# Help with JC HIggins CL find



## how (Nov 6, 2009)

Got this JC Higgins 3 speed bike yesterday for 20 bucks, I usually just mess with Schwinns but I couldnt pass this up.

SO usually when I get a Schwinn I repack the crank with grease. This one has a spout for oil. Is that gonna be good enough to just squirt oil in it? Same for the three speed hub, is it just good enough to squirt oil in it,,or do u have to repack outter bearings if there is any?
thanks howie


----------



## drabe (Nov 6, 2009)

*Wow!*



how said:


> Got this JC Higgins 3 speed bike yesterday for 20 bucks, I usually just mess with Schwinns but I couldnt pass this up.
> 
> SO usually when I get a Schwinn I repack the crank with grease. This one has a spout for oil. Is that gonna be good enough to just squirt oil in it? Same for the three speed hub, is it just good enough to squirt oil in it,,or do u have to repack outter bearings if there is any?
> thanks howie




20 dollars!!!! You want to double your money and sell it to me?
Seriously, if you paid $120.00 that would have been a deal, that bike is beautiful man!

As far as the hub goes, I've got a couple of 3 speeds I picked up recently (a Schwinn Collegiate and Columbia Sport, both have Sturmey-Archer internal hubs).
I went thru all the bearings like normal but left the rears alone 'cause I'd never messed with one before. So, I added oil to the little plug and hoped for the best. Well, neither bike shifts right and I don't know if it's just an adjustment issue OR if I need to go thru the hubs and clean and service them. I feel like this is my payment for taking a shortcut. 
I recently picked up a 'Glenn's Complete Bike Manual' that is pretty detailed with the servicing and adjustment of these hubs, which I'll probably do at some point (my wife 'reeled me back in' to do a home improvement project). 
Here's some info from Sheldon Brown's site http://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer.html
Congrats and good luck!


----------



## Adamtinkerer (Nov 6, 2009)

Awww sweet! You stole that one man! That model was either made by Puch or Stelber in Europe, they wanted to compete with american middleweights, so they added the second bar. Decals look awesome! The crank bearings should grease as normal. Just a pain to take apart. Also agree on the S/A hubs, Sheldon was the king of these, I'd go with his advice on them.


----------



## halfatruck (Nov 20, 2009)

I just found one of these.... complete and everything in good condition (decal, headbadge and chrome) except for the frame paint. Anyone know the coding for the year?
The serial is on the bottom of the crank mount, there are two sets of numbers - 503.46.420 and 1663956.
Thanks


----------



## 10speed (Nov 21, 2009)

*sewing oil*

use sewing machine oil. that is very close to what s/a sold to use on their hubs.


----------



## sailorbenjamin (Nov 21, 2009)

I usually just fill the hubs and bottom bracket with oil.  Some guys run solvent through them first if they are really sticky.
If you take them apart you can confirm that the bearings are in good condition but if you put new oil in them they won't get any worse so it's not like you'll wreck your nice bike.  If the feel rough after you've oiled them then you might want to take them apart and have look.
Nice Bike!


----------



## sailorbenjamin (Nov 21, 2009)

As I recall, Higgins hubs were pretty much identical to SA hubs inside.  So you canuse Sheldon's info and adjust it just like an SA.


----------



## halfatruck (Nov 22, 2009)

HOW  PM sent.....


----------

