How to care for internal gears - Lubricate your SHIMANO NEXUS hub gears

[@adrianajjavingifford7287]

Superbly clear video which took me step-by-step through the process of straightforwardly lubricating my Shimano Nexus internal hub gear. I'll now be able to do that regularly.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Adrian, thank you for your kind comment.🙏 I'm glad to hear that the video was helpful for you! Regular lubrication of the internal hub gear can really make a difference in the performance and longevity of your Shimano internal gears. If you have any more questions or need tips on bike maintenance, feel free to ask!🙂

[@trekkeruss]

The best thing about this video is that you demonstrate the service on a bike that has actually been used.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Absolutely! It's important to see maintenance on a bike in real-world condition. Glad you found it helpful!🙂

[@SternLX]

Just here to see how someone else services their IGH. A couple things I prefer to do differently is remove all external debris and dirt from the hub prior to disassembly. Lay the wheel over a utility bucket on it's spokes so the Hub is essentially floating over the opening. Spray on a liberal amount of degreaser to loosen things up. Use a paint brush to get any stubborn bit unstuck and then rinse with water. Working with a clean assembly prior to disassembly lessens the chances of debris falling into the gear assembly. Also on both the drive and non-drive side dust caps. Place a small amount of Marine grease(it's usually Blue or Green in color) inside them. That dust cap doesn't provide a perfect seal and the grease will stop water from reaching the bearing and bearing race below it. I've pulled IGH's apart and found surface rust on bearing races and cages.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, thanks for your comment and for sharing your insights. 🙏 It's good to see different approaches to servicing IGH. Your tips will definitely contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of IGH maintenance for the viewers.🙂

[@quenar]

WOW! Best tutorial I've seen so far!! Than you and God bless!!

[@JohnBeaven-pv1ll]

This is wonderful. I’ve done this three times now, but this is the clearest instruction I’ve ever had. Try it. It’s not that difficult, but Shimano lubes are ridiculously expensive

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi John, thank you for sharing your experience!🙏 I'm glad that you found the instructions helpful! It's great to hear that you've successfully performed the maintenance on your Shimano Nexus hub gears. If you have any more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask.🙂

[@davelangfield3804]

Thank you for explaining the maintenance procedure for this hub. My nexus 8 was slightly different, being disc brake and belt drive, but the principle and procedure was the same. It was fantastic to see so clearly how to lubricate the hub assembly. Keep up the good work. I am now the England Shimano hub lubrication expert. Thank you once again

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

I'm so glad the video was helpful to you! It's great that even though your hub was slightly different, you were still able to apply the same principles and procedure. Keep up the great work as the England Shimano hub lubrication expert! If you ever have more questions or need further guidance, feel free to reach out.🙂

[@jamesvdm]

This is an A+ video, thank you for putting the time in to make it so good.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

A+? Wow, I must have really aced this one! Thanks for the feedback, it motivates me to keep creating top-notch content.🙂

[@elvescrossing]

i recently bought a bike with nexus 7 gear - in case i couldn´t handle the first check for myself although watching this vid .... it´s not your fault for sure. just perfect

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, thanks for a great comment and for sharing your experience.🙏 I'm glad the video was helpful to you, and I'm here to help if you have any questions in the future. 🙂

[@stefandenic7144]

Very good step by step tutorial, thanks!

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

You're welcome Stefan! I'm glad you found the tutorial helpful. If you have any other questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.🙂

[@tonipedro]

Thank you for your amazing tec video, it makes a big difference to us here in South Africa . thank you so much.

[@user-xh9pf6kb7j]

Fantastic video, thanks. Paul McQuaid, owner of The Good Bike Project, Ireland.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Paul, and thanks for your great comment!🙏 I'm pleased to hear that you found the video helpful. If you or anyone from your project have any more questions, or ideas for future videos feel free to reach out. Greetings from Manchester, UK🇬🇧🙂

[@markr831]

I would recommend using some thin wood boards between the threads and the vise jaws to protect the threads.

[@thegoodguy44]

Such a good video for this type of thing.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Thanks for watching! I'm really happy that you liked the video and found it helpful . If you need any more advice or have a bike-related question feel free to reach out.🙂

[@loganpingel813]

Great video, helped me figure out how to replace the internal gears on a nexus e-bike design belt drive. Earned a new subscriber for sure!

[@ditto1958]

This video is done well, but I can’t help but thinking, in every video touting internal gear hubs, the big selling point is “low maintenance!!” I’m flabbergasted. I can tell you that the amount of maintenance I’ve done on derailleur systems over 6 decades of cycle is basically zero. At most, I turned the adjusting screws a handful of times. Yet, this is a fairly significant procedure that’s supposed to be done regularly in the Shimano internal hub. Still, they do seem to work well.

[@james-p]

I thought it was interesting because I have a bike with a Shimano Inter-7 (the model before the Nexus) that's 25 years old. I've never serviced it, and it still works perfectly. Hubs that use oil rather than grease (like Alfine and Rohloff) need to have the oil changed annually, but it's a much simpler process.

[@dinulanimantha2562]

Nice work bro keeping up ♥️

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, and thanks a lot for the kind words and the support! 🙌 I'm thrilled you enjoyed the video. If you have any suggestions or topics you'd like to see, feel free to let me know.

[@Dziku888]

You can also use SAE 80 oil for that, it's 1/6th the price and it's as good as shimano.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for your comment and sharing your tip. I had a look at both oils and unfortunately they differ from each other in both ingridients and viscosity. SAE80 oil ingridients are: - Lubricating oils: These are oils used to reduce friction and wear between moving parts. They are commonly derived from petroleum or synthetic sources.- Petroleum: This refers to crude oil or its derivatives, which are commonly used as a base for lubricating oils. - C>25, hydrotreated bright stock-based Dec-1-ene, oligomers, hydrogenated: This is a specific type of hydrocarbon compound derived from the hydrotreatment (a refining process) of bright stock oil, which is a heavy lubricating oil derived from petroleum. The "C>25" likely refers to carbon chains with more than 25 carbon atoms, indicating a high molecular weight. The "Dec-1-ene, oligomers, hydrogenated" part suggests that these are oligomeric compounds (composed of a few repeating units) derived from decene (a type of alkene) and have been hydrogenated (hydrogen atoms added to the molecule). It's kinetic viscosity at 40 40°C is: 139 mm²/s The ingredients of Shimano SG-S700 oil appear to be different from the previous ones. They are: - 1H-Benzotriazole-1-methanamine: This is a chemical compound belonging to the class of benzotriazole derivatives. Benzotriazoles are commonly used as corrosion inhibitors or UV stabilizers in various applications, including in the formulation of lubricants, coolants, and metalworking fluids. - N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4-methyl-N,N-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-5-methyl-1H-benzotriazole-1-methylamine: This is a complex chemical compound containing multiple functional groups, including ethylhexyl groups and a benzotriazole moiety. It is likely a specific derivative or variation of benzotriazole with enhanced properties, potentially used as a corrosion inhibitor or UV stabilizer in industrial applications. It's kinetic viscosity at 40°C is: 153.1 mm²/s In summary, while both sets of ingredients may be used in industrial formulations, they belong to different chemical classes and serve different purposes within those formulations. That's the reason why I would recommend to use a genuine Shimano oil to avoid leakage of oil and malfunctioning of gear shifting.

[@timallison8560]

this is a lot of work for a low maintenance solution

[@ukrytykrytyk8477]

Hi. Nice video for a basic maintenance but why did you use black grease, rather than white? What if someone's hub inside needs total cleaning due to water ingress? How would you dissemble it further and flush the old oil and grease? Thanks!

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for your comment. I'm pleased that you liked the video. I used black grease because that's what Shimano recommends for their hub gears (which is typically black in colour). Regarding taking the huib apart further, it's a bit tricky task. It's not really meant for full DIY disassembly. However, I will put this on my to-do list and I will see what I can do.🙂

[@dhruvio]

It would be great to know how to fully clean the internal hub

[@aluppijr]

Thanks!

[@thibaultbrugiere1622]

Hello, this is a super interesting video! I’m thinking of applying the same treatment to my Nexus 8 hub since I’m experiencing some friction in the freewheel. Do you think using transmission oil from a car would work, given that it’s much cheaper than Shimano’s oil (50€/L)? Thanks!

[@solarheat9016]

Let me get this straight: you don't flip the internal assembly so that the top side gets dipped also?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi and thanks for the comment. That's correct! The internal assembly doesn't need to be flipped for dipping the top side. The process is designed to ensure thorough coating without the need for flipping. I hope this helps🙂

[@namdarbolour9890]

Good question. I've wondered the same thing. He's just telling us what Shimano recommends. However, I think the top part of the axle assembly should also be lubricated. I would probably use grease so it stays in place. And of course, use grease for the outboard bearing.

[@gabzolina]

Thanks for the video... my bike maintenance is overdue. Is it realistic to attempt this without a vice?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for your question. I'm glad you found the video helpful. Yes, the whole process can be done without using the vice. Having vice just makes the job much quicker and easier. Let me know how you got on lubricating your internal gear hub without using a vice. Good luck🙂

[@thelostlamb7560]

Do you think thumb shifter will work as a replacement for the revo shifter?

[@rodrigo_decastro]

I just went through this tutorial to lubricate the 8-speed Shimano hub. The oil kit is quite expensive, do you know if it's ok to save the oil for future use?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Rodrigo, and thanks for your question. Shimano recommends disposing of used oil, as it may contain dirt and debris that could potentially harm your components. I hope this helps.

[@namdarbolour9890]

What sources do you reference that the special expensive Shimano oil can only be used once? To me, that seems strange and just doesn't make sense. As others have commented, if the oil costs as much as a new 3-speed hub, for example, why bother relubing, just buy a new hub! Granted, the 5, 7, and 8 speed hubs are more expensive than a can of that oil, but it still seems like an unjustifiably expensive way to relube a hub! According to the Dealer Manual DM-SG0004-09-ENG (dated Nov 2023), the oil can be re-used (see page 42). Granted, this manual is for the newer high-normal Alfine 8 and 11 speed hubs (loose shifter cable = high gear), but I don't see any reason it can't apply to the Nexus hubs. Thanks for the video though, just the same.

[@saladin_r]

would be great if you did the same video for a sturmy igh

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, thanks for the comment and the suggestion! I'll add this to my to do list. Stay tuned!🙂

[@rstoick2478]

What do you do with the oil after you’ve submersed the assembly into it for the 90 seconds? Can you save it and use it again for the next planned maintenance of the hub? Or is it no longer reusable because it has been dirtied/contaminated?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for your question. Shimano recommends to dispose of the used oil as it may contain foreign objects such as dirt and debris.

[@rstoick2478]

Thanks for clarifying what Shimano recommends. It is an unfortunate waste of a lot of (expensive) oil, but I understand the concern with contaminants.

[@chutsam7465]

seems to me the shaft in the tub requires a lot more oil than needed. Since it's so short of a rise I'd consider a custom tub with a hole for shaft and a grommet seal for the oil. a perfect seal would not even be needed for a 90 seconds rinse.....Gosh. just looked up oil price... I'd even use a plastic bag (with a hub hole) for this rinse....

[@jepulis6674]

​@@chutsam7465Cheaper to just buy a new 80€ hub every time if you skip one maintenance. Or just filter the oil and keep reusing it.

[@Dziku888]

You can filter it through paper paint filters also you can use cheaper SAE 80 oil, which is recommended by Rohloff.

[@gerard7687]

I have an Shimano Nexus Hub SG- 8R31gear . The problem is that i cannot shift between the 5 and 8 acceleration. the circuit gets stuck and makes an awful noise, can anyone give me advice?

[@thieunientinlanh]

Thanks for your very instructive and easy to understand video! I’m wondering if I can convert my Nexus 8-speed IGH with coaster brake from grease to oil-lubricate. If yes, how can I do that? Thank you very much!

[@namdarbolour9890]

You cannot do this because Shimano 8-speeds (Nexus or Alfine) are not truly sealed. They only have dust caps. If you put oil inside, it will quickly leak out. Unlike oil, grease stays where you put it, so must be used on the outside parts of the hub, like bearings.

[@thieunientinlanh]

@@namdarbolour9890 thanks for the info. But I’ve seen Alfine hubs being lubricated by oil. So if I can figure how to make an oil seal, I can use oil to lubricate my hub

[@james-p]

@@thieunientinlanh Just stick to grease. The Alfine hubs are a completely different design. Plus, you really don't need to regrease these every year - mine's 25 years old and still runs fine. I keep the bike indoors though so ymmv.

[@Lughnerson]

I have a Nexus 8 with a roller brake. Can I take the roller brake off and replace it with a dust cap that I would purchase separately? Can it be converted to a disc brake? Are there options?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for your question. Yes, you can replace your roller brake with a dust cap. I think this is its code: Y34R98100 but double-check with your hub model. Unfortunately, there isn't a way that I know to convert it to a disc brake. However, nothing stops you from doing further research. If you find something let us all know.🙂

[@IGNACASLTU]

Is regular 75 or 90W automotive gear oil is good enough for the bath? I can't seem to find the Shimano one in my region.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi and thanks for your comment. Regular 75 and 90W automotive gear oils differ from Shimano Hub gear oil in both ingridients and viscosity so I would advice to use the genuine oil. However if you're unable to access the genuine replacement oil in your region, someone mentioned that SAE 80W oil is used to service Rollhof internal gear hubs and it may do the job.

[@original7844]

shimano nexus sg-c6001-8d new hub fitted 1 month ago, drops into idle on speeds 3,4,5,6, what can I do to fix it

[@davec1179]

This is for a 7 speed hub, do you grease the 8 speed hub or not as it uses ball type pawls instead of ratchet pawls

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Dave, thanks for your question. After performing oil maintenance on Nexus 7, 8-speed, or Alfine 8-speed unit, Shimano advises applying grease to the ball bearings and pinion gears. I hope this helps.🙂

[@namdarbolour9890]

Yes, same grease for roller clutches on high-end hubs (what you call "ball type pawls").

[@mrjoneseastend]

Shouldn't you apply some grease to cassette joint?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hey, thanks for your question. I never did, and Shimano doesn't mention it either in their manual. However, that doesn't mean you can't if you feel that it works for you.

[@namdarbolour9890]

The cassette joint does not need to be lubed because actually there are no sliding parts in it. The 2 parts of the CJ connect to separate splines on the axle and that's where the bearing takes place. Study the CJ mating to the axle carefully to see this. Adding lube actually makes things worse because it just attracts dirt which can affect cable adjustment in extreme cases.

[@markr831]

How frequently does the hub need to be taken apart and re-lubed? Thanks

[@namdarbolour9890]

I would recommend once every 1 or 2 years or 5000 km, whichever comes first. Use 1 year for wet climates, 2 for dry. Maybe do the first relube after just 1000 km since it is breaking in.

[@johnfelts3744]

the oil kit costs more than the hub itself, i think ill just replace it instead..

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi John, thanks for the comment. It's actually an interesting alternative😀

[@LionRelaxe]

Many users recommended swapping the expansive Oil with synthetic automatic transmission fluid (ATF). As the characteristics of the oil and the intended use case is the same, it seems like a good idea. As for the grease, my local bike shop tells me he use the "normal grease he uses in bike wheel bearings" with great success. I would definitively try that before going with the full replacement!

[@oftankoftan]

IMO regular 5W30 motor oil does the exact same thing. you'll save 100 bucks on the shimano oil.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for the comment. I agree that Shimano hub gear oil is extremely expensive,, and that's a shame. I'm not saying you can't but using 5W30 motor oil instead of Shimano internal gear oil is not recommended. Shimano internal gear oil is specifically formulated for bicycle internal gear systems, providing the right viscosity and lubricating properties. It's best to use the recommended oil for your bicycle's internal gears to ensure smooth operation and longevity.

[@oftankoftan]

@@cyclemaintenanceacademy you have no logic for your rationale. the viscosity is similar.

[@gamer43224]

Can i reuse the oil for multiple bikes?

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi and thanks for your question. It would be great however Shimano recommends to dispose of the used oil as it may contain foreign objects such as dirt and debris.

[@VqOumgA3Nn]

​@@cyclemaintenanceacademy LOL, Are you joking? Shimano on the contrary says in a tech tip in their Dealer's manual (for example DM-AL0001-15): "The maintenance oil is reusable. Refill it as needed. Store it with the lid closed after use."

[@VqOumgA3Nn]

In Shimano's Dealer's manual (for example DM-AL0001-15) there is a tech tip that says: "The maintenance oil is reusable. Refill it as needed. Store it with the lid closed after use."

[@markifi]

starts at 2:20

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, thanks for letting people know where to start the video to skip the beginning. I hope you found the video helpful. 🙂

[@markifi]

video was great thank you. i have to open a hub up because it's been sitting for a decade and now i started to use it, but i'm worried what might be in there in terms of lubrication.@@cyclemaintenanceacademy it's obviously not polite of me to do this but asking for a subscription in the first second stood out to me as a bit strange too. imo driver61 does this perfectly. midway in the video. i may or may not be an untypical viewer, and i can't judge which one i am, but i think so many people would just click to another one after even a slightly long intro. your intro is long. if this isn't worthwhile, apologies and thanks for reading

[@edwardwilliammorris1340]

Christ , no wonder people go for a derailer . The old 3 speed just had to have a few drops of oil put in the cap occasionally. This is too much work for something that's supposed to be easier 🤔

[@franklinvanproosdij]

These internal hubs are much better protected to the dense cycling environment here in the netherlands. Derailers get bent easy in bike racks by other bikes next to it.

[@magnushvidtjoern]

No, keeping a igh is a lot easier to do, than to clean you derailleur every time it is dirty. Learn the process and you will be fine doing this once a year. Bet you don't get away cleaning your derailleur once a year(-:

[@chutsam7465]

The shimiano 3 speed IGH is indeed much easier to maintain. I suspect a full cleaning would be about the same work.

[@edwardwilliammorris1340]

You would lose the bet . In the past 8 years on the same bike (80s shogun ) I haven't even cleaned it every year, just add oil to the chain and wipe off excess with a rag . I really do like hub gears and understand the damaged derailer problem ( though it's never happened to me) . I travelled everywhere on my Raleigh 3 speed with just a few drops dripped in now and then , it never failed​@@magnushvidtjoern

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi Edward, thanks for your comment. I get it, the older 3-speed hubs were definitely simpler to maintain. Internal gear hubs like the Shimano Nexus offer their own advantages but because of their complexity, they can be a bit more involved when it comes to servicing. Luckily they don't require servicing very often. You're absolutely right that most people use bikes with derailleur gears. But there's a reason for that. Road, gravel, MTB, and a lot of hybrids are equipped with derailleur gears because they have one huge advantage over the hub gears. They offer a larger gear ratio. So, to summarise, it's all about finding the right balance between convenience and functionality. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!🙂

[@fraginz]

I don't understand why shimano doesn't make this at least as easy as changing car engine oil.🙄

[@C-D-a-w-g]

Their Alfine 11 speed hub uses a syringe thata connects on the middle of rhe hub body. No taking it apart for oil changes. (these hubs use oil and not grease.)

[@JogieGlenMait16]

Man, that's complex.

[@user-xh9pf6kb7j]

Just continue to keep the didly crap superfluous annoying music out of your content. Clear, to the point, and time wasting annoying stuff to a minimum.

[@cyclemaintenanceacademy]

Hi, and thanks for the feedback. Got it, minimum annoying music, just clear and straight to the point content!🙂