JackElliott

So, I have a Nexus Inter-8 IGH on this here bike. Shimano's recommended lubrication procedure has you immersing the hub in their special magic maintenance oil. But this hub is part of the wheel, and I don't fancy unlacing the whole thing. Is there a workaround?

sweeks

You don't have to take the hub out of the wheel!

The hub can be opened and the internals removed in one piece. I like to dip the innards in a synthetic gear oil once a year. I apply "Nexus Grease" to the bearings. I have a Nexus 8 with well over 6,000 miles on it and no discernible bearing or gear wear.

You can find out more about your hubs here: https://hubstripping.wordpress.com/n...ter-8-shimano/
Steve

JackElliott

Is it just me or are most of the links on that page broken?

sweeks

They may be broken. I haven't actually looked at that site for a while. Let me see what I can dig up...
Steve

EDIT: Try this site; I haven't watched it in its entirety but it looks like it might be helpful: Shimano Alfine 8 Speed Internal Gear Hub Oil Bath - 14degrees Off The Beaten Track
Steve

EDIT 2: the video on that site won't play either. WTF? Anyway, it's pretty easy to open the hub. The locknut and bearing cone on the non-drive side are removed in the normal fashion. Then you should be able to pull the internals out from the drive side by grasping the sprocket. At this point you can dip the gears in oil or apply more grease; I'd recommend gear oil though ATF will also work. You *can* disassemble the sprocket and the drive-side seals fairly easily; pay attention to the positioning of the parts! This makes lubricating the drive-side bearing easier, but is not strictly necessary. By removing a circlip at the non-drive end of the cluster you can wiggle off the gear modules. Watch the circlip: it may fly off, leaving you with a bunch of paperweights! Do not disassemble the axle assembly unless you are very confident in your abilities!!
Anyway, you can just dip the innards then put it back together. I would grease the bearings; apart from the lubrication, the grease may (some say) help keep the oil inside the hub. If you are handy with bike parts this is not too difficult.

JackElliott

Thanks, sweeks

wschruba

Just FYI, you need to remove the cassette joint, sprocket guard, circlip, sprocket, and hub dust cap before you can slide the internals out, but otherwise, what @sweeks said. Retaining ring pliers are totally worth the investment, if you plan to service the hub yourself, as you avoid one of the most irritating/painful issues with trying to remove the square snap-ring without the proper tool:



If you are using the Shimano oil, it may be more worth your money to go to a shop that does the service; the oil can is something like $60-80 dollars, and while it will last (more or less) forever, you'll never really pay for it in service. You can buy the 'dipping vessel', if you want, but it's easy enough to just cut up a 2 liter soda bottle. I used to charge ~USD$20-25 for a hub, which is quite a reasonable expense for something that you only do once every couple of years, typically.

There are people who use ATF, but, well...I wouldn't. Use what you want, though.

sweeks

Correct. I was in a hurry, and frustrated that Hubstripping's links were mostly worthless. Thanks!

Absolutely right! If you try it with a screwdriver, the clip has a nasty tendency to vanish.


I made a "dipping vessel" which requires less oil; I glued a syringe body to the bottom of a plastic jar. The axle goes into the syringe. The whole affair sits on top of a can that formerly held wasabi peas.
See attached images.

I did a lot of searching for a substitute for the Shimano oil, which is very expensive. I needed it for my Alfine 11 hub. I purchased a kit for the Alfine 11 (from Estonia, of all places) which included enough (50 ml) of the "official" oil for one oil change, along with the necessary hardware to drain and refill the hub. Eventually, I found a synthetic gear oil that has very similar properties and have used it for about 4,500 miles.

The reason I mentioned all this is that, while I was using ATF for my Nexus 8-speed hubs (I have 2) and it worked well, eventually I decided to use the same gear oil as the Alfine 11 uses. The image shows my "dipping vessel" with enough oil to completely cover the gear cluster. I will take pictures the next time I use it.
Steve

Reynolds 

When I first serviced my Nexus 8 at about 6000kms, I drilled and tapped it for an "oil port". Since then I use ATF (15ml) which I change about once a year. Nearly 30000kms so far, still works OK.

zebede

Video made by Dan Burkart, a pro mechanic who is a member on this forum. I have used the method for lubing IGH on an Alfine and a Nexus. The video shows that it is not difficult to remove the inner assembly in one piece which is then clean and lubed. I have also used a a thin white lithium on an IGH.

Racing Dan

I have oiled my 8 speed nexus several times. I have used ordinary automotive gear oil and it works just fine. It is MUCH cheaper than the Shimano stuff.

There are several videos on youtube that shows how to do it.

sweeks

Dan's videos are excellent. Thanks for the link!

I see a couple differences between the Alfine 8 on Dan's video and my Nexus 8.
First is that the Alfine has a screw-on cover, which I am green with envy over! My Nexus hubs have a press-fit (more like "slip fit") cover which is loosely held in a groove on the hub. I pack that groove with grease in an attempt to keep the oil inside. It sort-of works... I try not to store the bike with the drive-side down.*
The second difference is that I can take out the internals by removing only the non-drive-side lock washer and cone. It's easier to lubricate the large drive-side bearing after removing the sprocket and a couple plastic parts ("driver cap"?), but it can be done leaving those parts on. Also, the gear cluster can be immersed without removing the C-clip that holds the sub-units on the axle unit.

I worry a little about the play in those satellite gears in Dan's video... my hub has at least 8,000 miles (almost 13,000 kilometers) on it, and there isn't anywhere near that amount of play.
Steve

EDIT: *This was the reason I switched from ATF to the heavier gear oil I use on my Alfine 11 hub (Royal Purple synthetic 75W-140)... works fine, leaks less!

Racing Dan

My cover is press fit as well. I have had it leaking oil, if I put too much in there. I Imagine the problem gets worse if you use thin oil. The automotive gear oil I use is fairly thick and letting excess drip off before reassembly eliminates the leaking. My nexus 8 too, can be oiled without removing the sprocket or taking apart the internals. Its fairly easy once you've tried once or twice.