Noisy Sturmey Archer 3sp

[Mick F]

Update after 32miles yesterday.
(The ride was in the morning before the terrible storms in the afternoon.)

The ride was superbly silent. Only mechanical noise I could hear was the chain running on the rings and sprockets.
Trouble was, after about ten miles, the excess lube was working its way out on both sides, and the rear brake started squealing a bit. By the time I made it home, the back end of the bike was a tad splattered in black grease. The cassette and chain was nicely lubricated, which was nice.

All stripped off and cleaned yesterday afternoon. Hopefully the lube will reach some sort of equilibrium in the next ride or two .......... whilst still remaining silent.

[Brucey]

Mick, I have experimented with fill levels in SA hubs and whilst the leakage rate varies with the hub model and the grease consistency, I found that I couldn't sensibly keep a hub more than ~ 1/3 full of SFG. Even then I had to improve the sealing on the ring bearing.

I have photos of hub internals following a stripdown somewhere, after the grease level had been allowed to settle down for a long time (several thousand miles). On the plus side everything was still very well lubricated; on the minus side I don't think the grease quantity would definitely be enough to prevent the worst rattles in hubs that are susceptible to this.

It is worth noting that different grease mixtures have different shear-thinning characteristics, too. Most greases shear-thin to some extent, and exactly how your mixture works in this respect will affect how well it damps out rattles as well as how well it stays inside the hub.

BTW I have seen a few IGH designs where there is a strategically placed 'O' ring around the workings. I have supposed that this might be there to prevent rattles. If you wanted to add something of this sort, it is essential that you use a rubber grade that is resistant to the lube that you are using.

cheers

[breakwellmz]

Rather than mixing your own how about using gearbox grease for use in vintage motorcycles?
BTW, Sturmey A used to supply gearboxes to motorcycle manufacturers many years ago.

[Brucey]

not all such lubricants

a) have the correct (non linear) viscosity for pawls to move freely
b) have enough corrosion inhibitors
c) have solid lubricants or EP additives in the right quantities

cheers

[Mick F]

Mick, I have experimented with fill levels in SA hubs and whilst the leakage rate varies with the hub model and the grease consistency, I found that I couldn't sensibly keep a hub more than ~ 1/3 full of SFG.

I haven't got a clue what quantity of stuff is in there, I'm sure that there's more than enough!

Going to go a quick spin shortly to see how it gets on. The weather has cleared up now.

[Mick F]

Five miles of varied terrain and speeds.
The grease started coming on on the LH side but not much, but then again I only did five miles. I'll try for a longer ride on Friday - busy tomorrow.

Although I'd cleaned everything, the rear brakes still squeaked, so I'll have to remove the blocks and give them a good scrub with detergent and wipe clean the rim again.

Still silent SA though.

[barrym]

I recall talking to my father after buying a bike a few years ago and we got onto the subject of maintenance. He used to do a 4 X 3 mile commute every day whatever the weather on a SA3 equipped bike. I asked what maintenance he would do. Maybe oil the chain at Christmas was his reply. I suspect he may have been stretching the truth a bit, bit nothing like our regimes. Were the hubs so much better then?

[[XAP]Bob]

The road salt was less vicious...
And he likely had an enclosed chain

[breakwellmz]

Five miles of varied terrain and speeds.
The grease started coming on on the LH side but not much, but then again I only did five miles. I'll try for a longer ride on Friday - busy tomorrow.

Although I'd cleaned everything, the rear brakes still squeaked, so I'll have to remove the blocks and give them a good scrub with detergent and wipe clean the rim again.

Still silent SA though.

It sounds like someones account of the early days of motoring!

[Mick F]

This is one of the things I love about my Moulton. Tinkering and playing with it and worrying about it, and modifying it.
The Mercian doesn't get a look-in these days. It's reliable, fast and light ............and boring in comparison.

[barrym]

The road salt was less vicious...
And he likely had an enclosed chain

Really commenting on the hub which was still running faultlessly and quiet after many years and miles in all conditions. I doubt Mick's has seen much salt[emoji848]

[Brucey]

traditionally most SA hub gears have been capable of doing many years of utility service, provided they get a little oil every now and then. Often such gears are the only working part in an otherwise scrap bike! However

a) modern ones use different designs and materials, and see different duties too. Mick's hub is designed to see very low input ratios which can result in torque loadings that are about x4 those seen in a typical SA hub BITD.

b) Mick is trying to reduce a rattle in his IGH. I think that many IGHs are susceptible to rattles when they are mounted in a machine with small wheels, hard tyres and suspension. Old SA hubs in Moultons (which are pretty quiet in other installations) usually rattle a bit.

Oddly enough I am planning a revised gearing setup in a Moulton right now. I'm presently thinking of an Alfine 8 or 11 hub. I now intend to assess them for rattlyness (perhaps by bouncing a standard bike up and down with one fitted) before making my mind up.

cheers

[barrym]

Avon Valley Cyclery in Bath do Alfine hubbed Moultons as a 'standard' custom one. There must be ones around even on here. I think there was one for sale on eBay a few months back.

[Mick F]

...............assess them for rattlyness (perhaps by bouncing a standard bike up and down with one fitted)

That is a good experiment in theory.
I can bounce my rear wheel, and it just sounds like a wheel bouncing - lack of lube or even loaded with lube. It's one experiment I've done over and over again.

The rattle is frequency dependent I think. Rough and slow roads, no rattle. Fast and smooth, no rattle.
Fast and rough, no rattle ................. but the right road with just the right roughness at the right speed, it rattles like a good 'un under power in any gear, or freewheeling.

[Mick F]

Thread resurrection!

A week or so ago, it struck me that if I put my CV grease/gear oil mixture into an old grease gun without the chuck fitted, I could connect up the RH side of the hub with the toggle removed, and by using a short length of hose and hose clips, I could inject the fluid easily.

Four or five pumps, disconnect, reassemble, and it's totally silent when I ride!
Trouble is, 100miles later, the transmission is coated in LOADS of the stuff too. It's all even more silent now!

Going to strip the transmission off and clean it up this morning.