3 speed hub assembly: grease or oil in bearing races sturmeyarcher/hercules/brampton

[raging raven]

Glenn's Bicycle Repair Manual indicates liberal use of a white "multi-
use lubricant' that appears in the photo illustrations as a grease in
all the bearing races of a typical sturmey archer 3 speed hub during
assembly as well as using grease for holding various parts in place
during assembly. Information collected at Sheldon Brown's site
indicates use of grease only in the recesses of the dust caps, with an
admonition to use oil only everywhere else. Anyone with real world
experience care to advise about which is more appropriate?

[mark@drumbent.com]

On Jun 11, 12:11 pm, raging raven <jzcla...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Glenn's Bicycle Repair Manual indicates liberal use of a white "multi-
> use lubricant' that appears in the photo illustrations as a grease in
> all the bearing races of a typical sturmey archer 3 speed hub during
> assembly as well as using grease for holding various parts in place
> during assembly. Information collected at Sheldon Brown's site
> indicates use of grease only in the recesses of the dust caps, with an
> admonition to use oil only everywhere else. Anyone with real world
> experience care to advise about which is more appropriate?


My old bike shop boss, who has serviced plenty of internal gear hubs,
concurs with Sheldon. I've overhauled two S-A hubs myself, and indeed
it makes sense to have grease on the bearings and oil everywhere
else. I guess one could use light grease while assembling, but then
make sure to lightly oil the hub via the filler cap.

Mark

[A Muzi]

raging raven wrote:
> Glenn's Bicycle Repair Manual indicates liberal use of a white "multi-
> use lubricant' that appears in the photo illustrations as a grease in
> all the bearing races of a typical sturmey archer 3 speed hub during
> assembly as well as using grease for holding various parts in place
> during assembly. Information collected at Sheldon Brown's site
> indicates use of grease only in the recesses of the dust caps, with an
> admonition to use oil only everywhere else. Anyone with real world
> experience care to advise about which is more appropriate?

Oil; Sheldon's right as usual. Use Sturmey Archer oil equivalent (mid
weight machine oil). New hub fill is two tablespoons and then, as Jobst
notes, the manual says 'a drop per fortnight in regular use' because
they inherently bleed.

p.s. we run grease in the ball race and dust shell recesses only.
--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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