What oil do I use for early 70;s Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub? It is completely dry so how much?
Sturmey Archer 3 Speed Oil
- Thread starter borgward
- Start date
Had several bicycles as a kid with that feature. I was already a dedicated 'change your oil' guy. Seems like there was a small port on the axle with a hinged cover for oil. We used 3-in-one oil. Bikes never wore out. BTW Sturmey Archer hubs have an interesting history.
Use and Maintenance of Sturmey-Archer Gear Hubs
Service instructions for Sturmey-Archer bicycle internal gear hubs
www.sheldonbrown.com
The Sheldon Brown advice contradicts itself, as it says to use a thin oil, then recommends Phil Wood tenacious oil, which is thick, much thicker than the automotive ATF fluid they also recommend.
One of my bikes has a modern Sturmey Archer S2 2-speed internally geared kickback hub. I use chainsaw bar & chain oil, which is similar to Phil Wood tenacious oil. Just make sure the oil isn't so thick that it impairs the pawls from moving. Thin oils simply run out or evaporate and don't properly lubricate the hub. I've got a few thousand miles on my S2 hub with no issues.
If it's a 50+ year old hub that is completely dry, it may be corroded and damaged internally. I guess you'll find out...
One of my bikes has a modern Sturmey Archer S2 2-speed internally geared kickback hub. I use chainsaw bar & chain oil, which is similar to Phil Wood tenacious oil. Just make sure the oil isn't so thick that it impairs the pawls from moving. Thin oils simply run out or evaporate and don't properly lubricate the hub. I've got a few thousand miles on my S2 hub with no issues.
If it's a 50+ year old hub that is completely dry, it may be corroded and damaged internally. I guess you'll find out...
I never use that 3 in 1 oil. Ever wonder why when that oil came in a steel can, it rusted badly.
On an old hub I would open it up and look. Make sure no damage, no gunk. Bit of motor oil then keep with that. Was meant for light oil, but sitting forever and now dry, opening up and making sure oil is where it needs to be would seemingly be prudent.
Its British, if its not leaking oil then it needs some.
Its British, if its not leaking oil then it needs some.
I've actually cleaned them with copious amounts of blasting with WD-40 (yeah I know, but it does get the old junk out)
Followed by blasting with Amsoil MP (not the heavy HDMP) THEN ATF for lube.
Followed by blasting with Amsoil MP (not the heavy HDMP) THEN ATF for lube.
Didn't know Chevrolet was British.
Luckily this isn't a thread about beer brands. That would mean Hammer Time.
ATF does work well, much better than 3-in-1 oil. But it gets messy as it flings outside the hub through small clearances. One thing I like about chainsaw bar & chain oil (and also Phil Tenacious oil if you want to pay 50x as much for the same thing), is it has a tackifier agent that helps the oil stick to the metal parts where it belongs, improving lubrication and reducing the fling-off and mess.
