StuInTokyo
Maximum Pace
- Dec 3, 2010
- 1,662
- 62
Well I finally got all the tools, oil, and grease in to be able to tackle the first service on my Alfine 8-Speed hub. I has been almost exactly a year since I got the bike, I've put about 3000Km on the bike, 90% of that towing a trailer full of beer, not to mention carrying my large butt around too, time for a service.
I hope to find some time to do this tomorrow afternoon evening, I have a date with my two girls in the morning, shopping and then lunch, but I hope to get on this right away, because today, while doing a delivery I had a bad slip of something. My chain is almost brand new, an 1/8" Izumi unit, it is at a good tension, the rear cog is almost brand new, when I changed from 700C wheels to 26" wheels, I went from a well used 23T cog to an almost new 22T cog. The front chain ring has all 3000Km on it, and it will get replaced soon, but it is not bad at all, Tim S. you saw it, it was not that bad, right? I have had a few other slips, when I went to change gear the crank would suddenly go forward about 1/4 turn, and make a bad noise, but only now and then, and from my reading on the net, this is not uncommon when putting power down while changing gears. Today I had just come up my street from Akebonobashi, and I was in 5th gear all the way up that hill, I got stopped at the light near my shop, when the light changed to green I started as usual, but when I did that first push on the crank, it spun a good half turn, throwing me onto the top tube of the bike, and I almost fell over, which would have been rather embarrassing I really smacked the hamstring of my left leg, hurts like a got kicked. After this I've done more deliveries and I've had no troubles, but I' rather gun shy on starting, or hills. This is the first time this happened without any gear changes. I understand that the pawls get gunked up and slip (sorry for the technical jargon ) Therefore I'm going to strip the hub and clean it up. Apparently you are supposed to use much less of the special grease and instead use the new hub oil Shimano has come out with.
All the special Shimano tools, oil and grease came to about 20,000 yen. Not cheap, but I figure I should be able to service this hub twice a year for many years to come, and it was all a business expense so that is good too.
I'll post pics up when I'm done, I hope to get out my good camera and tripod and take some decent pics, as there is next to nothing on the web showing how to service this hub.
Wish me luck!
I hope to find some time to do this tomorrow afternoon evening, I have a date with my two girls in the morning, shopping and then lunch, but I hope to get on this right away, because today, while doing a delivery I had a bad slip of something. My chain is almost brand new, an 1/8" Izumi unit, it is at a good tension, the rear cog is almost brand new, when I changed from 700C wheels to 26" wheels, I went from a well used 23T cog to an almost new 22T cog. The front chain ring has all 3000Km on it, and it will get replaced soon, but it is not bad at all, Tim S. you saw it, it was not that bad, right? I have had a few other slips, when I went to change gear the crank would suddenly go forward about 1/4 turn, and make a bad noise, but only now and then, and from my reading on the net, this is not uncommon when putting power down while changing gears. Today I had just come up my street from Akebonobashi, and I was in 5th gear all the way up that hill, I got stopped at the light near my shop, when the light changed to green I started as usual, but when I did that first push on the crank, it spun a good half turn, throwing me onto the top tube of the bike, and I almost fell over, which would have been rather embarrassing I really smacked the hamstring of my left leg, hurts like a got kicked. After this I've done more deliveries and I've had no troubles, but I' rather gun shy on starting, or hills. This is the first time this happened without any gear changes. I understand that the pawls get gunked up and slip (sorry for the technical jargon ) Therefore I'm going to strip the hub and clean it up. Apparently you are supposed to use much less of the special grease and instead use the new hub oil Shimano has come out with.
All the special Shimano tools, oil and grease came to about 20,000 yen. Not cheap, but I figure I should be able to service this hub twice a year for many years to come, and it was all a business expense so that is good too.
I'll post pics up when I'm done, I hope to get out my good camera and tripod and take some decent pics, as there is next to nothing on the web showing how to service this hub.
Wish me luck!