HOW TO LUBRICATE STURMEY ARCHER HUB // Servicing 3-speed Hub bearings // Bike Restoration

In this video I show how to disassemble a Sturmey-Archer AW 3 speed hub and regrease the bearings. I needed to do this because after completing the restoration of my Raleigh-built Hercules vintage bike I found that the rear hub was making the pedals turn when I was freewheeling. This was solved by adjusting the hub cone on the non-drive side of the hub and adding new grease to lubricate the bearings - however I found that bearings on the drive side of the bicycle also needed cleaning and lubricating.
I hope you have enjoyed following this vintage bike restoration and found it useful. If you did then please do like and subscribe and hit that bell notification icon to receive updated when I post future videos.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:10 Removing the indicator spindle and sprocket
05:10 Removing the drive-side cone and bearings
11:00 Inside the hub
12:20 Re-greasing the hub and reassembly
19:00 Checking and adjusting play in the axle
20:55 Adjusting the non-drive bearing cone
21:31 Inspecting the anti-rotation washers
22:11 Adjusting the indicator chain on the bike
#richsridesandrestorations
#bikemaintenance
#sturmeyarcher

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thank you for watching, I hope you find this video helpful. What would you like to see me cover in future videos?

[@RolingRandom]

I would like to see a video about servicing a Shimano Nexus 4 speed. I recently got a bicycle with one of those, but there is not much info about it on the internet.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

@@RolingRandom I've not come across a Nexus 4 so far but there's information about rebuilding those hubs on the Sheldon Brown website if you've not seen it already. If I do get a bike with that kind of hub in future I will make sure I do a video about it.

[@thebsidepoet]

So rare to watch a video that works as well in person as it did on the screen. Thanks!

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

You’re welcome! I’m glad that this video was helpful to you 😊

[@philflip1963]

An excellent comprehensive, clear and well paced tutorial, thanks.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it

[@brianvincentgrech]

Great video especially when you explained how to set the finetune gear shifting!

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it ☺

[@julianruneckles2198]

Thanks. I need to tackle this job on my Gazelle so nice to watch someone else do it first!

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

I’m glad this was helpful to you! Good luck with the Gazelle 😀

[@rainbowhiker]

That was quite instructive. I always thought the bearings were lubricated by the oil in the hub. I'll have to check mine and fix that--thank you again.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

You’re very welcome!

[@mlig3457]

Thanks a lot for this great instructional & pedagogical' video !

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

You’re welcome! Let me know if you have any questions 😀

[@SinnerSince1962]

That's one heck of a nice vice you have. I love it.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thank you! It’s an Irwin Record 100mm width vice with the optional swivel base. The magnetic soft jaws are from Draper. It’s perfect for light metal working jobs that I’ve done so far.

[@lollycopter]

22:11 Another way to adjust the indicator chain is to set it into 1st gear and then pull on the chain with your fingers. You should be able to see and/or feel a tiny bit of movement when you do that. Cross-check with the 2nd gear visual method - it should yield the same result. Doing by feel is particularly useful if the lighting is poor or the pin is dirty and hard to see.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thanks for the suggestion!

[@DaveOhm]

Thanks for the video. The bearing maintenance is really clear, but what about the internal parts? You mentioned using lawn mower oil for the body of the mechanism. How much oil is required after a degrease, and at what stage do you add it? Thanks.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thanks for your question! The internal mechanism is lubricated with SAE 20 oil, such as lawn mower engine oil. While the hub is in use you should add one or two drops via the oil port in the side of the hub every couple of weeks. I use a little plastic syringe to do this. If you've taken the hub apart and rebuilt it then you need to add 2 teaspoons (approx 5 ml) of oil into the gearing cage before you close up the hub, then rotate the mechanism once the hub has been re-assembled to get a good coverage of oil over the mechanism. Be careful not to leave the hub on its side after you've done this as the oil may run out of the hub and flush out the bearing grease! I've also done a video showing a full rebuild of a model AG hub which you may find interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGatZ4d9hKuSqas

[@countingman]

Thanks for the wonderfully informative video...... What grease do you recommend for the bearings on the axel of the NDS as well as the caged bearings.... It appears to be reddish in color...Thanks once again !!

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed it! The grease I used is a Teflon based grease - either Halfords own-brand or TF2. It’s used in both the caged bearings for the axle and the bearing races for the mechanism. The internal gears are lubricated with SAE 20 oil and you need to be careful not to overfill the oil otherwise it may get into the bearings and flush out the grease, especially when the wheel is on its side.

[@angeld1481]

Hi. Where did you buy the protección for the small chain?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Hi, thanks for watching and for the question! It's a Sturmey Archer Indicator Guard Cap - part number HSL711. www.sjscycles.co.uk/hub-spares/sturmey-archer-indicator-guard-black-hsl711/ Mine came with the bike originally.

[@RolingRandom]

Did you find the nylon washer on the bottom end of the spring?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

I couldn’t see the washer when I took the spring out so was a bit worried, but I eventually found it stuck to the bottom of the cone when cleaning off the muck! It had completely blended in!

[@JoeMama-rn5vc]

Got any videos or know of any like this for the Sturmes archer S2 duomatic kickshift? Been struggling to keep it shifting while riding

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thanks for commenting! I haven’t worked on a S2 but according to the manual on www.sheldonbrown.com/sutherland.html it looks similar to other Sturmey Archer hubs, except it only has two speeds instead of 3. Hope this helps!

[@fendermon]

That's really high quality footage. Thank you :) How do you figure these compare to the Shimano's?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thank you very much! I haven't serviced any Shimano hub gears (yet) so I can't say. I've heard that the Shimano's are much more complex, but do offer a much wider range of gears. The Sturmey-Archer hubs have been around for many decades, particularly the AW model, and are very sturdy with spares (or donor hubs) quite easy to come by. If I ever get hold of a Shimano internal hub I will definitely do a video about it.

[@fendermon]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations Thanks, I really appreciate it. I'm lookin at Priority bikes 3 speed (Gothem) is why I ask. Oddly, there is little to no info on Shimano 3 speed hubs.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Shimano did a Shimano Nexus 3 speed hub (RJ The Bike Guy channel has a video about them), but new ones seem to be 8 or 11 speed these days. There’s also the Shimano Alfine range which again is 8 or 11 speed.

[@fendermon]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations Thanks, I watched RJ's video. Does maintenance really consist of ripping them fully apart? or can you just pull the unit out of the hub and give it a soak in oil. As much as I admire yours and RJ's skills I am just thinking about preventative measures. Thank you so much.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

@@fendermon If the hub is working ok, then all you need to do is add a couple of drops of SAE 20 oil (via the plastic or metal cap in the hub body) every couple of weeks during regular use and maybe regrease the bearings every year. You’d only need to do a full strip if things are playing up or, like my Dawn Tourist project (see recent videos) the bike hasn’t been used for a few decades and water has got into the hub.

[@paulhoughtonhhoughton9188]

Question for you? my current 3sp AW hub has failed (toggle chain pulls out when gear changing) But I have a new old stock hub (1984) which i plan to swop out the insides but am stuck how to split the hub, As the new hub is not built to a rim, I don't want to grip it in a vice to remove the cover on the R/H drive side (butts up to hub body with two locating key ways) any suggestions please.?.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Hello, thanks for the question. Last year I rebuilt a 1950 Sturmey-Archer AG Dynohub after dismantling the rear wheel. I used rubber gribs told hold the hub shell in my vice and used a hammer and punch to unwind the top cap on the mechanism and dismantle the insides. See my video for more details: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGatZ4d9hKuSqas Depending on the year of the hub, you can get a proper Ball Ring spanner from sturmey archer which fits the notches on the cap, but you may have to file the teeth on the tool to fit models that have square notches instead of rounded ones. After I posted the video I received a suggestion about cutting out semi-circular holes in two pieces of wood, to grip the hub in a vice without risk of distorting the shell, using several pins or nails through the spoke holes to lock the shell to the pieces of wood to stop it from rotating when using the hammer and punches to undo the cap. (I've not tried this myself yet) I hope this helps!

[@stephanc2005]

12:45 It would have been nice if you’d deassembled the mechanism. You’d have found a lot more dirt there, which caused the original problem.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Thanks for commenting! Yes, I would have disassembled the hub but at the time of filming I didn't have the correct tools. I did however disassemble and restore a AG 3-speed Dynohub in a later video when I had the tools to do so: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGatZ4d9hKuSqas

[@MartyMcGrime]

Thanks, what is the rubber cap you can open for?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

The cap on the outside of the hub is to lubricate the hub mechanism while it’s in regular use. Need to use oil and not grease as that will clog the gears. The recommended oil is SAE 20 weight oil (such as lawnmower engine oil). Just add 2 drops every 2 weeks while in regular use. Don’t add too much or it will leak out of the axle holes and flush out the grease in the bearings! On some hubs the cap is a plastic plug and on older ones there is a little brass cap you flip open.

[@MartyMcGrime]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations thanks so much that's amazing

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

You’re welcome!

[@kwakagreg]

Sturmey Archer says you shouldn't grease anything. Its oil lubricated and unless you think there are damaged balls just wash it out. and by leaving it in the hub like that you haven't cleaned up half of it or checked the pawls and springs

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

Hi, thanks for commenting. This was just a check to resolve an issue with the pedals turning due to the bearing cones needing adjustment and regreasing. I've done other videos showing how to disassemble the mechanism and overhaul the hub. I use oil on the internal mechanism itself and find grease on the wheel bearings and a little grease on the driver bearings works perfectly fine.

[@paul-hill]

What would happen if you filled he hub with grease. Would it cut down on the ticking ?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

If you used grease on the hub mechanism, it would put more resistance on the mechanism and cause the pawls to not engage fully or prevent the gears from shifting smoothly. You should use SAE 20 or 30 weight oil, such as lawnmower engine oil, on the internal mechanism.

[@paul-hill]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations I have some lawnmower engine oil. I'll try it and see what happens. Thanks.

[@philflip1963]

No mention of topping up with oil, which grade or how much?

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

See 12:20 onwards. The internal mechanism (not the bearings) uses SAE 20 oil, such as lawnmower engine oil. You need about 10ml when first assembling the hub and then top up with a drop of oil via the plastic inlet port every couple of weeks while in regular use (I use a plastic syringe for this).

[@philflip1963]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations Thanks muchly!

[@SinnerSince1962]

I think your hub is missing the cap that is supposed to be top of the spring 07:09.

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

The plastic cap for the spring was stuck to the bottom of the cone - if you look closely you can see the grooves of the cap, covered in grease, when I show the cone to the camera. The cap is refitted to the spring later at 17:20

[@SinnerSince1962]

@@RichsRidesandRestorations I see!

[@martytoal6547]

I wouldn’t have reused that cone,it was destroyed!

[@RichsRidesandRestorations]

I didn't have any spare at the time and it doesn't get much use at the moment - I'll put a new one in the next time I service it.