Adjusting front derailleur for a noob...

[NiceCupOfTea]

Inherited a Giant Yukon recently, just took it for a first spin. All seems good and have degreased/lubed the chain.

It has 3x7 gears, rears shift very well, but front was finding 1 and 2 but even a firm push of the lever wouldn't get it into 3rd.

I've not fiddled with bikes since I was a kid, and certainly nothing like this, so I had a go with the aid of a couple of youtube vids, and...

...made it worse

It's about 3-4 mm above the big sprocket, which seems to be about right. It is straight which seems about right.

That's where it ends though.

https://youtu.be/WI2DxdHHIGk?si=duIY5zBvx7Vtspc1

I tried to follow this video but quite a few differences between it and mine - think mine says Shimano 030. I sorted the adjustment on the smallest sprocket (1), then reattached the cable and used the adjuster on the gear lever to try and sort the change into the middle sprocket. Neither 1 or 2 shift cleanly now though, and 3 is still unattainable despite backing the adjustment screw right out.

Feeling quite deflated now. Any tips or do I just chuck it back in the garage and admit defeat?

[irc]

Are you sure that after attaching the cable you got all the slack out before using the adjuster to tighten the cable.

If there is any slack then the shift from small to middle takes up the slack before starting to move the cage. To check - when you use the gear shifter - the cage should start moving the instant you start moving the shifter. Any delay there is slack.

Any slack and the shifter will not get the cage far enough across for the middle setting and won't reach the big ring at all.

I found Sheldon Brown's site good.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/derailer-adjustment.h...

In fact when I cycled from Vancouver to Boston I made a point of visiting Sheldon Brown's shop there.

[NiceCupOfTea]

I got as much slack out as I could - once the gear cable was removed I did the adjuster on the gearchange right up and then slackened it a turn as advised, then pulled the cable tight and screwed it back in before loosening off the adjuster to take up the slack and line up the derailleur. I couldn't select the large sprocket before I started fiddling with it (that was the problem before) as you can't push the gear change all the way, so in terms of the original issue I haven't improved it or made it worse. My dad (whose bike it was) was really good with bike maintenance so I'm not sure why it was out of adjustment except it's been sitting unused for a couple of years.

[OutInTheShed]

The two screws are the limit stops, they don't actually do much if the cable is adjusted properly.

Check that pulling the cable actually moves the derailleur far enough. It could be corroded so it doesn't move all the way, despite the limit screws being backed off. If any pivots are worn or parts are bent, then motion can be lost.

Check that moving the shift lever from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 3 actually pulls the correct number of mm's of cable.
The Sheldon Brown site may tell you that number of mm.

Check the cable isn't losing movement, either slack or compression in the outer. If the derailleur is stiff, the cable will lose more motion due to stretch or compression in the outer etc. How much tension is in the cable when the shifter is set to 3? Is it pulling hard against a partially seized mech?

The good thing about working on (old skool) pushbikes is that most of the parts are cheap.
A newer shifter or cable or derailleur might help or a used one of higher quality like XT might make a difference.
I upgraded the front mech to XTR on my old bike for about £15, replacing a nasty corroded and bent cheap one.

[Benson11]

Check out these videos, the Park Tool guides are pretty comprehensive, there will be more videos in their channel these are the top few. The basic design of all derailleurs is the same in that you have an upper and lower limit screw and the rest is cable tension.

https://youtu.be/ZNG7g83lI-s?si=Gnpp9RvDEq81Fw0Z

https://youtu.be/yDjlRu4CnjI?si=SG5nsPlF62gfKE2S

https://youtu.be/vcc5-ry4fA0?si=-jPm9ue30QCPDQGp

In some cases with cheaper and worn parts you might have accept that it just doesn't function flawlessly as the parts a just made to a budget and they expire quite early in their life cycle. In this situation the only option will be new parts but this can quickly become not cost effective.

[irc]

Any Shimano parts where it just says SIS rather than a model like Acera, Alivio, Deore, XT, is bottom of the range. Work but won't last long in heavy use and not as smooth as stuff further up the range.

Check the diameter of your seat tube - if it is 31.8 then I think this one will fit.

When buying you need to know if it is top pull - the cable reaches it from above (which yours looks like) or bottom pull.
https://bankruptbikeparts.co.uk/products/shimano-a...

As already said if you are having trouble then replacing an old cable and cable housing is well worth doing at the same time as a new deraileur.

[POIDH]

As well as the advice and videos above, do give it a really good clean. Then re-lube the pivots. And perhaps change the cable while you are at it.

I find front mechs can get less use and are less forgiving of muck anywhere in the sustem.