlier Collegiate came with smaller 14-28T cogs. The 1970+ Suburban 5-speed had the same 14-28T freewheel as the '69 and earlier Collegiate and that bike had a 55" (110 link) chain. Yours should probably be close to that.




That's interesting that you mentioned the chain, I was thinking it seemed a little short too. I'll take a look at the chain length later when I address the derailleur.


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## Jay81 (Jul 11, 2018)

Ok, finally had time to mess with it. Got the jockey wheel cage vertical, and it upshifts and downshifts fine between 2nd and 5th gear. 
Before I couldn't get it out of 1st gear, now it won't go into 1st. When I try to shift into 1st, something is binding up, and the jockey wheel cage wants to go horizontal again.
I have not measured the chain yet but I assume this is the original chain, as there is no master link. 
Everything seems to be adjusted properly, as far as I can tell.
Any other ideas with this new information? I can usually figure this stuff out but this one is puzzling me. 

5th gear:




4th gear:




3rd gear:




2nd gear




Trying to shift into first it does this:


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## GTs58 (Jul 11, 2018)

Is your pivot bolt to tight and the derailleur fixed in one position? The whole derailleur should also pivot on the hanger. Can't tell in your pics, but the jockey wheel cage is in a different position in each pic but the derailleur itself did not move.


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## island schwinn (Jul 11, 2018)

I vote for an overtight pivot bolt also.or it could be jammed somehow.


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## Metacortex (Jul 11, 2018)

The chain is too short. How long is it and/or how many links does it have?


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## Jay81 (Jul 12, 2018)

Metacortex said:


> The chain is too short. How long is it and/or how many links does it have?




112 links, and I counted twice to be sure.


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## Jay81 (Jul 12, 2018)

GTs58 said:


> Is your pivot bolt to tight and the derailleur fixed in one position? The whole derailleur should also pivot on the hanger. Can't tell in your pics, but the jockey wheel cage is in a different position in each pic but the derailleur itself did not move.





island schwinn said:


> I vote for an overtight pivot bolt also.or it could be jammed somehow.




The pivot bolt was too tight, I cracked it loose and I can pivot the derailleur by hand. It still stays in the same place while shifting through the gears and I still can't shift into 1st. It has a little stop on it where it can't pivot toward the front of the bike, only toward the rear. I tried to manually pivot the derailleur rearward to see if it would shift into 1st, and it still just pulls the cage horizontal, starts binding up and won't go into 1st gear.
Maybe I need a 114 link chain?


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## Metacortex (Jul 12, 2018)

Jay81 said:


> 112 links, and I counted twice to be sure.




While that seems to be in the ballpark, it still looks to be too short from the pics. I'd add a couple or maybe 4 links and see if that helps.


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## GTs58 (Jul 12, 2018)

The Corvette 5 and early road bikes with a 25T first gear uses a 112 link chain. Your running three more gears on the large sprocket so a longer chain might fix the problem. Did you try to adjust the limit screw to see if that did anything? The low gear adjusting screw on the bottom of the derailleur. 







The derailleur has pivot stops so don't force it.


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## Jay81 (Jul 12, 2018)

Pretty sure I already adjusted the limit screw, but I will double check. I will try either adding some links, or get a longer chain, and see if that makes a difference.


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## Jay81 (Jul 13, 2018)

Metacortex said:


> How long is your chain? I ask because the chain appears to be far too short. From some Schwinn bulletins I have a 1970 and later 5-speed Collegiate chain should be 57" (114 links) long, however that bike had a 14-32T freewheel while the '69 and earlier Collegiate came with smaller 14-28T cogs. The 1970+ Suburban 5-speed had the same 14-28T freewheel as the '69 and earlier Collegiate and that bike had a 55" (110 link) chain. Yours should probably be close to that.




I counted the teeth and first gear is a 32T cog. Thinking someone either switched out the wheel or freewheel at some point and didn't use a longer chain. Thinking 114 links might solve the issue.


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## GTs58 (Jul 13, 2018)

You have a 32 toofer!!? That's probably pushing past the limits of that short cage derailleur too.


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## Jay81 (Jul 13, 2018)

GTs58 said:


> You have a 32 toofer!!? That's probably pushing past the limits of that short cage derailleur too.




If all else fails, at least I have a four speed now instead of a single speed!


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## GTs58 (Jul 13, 2018)

New longer chain and one of these for a C note or more and you can get your first gear back. 
Sorry, I take that back, it's 
US $296.01     





                                    Buy It Now -                                       

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=312021414301


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## Jay81 (Jul 31, 2018)

Update, I ended up adding 4 links to the chain, and it now shifts properly through all the gears. A big thank you to all that helped me figure out the problem!


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