Classic & Vintage - Shimano date codes question

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s70rguy
08-18-06, 03:29 PM
I have a pair of Dura Ace hubs, first generation for screw-on freewheels, with the date code 'Y H'.
I've looked up the list of Shimano date codes, and I suppose they're not from the year 2000. The table starts with 'A' for 1976. Do I count back, and assume the hubs are from 1974?

leunkstar
08-18-06, 03:34 PM
And what if you read upside down?
Than it will be something like

H ...
1983
And the upside down Y
mmm let's think
A B C D E F G H I J K L
A? K?

wild theories... ;)
s70rguy
08-18-06, 03:53 PM
And what if you read upside down?
Than it will be something like

H ...
1983
And the upside down Y
mmm let's think
A B C D E F G H I J K L
A? K?

wild theories... ;)

I don't think the usual meticulous Japanese worker would stamp the date code the other way round as the word 'Shimano'. Besides that the 'Y H' is very clear, and I don't believe Shimano were still producing that early DA hub in screw-on version in 1983.

Any more guesses?

leunkstar
08-18-06, 04:07 PM
On Skip's Vintage Trek site he says some interesting things about these codes:
http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano


5. "On dates which can be read backwards (upside down) Shimano underscores the date code."
7. "Pre-76 hubs appear to have a single year letter code (without the month designator). A hub I have has a Y which I assume is 1974, which matches my estimated age for the hubs."

5) so far my wild theory ;)
7) If he is right on point 7 it explains your code. But what about the H in that case...