Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

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n0ct0
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Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by n0ct0 »

Long story short, much grinding and clattering followed by having the direct set of gears most of the time and the other two ratios now and again. The hub has only done about 1500 miles maximum, so a bit of a let down. I don’t have the special spanner to undo the ring to get the innards apart and a punch wasn’t having any success. No one seems to have the spanner in stock, so I’ve decided to cut my losses and I’ve swapped to a regular wheel and cobbled a triple setup together with whatever I had lying around. If I ever get the SA hub apart it’ll be interesting to see what’s failed. I get the feeling it couldn’t handle 100kg me, a few hills, and a 34t front ring.
UpWrong
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by UpWrong »

Oh dear. Shame you can't give it to Brucey to take a look. I have an unused non-disk CS-RK3 in a box if you are interested in buying another. I'll have to check the spoke count. Guess you could swap the innards over if you could get hold of the spanner.
steve6854
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by steve6854 »

That's not so reassuring to hear. 34t ring, 105kg and my hill climbing skill has improved. Done about 1500 miles on my SMGTE, the hub has been very reliable. No graunching noises so far.

When you say hills... Where have you been riding? I'm in West Berkshire, so (most) hills are merely slopes

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my Pixel 6 Pro using hovercraft full of eels.

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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by [XAP]Bob »

I’ve had mine apart and back together - it’s not currently in use though (done a fair few miles as my main commuter).

MickF has an appropriate tool.

Mine was used with a 24?t granny ring, and a 36?t large sprocket, and I’m not exactly a lightweight, though I do tend to spin.


Where are you based?
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
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n0ct0
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by n0ct0 »

@upwrong, yes, swapping the innards is the plan once I get the thing apart, assuming it’s not an easy fix (unlikely). I’ll let you know.

@[XAP]Bob, I’ve 160mm cranks so I can spin up the hills, but I definitely tackle more 1:3 hills on the trike than on the Speedmachine, so its had a harder life. I prefer the SRAM DD-3 to the SA hub, but that’s a moot point now that SRAM have discontinued it.

@steve6854, I’m near Helmsley, and if I’m heading to the hills one of the first things I need to do is go up White Horse Bank. And it’s fairly ‘crinkly’ once you’re up on the top over towards Osmotherly.
Campag
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by Campag »

I have several SRAM / Sachs dual drive hubs - I acquired them as spares for my Moulton TSR. Sold the TSR to make space for my recumbent, so they are now surplus to requirements. PM me if you'd like more details - obviously this would require building the hub into a new wheel.
Stradageek
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by Stradageek »

n0ct0 wrote: 27 Nov 2021, 4:46pmI don’t have the special spanner to undo the ring to get the innards apart and a punch wasn’t having any success. No one seems to have the spanner in stock,
A technique that has worked for me on a Shimano 3-speed hub ball ring (also meant to need a special tool) is to wrap it with a large jubilee clip done up really tight (7mm socket useful here) then use a drift to hit the non-slotted side of the worm screw.

Might be worth a try :?
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Mick F
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by Mick F »

The trick with the punch and hammer, is to use a blunt hard punch and a heavy hammer, whilst the wheel still has the tyre on and pressed hard on the floor against a wall. This grips the wheel, and the punch and hammer have to be hit hard and cleanly. It unscrews anticlockwise. Make sure you undo the LH cone and locknuts a few turns first.

Before you do it, mark the ball ring and the hub as it's a two-start thread and is best if it goes back where it was.

I've had mine apart to look inside, and to fit plastic shims to silence the bloody thing! It rattles quite a bit in 2nd Gear.

If you have a defect, you could have damaged the shell. If you can get it out, clean it thoroughly and inspect. The hub shell is smooth inside except for the ball ring threads and the ratchet teeth at the far LH end. The hub innards are a bit difficult to strip.

First this to do, before you start on the ball ring, is to remove the sprocket carrier. Best to remove the cassette first, but it's actually not necessary. The RH cone is TIGHT against the step in the axle. Spanner on the two flats will do it but the LH end of the axle is best fitted in a bench vice before you try to undo it. Remove the lock nut first of course.

Good luck! :D
Mick F. Cornwall
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[XAP]Bob
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by [XAP]Bob »

n0ct0 wrote: 6 Dec 2021, 10:30am @upwrong, yes, swapping the innards is the plan once I get the thing apart, assuming it’s not an easy fix (unlikely). I’ll let you know.

@[XAP]Bob, I’ve 160mm cranks so I can spin up the hills, but I definitely tackle more 1:3 hills on the trike than on the Speedmachine, so its had a harder life. I prefer the SRAM DD-3 to the SA hub, but that’s a moot point now that SRAM have discontinued it.

@steve6854, I’m near Helmsley, and if I’m heading to the hills one of the first things I need to do is go up White Horse Bank. And it’s fairly ‘crinkly’ once you’re up on the top over towards Osmotherly.
You're a bit far north to easily come and borrow the hub that's in my garage, but there's a second one available (it's the disc version, and has done a few miles).
A shortcut has to be a challenge, otherwise it would just be the way. No situation is so dire that panic cannot make it worse.
There are two kinds of people in this world: those can extrapolate from incomplete data.
steve6854
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by steve6854 »

Did you resolve your problems with your hub?

I was out for a ride yesterday and lost gear 1 (75% gear). No too much of a problem as I didn't need to spin up any big hills. But as I've only done just over 1000 miles on it, I'm less then impressed.

The next question is... Repair or move to front derailleur. But that would mean new rear wheel, front mech and crankset...
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mjr
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by mjr »

steve6854 wrote: 10 Jan 2022, 10:04am Did you resolve your problems with your hub?

I was out for a ride yesterday and lost gear 1 (75% gear). No too much of a problem as I didn't need to spin up any big hills. But as I've only done just over 1000 miles on it, I'm less then impressed.

The next question is... Repair or move to front derailleur. But that would mean new rear wheel, front mech and crankset...
That rather depends why you lost gear 1. Have you checked the adjustment, or was it something that sounded worse?
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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steve6854
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Joined: 9 Mar 2020, 5:43pm

Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by steve6854 »

Neither. I noticed it shifted oddly, kind of slipped whilst shifting. After that I could not shift down to the lowest gear (-25%). No nasty sounds. It works fine in middle and top gears. Eventually, I could click down after riding for 30 mins, but it wasn't selecting the low gear.

I've found a LBS who were recommended by Cycle Division (UK distributor for Sturmey?) who are willing to strip the hub and check it. They suggested bring my bike so when they look at it they can test ride it and were slightly flummoxed when I told them it was on a 'bent...
steve6854
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by steve6854 »

The adjustment is fine. Checked that at the side of the road. It just refuses to select the lowest gear.
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n0ct0
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by n0ct0 »

My hub is still sat awaiting dismantling. I had similar problems with gear selection intermittently, it usually turned out to be the cable routing or the neoprene sleeve that HP put over the cable where the horrible cable adjuster lives interfering with things. Pretty underwhelmed with the SA cable arrangements after living with the SRAM click box quite happily on my 2 wheeler. Which is still running quite happily.
steve6854
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Re: Sturmey Archer CS-RK3 dead

Post by steve6854 »

And now my hub gear has locked up the rear wheel. No gears and no go!
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