Classic & Vintage - S A 3spd hub bearing re-pack

How do you re-pack the bearings in a Sturmey Archer AW 3 spd hub. I guess my question really is, can I repack the bearings without taking apart all the internals (which I am a little hesitant to do).

There should be an oil port on the hub for dribbling a little oil into occasionally. That will take care of the the gears and the bearings. You will hear a great variety of opinions on what is the correct oil to use, and I won't get into that. I will say that I just use 10w30 motor oil(because it's what I have around) and have never had any trouble with the hubs from using it. I will also warn you against using the common 3 in 1 oil because it is vegetable based and will turn gummy after a while, gumming up your hub.

Use SAE 20 weight, not 30, not 40, not 10. Sturmey-Archer reccomends the 20 weight in Raleigh's 1978 owners manual as a substitue to Genine S-A oil. Thirty-weight or over will gum up in cold climates (and sometimes causes the clutch to stick regardless of the weather), and 10 weight is too thin.

-Kurt

You really should get someone to show you how to take one apart.It's a very simple to do job .And the bearings should be cleaned and greased --the oil is also nessary for smooth use.

Thanks all. I just got a Dunelt which works, but I've always wanted to take apart a Sturmey Archer. So against my better judgement and the old addage "if it ain't broke...." I've downloaded the factory instructions and I'm going to give it a shot. Wish me luck!

Been a couple months since the last post here, but in case you haven't broken down that hub yet:
http://www.karrot.org/ascotto/three_speed/

These are the best pics of how to do it I have seen.

...and the old addage "if it ain't broke...."
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An SA hub is not too difficult in the first stage - getting the thing apart down initially.

However, take IMPECIBLE notes. Take photos along the way if you can. Remember which part goes first and in which direction.

Personally, I do not think there is any good reason to completely disassemble an SA hub. You can just take the cones off and get down to the first ring of bearings. The small bearings will fall out, by the way, so be sure to take it apart on a terry towel to catch them.

You can then give the whole hub a good flush with solvent or even soak it in solvent and rinse it. Let it dry for a couple of days, oil, and reassemble. You can give the larger bearings a thin coat of grease, but don't "pack" the bearings with grease.

Most of the SA hub is lubricated with an oil bath. As mentioned above, you oil through the portal on the exterior of the hub.

Good luck.

I used to take those things apart when I was in grade school. They are not terribly difficult. Most of the time the repair necessary was that the part the indicator (shifter chain) threaded into was bent or broken.

I salvaged a functional 1956 SA hub from a trashed Steyr. I have not yet opened it up. I hope that in middle age I find the disassembly and reassembly as easy.

Has anyone seen the "other" 3 speed hub, the one with the raised bands on the hub shell. I had one on a Steyr made JC Higgins bike that also had a 3 speed Benelux derailleur, making it a 9 speed. This was in 1968 and the bike was ancient then. I trashed the 9 speed setup due to a broken axle and substituted a SA 3 speed. I have been looking for the name of that hub to no avail. It bugs me that I can't remember it.

Thanks all. So far, I'm just riding the Dunelt, the bike is a great around town bike, and it runs too well. I think I'll wait to get on old SA hub and then take that apart to practice.