Sturmey Archer 3 speed... ? feel ?

[new2olbikes]

It’s my first experience with these and it, (or I), may not be shifting properly. BACKGROUND: Got a cheap AMF Voyager(70’s?) w/ that shifter/hub combo. The hub stamp reads AW, also a 7 & 74 on either edges. I haven’t driven one of these so my question is what to expect? I have given the chain a good cleaning & lube, it feels a bit slack but not too loose, about 1” total play up/down. The trigger shifter has been WD’d & cleaned/ oiled, (not taken apart) & shot some into the cable housing it seems to move freely. I “filled” the hub w/WD, shot some all around the hub too, then did lots of hand cranking & shifting and it started to respond. I drained the hub, refilled & repeated the process, then got on it for a ride; fairly level street & went through the shifting process. Under load it seemed to not shift easily, if I stopped pedaling, then shifted it responded & I could detect a gear change,(feel). I let it soak overnight & today I’ll do another drain/refill & ride before putting in the regular oil, (3-1) or maybe ATF, which some have mentioned... So my?: Is the gearing difference subtle or a bit more dramatic,(that’s my guess), since it’s only 3 gears... & does it require a hesitation / pedaling or just back off the pressure? I’ll try tightening/adjusting the chain a bit as the next step. Then maybe attempting to adjust the shift cable but many say probably not necessary and it will be my 1st work on this type... I’m “exporting” this bike to PA for my daughter at school for a cheap ride. (No worry if damaged or stolen etc)... As always your comments & criticism are always appreciated. Thanks, Joe

 

[Gordon]

I would think 1 inch of slack is excessive, you may want to tighten that up, and then after tightening the chain you will need to readjust the shift cable. And yes, it is necessary to pause pedaling when changing gears. The gears are different enough that you should have no trouble discerning what gear you are in.

 

[SirMike1983]

If you've cleaned the hub by blowing WD-40 through it, the next step is to lubricate the hub. You can use grease in the outer bearings and oil, or you can run on just oil. If you run on just oil, you need to regularly oil (once per week or once per two weeks) because the oil will eventually run out the sides. The best oil is 3-in-1 blue label, which is a 20-weight motor oil. Avoid the 3-in-1 black label if possible because it may solidify in the hub.

The other thing is to properly adjust the shifter cable tenion. In 3rd gear, the cable should be just a tiny bit slack. The shifter chain should retract in 3rd, but the cable should not be sloppy or slapping around. Tighten the shifter cable until neutral is right in between 2nd and 3rd gear. You should be able to feel three distinct gears, but the jumps are not "huge". Tuning the hub for climb/descent is done by changing the size of the cog on the hub.

Shifting the hub requires you to let off on the pedals a bit. The surest way to shift is to coast while shifting, but you can keep pedaling if you are careful to let off a bit. Fully loaded, the clutch will not want to move, so you need to let off a bit.

 

[new2olbikes]

I would think 1 inch of slack is excessive, you may want to tighten that up, and then after tightening the chain you will need to readjust the shift cable. And yes, it is necessary to pause pedaling when changing gears. The gears are different enough that you should have no trouble discerning what gear you are in.

Thank you for your time & will do the chain today & report back... I know it’s a low key bike but your advice is greatly appreciated..

 

[new2olbikes]

If you've cleaned the hub by blowing WD-40 through it, the next step is to lubricate the hub. You can use grease in the outer bearings and oil, or you can run on just oil. If you run on just oil, you need to regularly oil (once per week or once per two weeks) because the oil will eventually run out the sides. The best oil is 3-in-1 blue label, which is a 20-weight motor oil. Avoid the 3-in-1 black label if possible because it may solidify in the hub.

The other thing is to properly adjust the shifter cable tenion. In 3rd gear, the cable should be just a tiny bit slack. The shifter chain should retract in 3rd, but the cable should not be sloppy or slapping around. Tighten the shifter cable until neutral is right in between 2nd and 3rd gear. You should be able to feel three distinct gears, but the jumps are not "huge". Tuning the hub for climb/descent is done by changing the size of the cog on the hub.

Shifting the hub requires you to let off on the pedals a bit. The surest way to shift is to coast while shifting, but you can keep pedaling if you are careful to let off a bit. Fully loaded, the clutch will not want to move, so you need to let off a bit.

U hit.... Nail on the head! I did some search on the hub & it got overly complicated & no-one talked about the shift technique... I took it easy on the pedals to be safe, remembering my older 5 speed liked “easy shifts”... I‘ll invert the bike today & check the shifter cable tension, after a modest tightening of the drive chain.. too much slack... THANK YOU for your time & generous sharing of knowledge.... “gotta luv dis place”

 

[AndyA]

For information on adjusting SA 3-speed hubs, go to the Buddha of Bikes:

Sturmey-Archer Hubs, Adjustments

Service instructions for Sturmey-Archer bicycle internal gear hubs

www.sheldonbrown.com

 

[new2olbikes]

For information on adjusting SA 3-speed hubs, go to the Buddha of Bikes:

Sturmey-Archer Hubs, Adjustments

Service instructions for Sturmey-Archer bicycle internal gear hubs

www.sheldonbrown.com

THANKS!! will do

 

[piercer_99]

here is the sturmey archer shop manual for them.

 

[jimbo53]

If you say you filled the hub through the oiler port with WD40 I would suggest draining that out . With the bike flipped, open the oiler cap and point it to the floor. Put some rags in the spokes to catch the runout. Spin the hub a few times and see if more WD40 comes out. WD40 is good for cleaning gears but makes a lousy lubricant. Some 20wt oil in the hub will have it shifting like a champ. The SA AW hubs are excellent in every way and will give years of trouble free service With minimal attention.

 

[cbustapeck]

U hit.... Nail on the head! I did some search on the hub & it got overly complicated & no-one talked about the shift technique... I took it easy on the pedals to be safe, remembering my older 5 speed liked “easy shifts”... I‘ll invert the bike today & check the shifter cable tension, after a modest tightening of the drive chain.. too much slack... THANK YOU for your time & generous sharing of knowledge.... “gotta luv dis place”

You would not be the only one who only just learned about proper shift technique after thinking that one of these hubs was shifting badly. =D