auchencrow

( This is a question is for all you vintage Sturmey Archer bike mechanics out there. )

- I have an old SA shift cable assembly with a housing that is totally shot (worse than the one below) - and I would like to replace it with something that looks period correct.

- Harris sells a universal replacement cable assembly that has a big bolt back at the connector for the indicator chain, which to me looks wholly inappropriate.

-I was hoping I could build my own - I have an old HKPorter crimping tool, but what can I use and where should I look for crimped ends?

- Also, I'd like to know if anyone has experience using plastic heat shrink tubing in place of the plastic sleeve that covers the exposed portion of the cable that runs along the TT and back over the pulley. (See below)

nlerner

I haven't done the shrink wrap thing, but I have used a standard gear cable and whatever housing I wanted for the shifter cable. At the trigger end, I've filed down the doo-dad that normally fits in a shift lever so that it fits in the S-A trigger. At the indicator end, I've used that threaded barrel and crimped some small brass tubing on to the cable end. A dab of solder would make sure it all holds.

Neal

auchencrow

Neal - Where did you find the small brass tubing?

nlerner

A friend gave me some, but I've seen it at the art/hobby store. I think is the stuff:

https://www.hobby-lobby.com/1_16_125_..._3756_prd1.htm

Neal

auchencrow

Thank you Neal. You're the man !

wahoonc

1/16" is going to be too small go up to the 3/32" inch, that is what I use. A lifetime supply costs about $4.

Aaron

Chris_in_Miami

I use fishing leader crimps, you can find them at tackle shops or online:

auchencrow

Thanks Aaron!

auchencrow

Chris_in_Miami
What do you think of the Number 2 size?

nick22

I followed up on someone's tip about the fishing line weights, and it has worked well. The #2 (.047") was too small for my cable; #3(.056") worked best; ended up filing it down a bit with a dremel for a good fit in the barrel

zandoval 

Chris - Great idea on the fishing leader sleeves...

Auch - I have had trouble trying to solder the ends of cables - Maybe a drop of epoxy at insertion into the sleeve and then a crimp would be better...

Yeah - I know this doesn't sound right....

wahoonc

I like that fishing leader idea too. No reason epoxy wouldn't work. I use silver solder and a mapp gas torch.

Aaron

Grand Bois

The bolts on mine didn't bother me at all until you pointed them out. Oh well, it looks like a fun and cheap little project to elimiate them.

rhm

Okay, silver solder and mapp gas, got it. Stainless cable, or galvanized? And what about flux?

Captain Blight

The new company, Sunrace-Sturmey-Archer, is now selling 'modern' shifters and new connection assemblies for the rear that will take a standard shift cable, and are reputed to work just fine with the AW hub.

Grand Bois

The old 3 speed trigger shifters work fine with the new 3 speeds hubs, too. I gave away the shifter that came with my SRF3 and used a trigger. A plastic twist shifter didn't suit my 1959 bike.

Chris_in_Miami

I think Carl is ripping me off

I agree with nick22's assessment, the #3 is a pretty close fit, they're barely deformed by the crimper because of that.

I've soldered a few bare ends and learned that they need to be very clean and free of oil. I've never soldered a leader sleeve on, but I'm sure it could be done with flux and a torch (propane should be hot enough.)

auchencrow

Thanks for the tip Chris.
I ordered the No 3's today and I might just do the solder and the crimp both. I don't want to be doing this again 70 years from now.

David Newton

A good soldering gun is plenty of heat, the cable just needs to be fairly grease and oil free. Soldering flux is your friend.

auchencrow

A follow-up on this thread:

I took the advice from Chris in Miami and went with the number 3 fishing leaders to construct a new replacement Sturmey Archer shifter cable, because the one (below) on my '53 Raleigh Sports was the worse for wear.



The process for building a cable is fairly simple.
The essential tools and components are pictured below.


^ Tools: Crimper, cable cutter, torch, tape measure, ss cable, fishing leaders, shrink wrap tubing


^ No 3 Fishing Leaders, from AFW


^ FP-301 1/16" x 5' Black heat shrink tubing from Digi-key (great outfit!)

1) You will have to cannibalize your old SA cable to build a new one - but before you clip anything off your old SA cable assembly, measure!

2) Use a good quality stainless shift cable and SIS housing, available from your LBS.

3) When you cut the shrink wrap to length, remember you will need to leave enough exposed cable to reinsert it into the housing and also to slide the rear cable adjuster sleeve forward far enough to allow crimping access.

4) I would advise you not to trim the cable to its final length until both crimps are in place, or the cable may unravel.

5) Be sure you have both the shrink wrap and cable adjuster and pulley loaded onto the shift cable before you make your second crimp.

6) Wait to heat the shrink wrap so you can position it more easily. (I did not do this and had to trim away some of the heat shrink because it was too close to one end.)

7) I used a plumbers torch to heat the shrink wrap. It works well, but gets hot fast, and I ALMOST ignited it. A heat gun might be a better choice, but either way, it gets HOT.

8) The "ears" on your crimp will likely need to be filed down EVER SO SLIGHTLY to fit inside the rear cable adjuster.

Note: Your crimping tool important. I was lucky enough to have had an old Bell System crimper in my kit, but I know of one other person who had luck crimping both ends of each leader, with an electrical crimper that came in a kit for terminal ends.


^ fini !

I was very happy with the result because it works and because I did not have to resort to the generic cables, with the big adapter bolt back at the adjuster.

randomgear

Wow, Thanks Auchen!
I'm thinking of using a vinyl coating like plasti dip for the covering. On the other hand, your method reduces the chance of a catastrophic mess.

wahoonc

Both and I use flux. Make sure the cable is CLEAN I heat mine up to boil the grease/oil off then swish them in acetone or alcohol to strip the residue. Brass tubing will crimp just fine with regular wire crimpers.

Aaron