SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
I have an old SA AW3 which, when I overfilled it with oil leaked out the LHS where the LHS part is screwed into the shell ie leaked thru those threads: is this normal?
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rogerzilla
- Posts: 3142
- Joined: 9 Jun 2008, 8:06pm
Re: SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
Is it really a screw-on one, with flats for a vice? That's old-skool, man 
Yes, it is normal, although generally SA hubs seal themselves after a few months because the oil mixes with dust around any crevices. What you can do is to remove the LH cup (LH thread!!!) and refit it with PTFE tape or some oil-resistant silicone mastic. I always fit RH cups like this.
FWIW, the later pressed-in cups can leak too, and are somewhat harder to seal because they need to be knocked out with a big drift, something which has always failed to work for me.
The SA recommendation of "two teaspoons of oil" in a dry hub is well OTT - it will leak everywhere. The trick is to put that amount in initially, expect leakage for a few weeks and then wait for the leaking to stop. When that happens the hub has little or no free oil inside, just a coating on the working parts. You can then go onto the usual regime of a couple of drops a month, just enough to allow for evaporation and any remaining seepage.
FWIW, a well run-in hub seems to retain about one teaspoon of free oil when opened up.
Yes, it is normal, although generally SA hubs seal themselves after a few months because the oil mixes with dust around any crevices. What you can do is to remove the LH cup (LH thread!!!) and refit it with PTFE tape or some oil-resistant silicone mastic. I always fit RH cups like this.
FWIW, the later pressed-in cups can leak too, and are somewhat harder to seal because they need to be knocked out with a big drift, something which has always failed to work for me.
The SA recommendation of "two teaspoons of oil" in a dry hub is well OTT - it will leak everywhere. The trick is to put that amount in initially, expect leakage for a few weeks and then wait for the leaking to stop. When that happens the hub has little or no free oil inside, just a coating on the working parts. You can then go onto the usual regime of a couple of drops a month, just enough to allow for evaporation and any remaining seepage.
FWIW, a well run-in hub seems to retain about one teaspoon of free oil when opened up.
Re: SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
Thanks,
Yes its an old 1975 hub with oil port, as this seemed better than a new 'greasefilled hub:
I can see that manufacturer needed to grease hubs as defense against modern persons, but they could have kept the oiler, so as the rest of cyclists can make hubs last longer more easily.
Yes its an old 1975 hub with oil port, as this seemed better than a new 'greasefilled hub:
I can see that manufacturer needed to grease hubs as defense against modern persons, but they could have kept the oiler, so as the rest of cyclists can make hubs last longer more easily.
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Re: SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
I just assumed it was screw-in!!
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rogerzilla
- Posts: 3142
- Joined: 9 Jun 2008, 8:06pm
Re: SA3 oil leak thru LH screw-on end
It'll be press-in at that date; the FW I've just acquired is press-in and it's from the 60s. There are actually three variations:
1. LH thread with flats so you can easily remove the cup (easily is a relative term; they get tight)
2. LH thread with internal notches to allow removal with a special tool (rare)
3. Press-in, with a sort of knurled finish on the "tang" of the cup. You can see this on the inside if you take the gubbins out.
1. LH thread with flats so you can easily remove the cup (easily is a relative term; they get tight)
2. LH thread with internal notches to allow removal with a special tool (rare)
3. Press-in, with a sort of knurled finish on the "tang" of the cup. You can see this on the inside if you take the gubbins out.