Originally Posted by
ergillma
I am restoring 70's Murray-built Western Flyer which has a Shimano "333" internal 3-speed hub that does not shift out of 2nd gear. I saw this hub on ebay and I am wondering if it would work with the 18-tooth sprocket from the old hub: Shimano Vintage 3 speed Internal Rear Hub SG-3S31 36 H.
First things first: does the hub have an oil port? If it does, put some oil in the hub and ride it for awhile. You can get the 3 in 1 in the blue can at the hardware store, but regular motor oil or ATF will work, too. If it doesn't have an oil port, you can take the bellcrank off and pull out the pushrod and squirt some oil right into the hub.
Second, check to make sure the hub is adjusted correctly. When in second gear, you should be able to see an 'N' or a red circle on the hub bellcrank:
You may need to tighten or loosen the knurled cable to the bellcrank to get it to adjust. See
here for a quick explanation.
Try those things and you should be able to get it to shift.