I have been riding SRAM for many years, my wife’s bike came with Shimano and discovered the clutch feature and never understood it. Now that my new bike has Shimano as well, this video is very helpful to understand the purpose and maintenance of them. Thank you!

It is remarkable how Syd has evolved while working on the bikes. She still benefits from Macky’s talk-through but she is so much more comfortable and confident using the tools. Great video!

I am so excited to see another installment of Sid Fixes Bikes. Great job. Very well explained. Easy to follow. Keep up the great work.

Another great video guys. I had no idea that this was a necessary adjustment. My bike is a little over a year old and I'm now going to take a look at this. Thanks!

This might be my favorite video from this channel yet! Super relevant for my bike. I had no idea this needed to be done and what a difference it made. Thanks for your awesome videos!!

Very nice! The derailleur clutch has been a bit of a mystery area to me so it is great to have an explanation and tutorial.

Never tackled this one on my own. As with all your other videos, cleanly done, easy to watch and entertaining 🤙 let's not forget really informative and useful. Keep it up!

This is a great addition to the wonderful resource this channel is! When my new 12sp XTR derailleur quit shifting after 15 hours of dry riding, I overreacted and put on an eagle derailleur and shifter. It works great and SRAM derailleurs don’t have a serviceable clutch. I now service the Shimano clutches on my gravel bike and my son’s bike each winter.

You guys read my mind - I’m about to attempt this for the first time on my friend’s RD! Thank you!

Thank you guys so much for your videos. You really help a non-techy guy like me get it done!! By the way, you guys are so good together. Don't ever break up!!!

This was very very good detail, and practical. Thanks!

Thanks for the video. I've serviced the clutch on my XTR derraileur many times, but always looking to learn something new. Definitely will look into the adjustment part. Another symptom of it needing service: when shifting to smaller cogs the derraileur cage does not move and as a result the chain is sagging. Learned it the hard way.

fabulous video on the Shimano clutch. I've always had SRAM on my bikes and was pretty reasonable at looking after them. I will service and adjust my Shimano set up with more confidence after watching your video! 👍

Thanks for the very comprehensive and entertaining tutorial! I've learnt a lot from you Syd and partner. At last l've understood the purpose, functioning and servicing of that mechanism. Recently my bike's chain has been lacking of reasonable tension and has been keeping slapping, very frustrating. Now I'm set to tackle the servicing of my derailleur. Btw I like your hair braid, Syd. Thanks again (from Germany)

Another awesome video. Turns out my clutch came back from the LBS open. Couldn’t figure out where the noise was coming from 🤣. Another save by y’all. So glad that you are back making bike maintenance videos!

Huh this was fascinating and well explained. I have an SRAM derailleur (and I was confused at first because in German we don't say front and rear derailleur, we have entirely different words and I only knew the front one was called derailleur) and it has a completely different mechanism but it's still good to keep in mind that there are more serviceable parts than the usual ones (like, brakes, or the stop positions of the derailleurs). So I'll take this as a reminder that my bike is five years old now and could probably use a lot of service.

Super useful video, actually thought og doing this to my deraillure for a while, and this is the perfekt tutorial 👍

Thx Syd! Good to see you back in the shed… I mean shop…. I mean garage?🤣

I've just bought my first derailleur with a clutch. This is excellent info. Thanks.

Another fantastic video. Learning a lot from you guys! Thanks!!

Thanks so much it fixed my shifting, never serviced it, definitely needed it.

Easy to understand and follow quality video 👌 I've understood that riding with an oval chainring (like I do) can require the clutch to be serviced more often since there is a constant tugging from the chain due to it essentially being alternately shorter and longer. I guess it's just another reason checking the clutch.

Great vid on that shimano clutch, mines working again now, but think I may need a new one soon. Keep up the awesome content + Syd your gorgeous . Thank you

I've been watching your channel vids for a long time now and I must say I admire you guys so much you help us the consumer who want to DIY with their bikes to make love with their bikes instead of having pay tons of $ to bike shop mechanic so much we can do what we want to do most , to customize to fix and to maintenance our own bikes

Thank you, thank you, thank you! My XT derailleur cage was not snapping back and not taking the chain clack when I up shift (to faster gear). I think it's fixed!

Haven't had the chance to have a clutch on my bikes. But this is very great info. Awesome to see you guys doing this series of videos. Keep it up. Oh and don't worry about the grease on the face, it looks good on you, lol. Shows who does all the real work too, lol.

what a great video. I also managed to perform the service. thank you very much

Great timing guys... Without the heads up I was most definitely starting to drift into the ‘my bike is shifting fine’ category!

This video was super helpful, thanks! 🙂

super helpful video. thanks forgot the XTR's have this

Very informative video.I like your vlog on bike because im a biker too . Most of my bike parts were made by Shimano. My support to your channel.Keep it up.

Very well explained. Thank you very much.

Can't wait to do mine! 🙄 Great info/video, thanks!!

I've learned something. Thank you👍

I'm sure this video will come in _clutch_ for people looking to do this service. 😎

awesome tutorial! thank you guys!

Hi Syd thank you for sharing your video keep up the good work. 😊🙏 Mr. Aguilar From Philippines 🇵🇭

Excellent video - yours is better than the Park Tool instructions video! Thanks :)

being the OG retrogrouch I run friction shifter w/ the clutch off, but I'm gonna give this a shot & go to the opposite end of the Macky tension spectrum.

I swear, I never remember to turn my clutch back on until I'm 3/4 done with my current trail ride and I finally realize what all that racket is about.

Good vid!!! MM performance gives you two thumbs up!!! See you at the trail head

I loosen my clutch from it's original factory setting so it's not as stiff . I think that reduced chain friction a bit on my bike making for easier pedaling and crisper shifting . No chain drop or excess chain slap but I am not a bomber on the chunk going downhill

I decided to do my first build. I have not ordered all my parts yet, but what I have ordered is starting to come in. Today my Deore XT came. So PERFECT timing dropping this video. I’ll be referencing ALL the SFB videos over the next 2 months as I build my dream bike. Cross your fingers for me.

You scared the crap out of me: I've always ridden shimano, never seen this, and was wondering how I had never known about this. After looking at the list of derailleurs that have clutches, it turns out I have somehow navigated their entire product line without ever having a clutch. Completely by accident. Too funny.

I had no idea the clutch needed to be adjusted! My Shimano deore derailleur has been on my bike a year and a half without even doing anything to it!

For the screws you can stick a small magnet on the velcro strap and place it on the bike while working and magnetize the screws to it. 

love Syd

Thanks!

you make great videos, I'm Spanish and I can't follow your explanations without subtitles in Spanish, I don't know how KZfaq works but if your videos were subtitled in Spanish you would have many more subscribers. thank you. Saludos desde Catalunya

Is there a different grease one can use like a light lithium grease? Great video, thank you!

Another one there is. You have to disassemble the whole deraileur every once in a while. Like once or twice a year, depending on the conditions you ride in. Mud, dust and sht get behind the clutch's pivot and you go from having working deraileur to having not working deraileur in no time. Parkour! So yea, disassemble the cage, remove the pivot, clean it and use something really thick and sticky. I use PM600, I found that it works the best compared to the other greases that I used. If your clutch gets kinda rusty, you can move it with 4mm bit and power drill or something. Use alot of WD-40. then brake cleaner, then WD-40 again untill it spins kinda well. I guess that you can use transmission oil for the inside of the clutch. I think that the Onyx Sprag clutch use some kind of transmission oil for the sprag clutch.

Yeah my polygon premier is going to the shop today

Well that was super useful. I ride my SLX derailleur until it just plain won't shift, then I replace it. Lol. Now I know. Thanks!

Grease separates (like the Shimano white grease you are using, also black Shimano brake grease, Park Tool antiseize and so many others) - meaning oil componehts and particles separate in the tube during prolonged storage. Before applying, squish the tube back and forth so that the stuff inside mixes. Probably not a concern if you are applying a lot of it to a big/moving part (like antiseize to bottom bracket or white grease to internal gear hub) - there it'll mix on its own anyway. But if you are using a small amount, like in this video, you might be under-greasing things a bit (bc oil will usually come first out of the spout).

Perfect timing! for me... I'm having problems with my clutch breaking loose while jumping or riding through rock gardens, it makes a terrible noise. I have put about 2300 miles on the derailleur since it was new and have done 0% maintenance on the clutch, didn't even know that was a thing. Thank you for covering this. I can't wait to see if I can fix it myself. Side comment, I have had my torque wrench for about 13 years and I am starting to think that it needs to be calibrated. I have seen youtube videos about how to calibrate it but was wondering if you guys have ever run into this?

you are a finally back Syd :( I love you

3:36, i'm pretty sure that is not the noise a pterodactyl makes :) great videos as always

Syd, in response to your question as to whether you've swallowed a bolt... I worked with a guy who swallowed a nail!!!! He was holding it in his mouth while mounting a big art piece at a school. The xray was hilarious, they couldn't remove it orally so he just had to pass it. Haha... palm in forehead. He was okay in the end.

You can use a magnet to recover any swallowed bolt, assuming they are steel. Simply press the magnet against your stomach and slide it up to the bodily orifice you have chosen to recover the bolt from.

Great video, but nonse on my bike. I have bag on handlebars and under seat with many tools as scredrivers allen keys derailleur holder and many other stuff and it makes my bike really lound. I don´t even need ring on handlebars because my bike is loud as scrap falling from stairs. =D

Could you tell about oil that you recommend to use for RockShox Forks?

I think it's great how you call the little parts "guys" 😀

awesome vid thanks! Been trying to work out how to do this for a while... if you don't have any of the greases you mentioned what else could I use?

awesomeeeeee

Shimano XTR 😍

If you swallow a bolt tie a string to a magnet swallow then do jumping jacks pull on string and the bolt will hopefully come out if you don’t do this promptly you may have to approach job from the other end with a liberal coating of grease on the magnet

SLAPPIN THE STAYYYYYS (clutch RDs were a mystery, now they're not, THX)

Thanks for the tutorial! I serviced my three clutches, and by the last one it was about 5 minutes start to finish. All were fine, but two were pretty dry and would not have been soon.

Love the videos but you forgot something. If you already picked apart the clutch you should go further and pick out the spring as well. If you ride in a wet and muddy country as I do water and outher muddy things will go into the spring making it not working as ir should. Thats why you need to do a deep clean and grease. You should also put silicone on all rubber things inside deraillur. I still do the same on shimano and sram and on sram axs. Water and mud demages all deraillurs if you dont clean and grease them. My clutches and derailuers still works perfectly.

Do you think a 8 speed clutch derailleur would help a midrive Bafang M620 not make a knocking sound like with the Shimano Altus that's on now when in 7 or 8 th gear ?.Thanks

me clutch just exploded while maintaining it i wanted to try how tense it is and it all went flying :D well something to learn but i needed to buy new derailluer anyway

What other types of grease could we use to substitute the shimano stuff ???

I know you have gone over what the torque wrench is in another video but I forgot, can you advise what torque wrench you were using

Does Shimano Deore m6100 have the same adjustments as XTR?

Hmmm if it's been a year, you might want to take that derailleur down a little further and lube the other side of that clutch shaft where the derailleur actually rides on the shaft.

Question for everyone, can you adjust the clutch on Sram AXS X01 rear der? I used to run XTR and now switched to AXS and it is really loud on chattery jank. I'm wondering if it needs to be adjusted? Or am I just used to the performance of XTR?

Does anybody know if you can use Dumonde Tech freehub grease instead of the Shimano grease? Thanks!

My brother swallowed an open diaper pin (way back when they used cloth diapers and pins). X-rays showed it was pointed in the desired direction so they let it pass, otherwise surgery would have been needed to remove it.

A good mechanic knows the taste of blue loctite, phil's tenacious oil, and slick honey.

My new Delore derailleur makes popping noises in certain gears, it was installed by a shop. I have a E-Bike (Trike), I lift the rear of the bike and power up the rear wheel, my uneducated self thinks that the upper pully wheel and 9 speed chain are not fully engaging each other, and the popping noise is a random tooth of the pully wheel and chain striking each other, is there an adjustment for that or is replacing the pully wheel with one or two more teeth the answer to get rid of the noise?

Can you do the none clutch RD on deore shimano, i dont have a clutch on my RD its a non clutch RD its a old deore shimano rd

How about the service of an electronic derailleur?

you intestines can handle glass nails, bolts wont do much if any harm, oils or chemicals on them will probably do more harm than the bolts itself

Close, but needs refinement Guys. I'm surprised at the vid's I've watched on YT that give a tutorial on servicing this Shimano Shadow RD+ Series "Stabilizer Unit", or as it's being referred to in these Vid's, a Clutch. Nobody's read the Shimano DM (Dealers Manual) on servicing for this thing. If it was read, you'd know the Nomenclature and Design features of these well-designed Drive Train components, which would help Greatly in describing and teaching maintenance procedures to dummies like myself. Actually, in my view, this was a better production than Park Tool has put forward on servicing this Stabilizer Unit. I guess it's Shimano's prerogative to call this device whatever they want, just look at all the Other weird Shimano names given to their Bike Components. Part of this Stabilizer IS a Clutch , the "Inner Thing", as you refer to, is actually a Sprague Bearing. The Spring Steel outer band has an adjustable tension screw allowing you to regulate the friction between the Spring Steel Band and Sprague Bearings outer housing, which is a Clutch by definition. What makes a Sprague Bearing so unique is it's ability to rotate completely Freely in One Direction Only while supported by Needle type Rollers, but it locks up to a standstill on the supporting shaft (P-axle according to Shimano's EV Manual (expanded view)) when attempting to turn the opposite direction. When the Sprague Clutch Locks up, the Spring Steel Band wrapped around the Bearing outer housing can then act as a Clutch and allow regulated slippage. Sprague Bearings actually DO NEED lubrication w/ light oil over the inner Rollers & supporting Shaft. It is a Bearing after all and the oil helps to guarantee that the internal locking mechanism stops & compresses the Rollers onto the Shaft, forcing the entire bearing to stop, and to supply needed lubrication over the center supporting shaft & Rollers. That's how Sprague Bearings work on Helicopter output shafts to the Main rotor so as to allow for Autorotational Landings, or Landing w/o Power. A Sprague Bearing has many unique uses and Shimano should have given some better detail on how to care for this one.

I don’t contribute through patreon but would like to show thanks and support whenever your videos help me out. Have you considered turning on the youtube “thanks” button?

please tell me you know about the UBI courses for women

Can chain slap also occur when the clutch is too tight? I got a new m5100 derailleur and it's loud but the clutch is on and everything.

1:13 if I was going to take the derailuer off my bike why the heck would I break my chain? Those quick links wear out The 1 little Allen screw on my derailuer lasts forever and takes 15 seconds to undo and rotate the cage

what grease

Is it only for Shimano?

my bike doesn't shift well when the clutch is on

What torque wrench is that?

Here I thought your left foot was what controlled the clutch.

12:14 in france there are traditional chair makers who keep like dozens of nails in their mouth to have them ready so I guess it's fine

👍👍

Just realized i have been riding with the clutch off all along

It's a common misconception, but you don't need to open your chain to remove your derailleur. You can just unbolt the upper pulley and loosen the lower one.

I DON'T put bolts or tools in mouth. That is what tables and magnetic trays are for.

I paused at the first step after I realized I have been riding my new bike with the clutch off I’m so embarrassed 😂

Looking at that chain at the beginning of the video, it looks like you may have have two too many.