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August 16, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I have a brand new SunRace-Sturmey Archer SRF3 in bits at the moment for conversion to oil lubrication. The bearing seals etc are the same as the old AW, so it will retain oil just as well (or as badly, depending on your point of view).
No-one seems to know what the thread is for the Sturmey lubricator/oil nipple, but my best guess is 1/4″ BSC. It’s hard to find a tap for this size unless you know a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, but I’ve found some plastic push-in BB lubricators. These are just over 6mm in diameter so I’m going to cut an M6 thread in them then drill and tap the shell for M6. The gear ring is a pretty close fit inside the shell, so they will need trimming a bit to ensure they don’t foul the mechanism.
These SunRace hubs are well made – there’s no neutral position between normal and top any more, and the planet pins are nice and fat these days. I’d recommend getting the proper SA spanners for the cones and right-hand ball ring, as the cones are a non-standard size and the ball ring will be marked if you use a hammer and punch, however careful you are.
I have some synthetic 75W90 Redline MT90 gear oil which I’ll try. It’s about the same viscosity as SAE 30 engine oil (the SAE numbers for gear oil are not comparable).
August 28, 2008 at 3:25 am
The Sturmey-Archer HSA106 oiler has a 1/4-28 thread. Taps are commonly available. Pilot drill size is a #3.
November 8, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Well, it was a bit of a failure. The hub works fine, but it leaks like a sieve – the current ball ring race (a combined plastic seal and cage) allows the oil to escape too easily.
However, I’ve just built an AM/AW hybrid for my commuting bike – the planetary gears are AM and everything else, including the shell, is AW. It works well.
The S-RF3 shell with the oiler is going to get some more AM internals…if they fit. I think they will.
November 2, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Most leakage is usually through the large bearing race to the left of the driver. This is worse if the bearing race is pressed into the shell so that internals can be removed without unscrewing the right ball cup, and less of a problem with a screw-in right ball cup.
I suggest using a moderate amoun of Phil Wood oil (available in the USA — I don’t know about other countries), which is rather sticky and so adheres to the internals well. Also, after oiling, lean the bicycle to the left and spin the rear wheel to distribute the oil. You might also use grease in the bearings, to seal them at least somewhat, for a while.
Oil leakage is messy but also it flushes dirt out of the hub, and especially, out of the bearings. The bearings of an older S-A hub with labyrinth dustcaps will never fail due to contamination if the hub is properly oiled — yet the dustcaps are frictionless. When grease in the bearings begins to dissipate, then the oil begins to leak out. You might take the leakage as a signal to rebuild and clean the hub — though it is still well-lubricated as long as you continue to oil it.
A hub that has been lubricated with oil rather than grease is easier to clean up during overhaul, too.
Some leakage can occur between parts that are pressed or screwed together, and in you might use a bit of automotive gasket-sealing compound to seal these.
November 10, 2008 at 7:20 pm
I have an srf3 which has been oil lubricated for nearly three thousand miles. It works fine as long as you don’t over oil it. I just put in a few drops about every two hundred miles and mostly, it stays inside where it is required. If I get over generous, it comes out pretty quickly, but the required oil is still inside there. I find the hub faultless and an incredibly cheap piece of kit.
My oiler port is horribly crude. I drilled a small hole and tapped it for a very short bold with a rubber washer I made out of a scrap of pond liner. This is just a bit more than finger tight and is easily removed for oiling.
January 9, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Roger,
Any pointer to sources for AM hubs and/or parts?
Thanks.
March 10, 2009 at 2:35 am
Does anyone know if all Sturmey Archer internal hub axle flats are in the same orientation (ie, horizontal, 0 degrees)?
This seems to be perpendicular (90degree offset) to Shimano Nexus hubs.
Can anyone confirm?
March 10, 2009 at 5:56 pm
Keith,
The SA axle flats are generally oriented parallel with the drop-out, though orientation is not critical as long as it is held constant by some method, to resist planetary torque. Some drop-outs were made to fit the narrower “flats dimension”, forcing orientation; and SA anti-torque washers also force this orientation, but it is not strictly required.
Indeed, the Nexus hub axles can be set at a range of angles to accommodate various shift-cable routings (e.g., along seat-stay vs. chain-stay) by using the “wrong” set of anti-torque washers to get the cable stop to point as desired.
March 16, 2009 at 11:02 pm
With the Surly Crosscheck frame, the dropouts are 26 degrees.
Using the supplied S-A horz. dropouts, the gearshift bracket interferes with the chainline.
Using Shimano’s 8L/8R (blue and green) non turn washers, it brings the Sturmey Archer RX-RD3 almost into proper orientation.
I must add that S-A needs to supply their own non turn washers (to coexist in the modern world for conversions) and have clamps for 1-1/2 inch downtubes.
March 26, 2009 at 1:45 am
If anyone is interested the new Sturmey Archer Catalogue is out and they have some wonderful new shifters
March 26, 2009 at 1:45 am
http://www.sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/
April 1, 2009 at 1:50 am
2009-2010 Sturmey Archer looks amazing! What a change. They appear to making 3-speed FIXED hubs, which take a Shimano style spline cog – in coloured hub shells. More than one fixed rider I know has asked me about that exactly. And the 8 speed hubs now have the cable mechanism inside the frame, rotary style instead of the classic bellcrank on the end of the axle. Great to see.
Thanks for the link Fabien!
April 11, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Finally done – an AM mechanism in a SRF-3 shell. I’ve been running a couple of them in AW shells through the winter and they’re really nice to use. Just try and get the later 1950s gear ring with continuous splines, rather than the early one with separate low and normal gear dogs as these are prone to slip (SA eventually realised and changed the design).
Pictures and brief description here:
http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=17531.msg314519
June 2, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Hi all,
I’m helping restore an ols South African-made Le Jeune, fitted with a SA 3speed. All in pretty good condition, except that the left (i.e. non-drive side) axle nut is missing.
What thread is that nut? I hope to find a replacement at a nut&bolt shop.
Many thanks
June 6, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Sturmey-Archer thread
You won’t find one at a fastener shop.
Try Derek at http://www.oldbiketrader.co.uk for any parts like this.
June 6, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Just to add – the torque for these nuts is 25Nm (ideally use a deep 15mm socket and a torque wrench) and the threads must be clean and lubricated. The nuts are designed to strip before the axle, but they certainly strip easily if the threads have a bit of grit on them.
August 26, 2009 at 3:43 pm
It’s a German bike thread standard called FG 10.3, it means 10.3 mm diameter and 26 TPI, (also called 13/32″).
You won’t find it at a nut supplier, it’s a bike thread standard.
Don’t knock it, spokes are threaded to an FG thread too.
August 27, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Henry,
Would you say the SRAM and SA hub threads are completely compatible? I thought there was a small but annoying difference.
June 7, 2009 at 5:30 pm
Roger,
Thanks for the advice. I will pass it on.
July 28, 2009 at 1:39 am
Any updates on the reliability of the new 8 speed (w) version? Thanks.
August 23, 2009 at 11:19 am
No idea, I can’t find even a single review anywhere. I’ve only just found a clear picture if one fitted to a bike.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/group51uk/3847185335/
August 28, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Sachs/SRAM use FG 10.5 which is 10.5 mm x 26TPI
Sturmey Archer use FG 10.3 which is 10.3 mm x 26TPI
They are not interchangeable, though since the SA is slightly smaller I have put them onto a Sachs axle which took away a little of the looseness due to wear.
See http://www.fahrradmonteur.de/fahrradgewinde.php for an absolutely fantastic reference, in German. It’s not hard to figure it out. Remember the European practice is to use a comma for the decimal point.