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Apr 13, 2020 19:47:36 GMT
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I've suddenly gone on a bit of a bicycle resuscitation binge while the weather's good and I can't drive my car. The wife's bike is midway through a rebuild, and I pulled the first of my collection of bicycle oddities out of the loft today and built it back up. Next I want to pull out and rebuild my Mk1 Pashley Tube Rider. It has a Sturmey Archer 3 speed rear hub. The standard/classic SA unit, nothing modern or fancy. I've just remembered though that when it was disassembled and put away twenty years ago, the gears were slipping and I didn't manage to resolve it. Under pressure they will slip from one gear to another, or if memory serves me it would even slip into neutral, causing some damaged knees and hilarious clown-like crashes. So I'm going to strip the hub down tomorrow but I was wondering if there was anyone out there who is a dab had at Sturmey Archer gear hubs who might know the most common causes of gear slippage? I seem to remember Pashley telling me at the time I would need a new hub but I'm not giving up that easily. Pic of the bike to liven things up a bit...  |
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louise
Part of things
Posts: 20
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Apr 13, 2020 19:56:29 GMT
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Hi there should be an adjuster where the cable/chain enters the back hub. If memory serve me right.
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Apr 13, 2020 20:01:03 GMT
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I'm sure its adjusted right when you can just see the chain through the hole in the wheel nut in second gear. So I've been told, but I've normally had to ride my Choppers up the road a few times with a few adjustments to hold a gear and get the right one. Have the cable so in third it's not slack, and each gear select actually moves the chain, and go from there. SA hubs are witchcraft to me, I've never dared take one to bits.
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Apr 13, 2020 20:36:40 GMT
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Hi, It will most likely be adjustment. There's a lot of 'works' in there, avoid. -  Colin |
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Apr 13, 2020 21:00:50 GMT
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There’s an adjustment on the second gear, you need to tune the adjuster on the chain bit that comes out the hub so it’s flush with the hole in the nut (from what I remember).
Look it up though to be sure but it’s a super simple quick adjustment. I just havnt explained it well.
Failing that it will be the pawls.
These look like a nightmare but they are actually very easy to work on, especially if you have a bench with a vice to hold the wheel.
There’s about 4 pawls in the hub and each have a tiny spring the size of like an eye lash.
It may be that that has failed.
If you have never done it before you could have it apart and back together again in about an hour or so.
They come apart fairly easily if you can read an exploded diagram. And it doesn’t all spring apart and throw bits everywhere. So don’t worry about having a go. You can still get parts too.
Have a go even just to discover an amazing bit of engineering. I was blown away first time I opened a Sturmey Archer hub and saw how they worked
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Apr 13, 2020 21:04:52 GMT
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Cheers fellas. It was a long time ago but I tried to adjust it externally with the cable adjusters to no avail, and at the time I was told by Pashley, who I think owned Sturmey Archer at that point, that the internal mechanism might be out of alignment or even broken.
I've also never taken one apart but it cant be too difficult. I hope.
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Apr 13, 2020 21:07:36 GMT
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There’s an adjustment on the second gear, you need to tune the adjuster on the chain bit that comes out the hub so it’s flush with the hole in the nut (from what I remember). Look it up though to be sure but it’s a super simple quick adjustment. I just havnt explained it well. Failing that it will be the pawls. These look like a nightmare but they are actually very easy to work on, especially if you have a bench with a vice to hold the wheel. There’s about 4 pawls in the hub and each have a tiny spring the size of like an eye lash. It may be that that has failed. If you have never done it before you could have it apart and back together again in about an hour or so. They come apart fairly easily if you can read an exploded diagram. And it doesn’t all spring apart and throw bits everywhere. So don’t worry about having a go. You can still get parts too. Have a go even just to discover an amazing bit of engineering. I was blown away first time I opened a Sturmey Archer hub and saw how they worked Pawls. Yes, I think that was what they said at the time. Cheers. Looking forward to pulling this apart now I've seen the exploded diagram (cheers Col!) |
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Last Edit: Apr 13, 2020 21:09:31 GMT by Deleted
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Apr 13, 2020 21:21:37 GMT
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I just watched a youtube video of how to adjust them. Funny to think that the last time I tried to adjust them (and the last time the bike was seen in one piece) YouTube didnt even exist.
But watching it I see what you mean Awoo and Astranaut, and that's not how I remember trying to adjust it 20 years go. So it's going to be worth having a go tomorrow to see if it can be set right without investigating further.
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Last Edit: Apr 13, 2020 21:22:27 GMT by Deleted
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briang
Part of things
Posts: 83 
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Apr 13, 2020 21:27:35 GMT
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Apr 13, 2020 22:10:44 GMT
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Thanks. That's quite comprehensive!. I might dip into it if I feel I need some additional info, so it could be useful, but I don't think I'll attempt to read the whole thing before I've taken retirement  |
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Apr 13, 2020 22:17:51 GMT
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There’s an adjustment on the second gear, you need to tune the adjuster on the chain bit that comes out the hub so it’s flush with the hole in the nut (from what I remember). Look it up though to be sure but it’s a super simple quick adjustment. I just havnt explained it well. Failing that it will be the pawls. These look like a nightmare but they are actually very easy to work on, especially if you have a bench with a vice to hold the wheel. There’s about 4 pawls in the hub and each have a tiny spring the size of like an eye lash. It may be that that has failed. If you have never done it before you could have it apart and back together again in about an hour or so. They come apart fairly easily if you can read an exploded diagram. And it doesn’t all spring apart and throw bits everywhere. So don’t worry about having a go. You can still get parts too. Have a go even just to discover an amazing bit of engineering. I was blown away first time I opened a Sturmey Archer hub and saw how they worked Pawls. Yes, I think that was what they said at the time. Cheers. Looking forward to pulling this apart now I've seen the exploded diagram (cheers Col!) Hi, you're a braver man than the one sitting here with the fat fingers. Colin |
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Apr 13, 2020 22:32:10 GMT
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Hi, you're a braver man than the one sitting here with the fat fingers. Colin Hahaha. Well the thing is I'd cr4p myself with a car gearbox but I spent my childhood taking old junk yard bicycles apart and buiding new ones out of them. I can rebuild hubs, cranks, headsets and whatever, so if it becomes necessary I'll give it a go. I'm in need of stuff to fill time during the lockdown anyway. It's a Sturmey Archer hub or a jigsaw puzzle. Unlike cars I can do it on a kitchen table, stick it all in a box on the shelf if I have to stop for any reason, and replacing it if it's broken or it all goes wrong will only cost £60 or so. Complexity isnt what I'm afraid of. Getting a car in pieces in the roadside kerb and not having anywhere to fix the things I've taken off without making a mess in the house, or having the tools to do it, or any other major issue like that is what I'm afraid of. I will literally laugh in the face of Sturmey Archer as I set about the delicate task of fixing it with my lump hammer. |
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Last Edit: Apr 13, 2020 22:32:56 GMT by Deleted
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,790
Club RR Member Number: 34
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A two wheeled questionDez
@dez
Club Retro Rides Member 34
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Apr 13, 2020 23:22:36 GMT
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It’s very rare for anything to go wrong with them internally. I’ve worked on probably hundreds over the years (even most proper bike shops seem to have no idea how to adjust them) and only ever remember seeing one or two that were internally borked, and that’s cos they’d been full of water or similar.
The basic test is if it works fine in top gear with the adjuster cable disconnected, it’s likely going to be fine internally.
Check it’s got oil in, and it’s clean. Remove the cable and adjuster chain, make sure everything is clean and freely moving, including the selector. Pay special attention to the cable being totally clean, lubricated and kink free. If in any doubt replace it. Then reassemble and adjust as per the instructions. I’ll be very surprised if that doesn’t cure your ills. Pushbike gear related ones anyway.
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Apr 13, 2020 23:48:42 GMT
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It’s very rare for anything to go wrong with them internally. I’ve worked on probably hundreds over the years (even most proper bike shops seem to have no idea how to adjust them) and only ever remember seeing one or two that were internally borked, and that’s cos they’d been full of water or similar. The basic test is if it works fine in top gear with the adjuster cable disconnected, it’s likely going to be fine internally. Check it’s got oil in, and it’s clean. Remove the cable and adjuster chain, make sure everything is clean and freely moving, including the selector. Pay special attention to the cable being totally clean, lubricated and kink free. If in any doubt replace it. Then reassemble and adjust as per the instructions. I’ll be very surprised if that doesn’t cure your ills. Pushbike gear related ones anyway. Cheers Dez. That leads me even further towards optimism that it merely didnt get adjusted properly last time. |
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