Harris has decided that they're going to try to offer relubrication service for Shimano Nexus/ Alfine hubs.
They're going to get the kit on Thursday, and test it out with a hub they already have and then hopefully do mine over the weekend if I can get the bike out there before work on Friday morning. Good thing I've got Minerva mostly up and running -or more importantly stopping, or at least stopping better than before. But that's another post!
I know that there are an increasing number of people out there with these hubs, so just wanted to pass the info along. I'll also report back on how it works after the relubrication and whether it solves the problem.
I looked at the hubstripping place in Seattle that Steve A sent the link for, and it was pretty scary. I hope that those scarily rusted hubs they showed "after one year" were bikes that were living outside.
I do ride through the winter, but I don't actually think my bike gets terribly wet. I try not to ride in downpours (although I have a handful of times) and my bike is pampered by living under cover both at work and home. If this relubrication works out, I'll probably add it to my yearly service routine- getting a wheel rebuilt with a new hub would really be a killer.
Oh that's good to hear - it's a useful service!
ReplyDeleteI plan to buy my new S-A hubs from that shop. They are going to do whatever preventative stuff they do when they sell them to me. I am glad to pay extra for that.
ReplyDeleteSo question, Aldine hubs? Good? I'm working on starting a project and an Aldine 8 or 11 might be apart of it. Elton told me the 8 freezes but the 11 doesn't. I can't say I'm a big rider below 20 degrees.... What do you think?
ReplyDeleteArg, alfine! Auto corrected
ReplyDeleteHey, you were asking, has anyone done it? Yes, I have, sort of, but more so -- I drilled a hole and tapped it to make an oil port.
ReplyDeleteI don't recommend this, because it is likely that it will leak out the end (the hub comes with some grease in it, not oil), and it WILL leak out if you lay your bike on its side.
HOWEVER, all you need to do for an oil bath, is to take the guts out, but not further dismantle them. That was not hard, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Most important thing to remember, is to clean all the crap off the outside before you crack the seal (after you get the cog off) so that none of it falls inside the hub.
That said, the hubstripping site is how I got started.
Here's my (minimal) writeup http://dr2chase.wordpress.com/2010/12/23/how-to-put-an-oil-port-into-an-internally-geared-hub/ complete with a link to the instructions from hubstripping (first 8 panels are all you need, it was not at all hard, no hives necessary) and, if you feel a need for hives, a video of me drilling and tapping an SRAM hub shell (I did this 3 times before attacking a non-broken hub).
Dr2 Chase,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link and I love your blog- I think we have a lot of similar interests- I need to post on my LED undercabinet lights too (although they're not as cool as yours) I understand that it's not all that hard, to remove the guts from the shell, but things in my life are crazy enough that I'm glad that I can just take it and have it serviced.
Mama Vee, I don't know about the 8 vs the 11. I understand that the Alfine models are generally better sealed than the Nexus red-band I have.
I found a bike shop near here that had NOS Sturmey Archer parts in the box, rebuilt the AG hub works great now.
ReplyDeleteCycler, how did Harris do with the oil bath? After a year of hard riding, the Bullitt's Alfine 8 probably needs this. It is starting to grind a little even when properly adjusted.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian,
DeleteThey did great, and now that they have ordered the kit to do it, they should be able to do it pretty quickly. When they did mine, they had to get the oil and the kit for the dipping.
I highly recommend it, as it completely solved the problem.