Bicycle Tutor

Hi all

I have got a Giant bike from mid 80's. Rear derailleur is Harnet. The adjuster barrel is totally seized up, tried it giving a few WD40 baths, nothing working.
Now the question is :
Is the RD cable barrel adjuster really required as I am having downtube shifters so I can accurately adjust the RD at a position where it runs without any clicks or dongs.....Still confused about it.

yes ,I would want to try to do something about that, give us some pics of your derailluer and the cable routing/bosses up to the shifters. so we can better guide you

If you have friction shifters (they do not click/lock directly into a gear position) then no, you do not need the adjuster barrel. If you have "index" shifting (where the shifter locks into a single position for each gear setting then it is tricky (though not impossible) to get the shifting adjusted right without a barrel adjuster.

Have you tried heating it, then unscrew??

(Nov 4, 2012 02:53 PM)bobtravers Wrote:  Have you tried heating it, then unscrew??

Ahhh...:-)
It may work... But the derailleur body is aluminium alloy... Will it be OK to heat it up?

With a hair dryer, should be fine... Put some Liquid Wrench after heating it up, wait 5 min then try to unscrew

It should be a bit hot, not flaming hot!!