Great instruction and excellent advice. Well noted in my books. I must say something you may not have noticed, but I think you have captured the some of the best sounds of an english garden shed in the background. I have left england some 12 years ago to Australia and believe it or not I miss the sounds of the rain on the shed roof and the blackbirds song. Well done and happy cycling.
I noticed that too, you should come to Melbourne, you’ll will get the rain, and if you live in a urban green area, you will hear Magpies, Kookaburras, parrots and lorikeets, well that what I hear, while in my shed. 😊
Thanks, mate. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. My local bike shop managed to bork a shifter cable change on my bike, so I used this to fix what they did.
Thanks, useful video. Tip; when you disconnect the cable from the hub, after selecting first, I simply pull the outer cable from the end stop on the black arm (the gear selector will rotate to give the slack) and then this gives you the loop of inner cable. Instead of working out the nut from its slot with pliers, simply wiggle the inner to release it from the groove/tabs, and push towards the nut and it will simply fall out :) One handed job and can be done very quickly.
7:00 I can't let that tip pass without thanking the video creator. Gear-shifting got worse and worse over the last week, while the adjustment and the shift cable checked perfect. 4th gear went out occasionally at first, then more and more, then to the point I skipped it. Then third. Then 5th. Then even 6th dropped sometimes. 1, 2, 7, and 8 still worked OK. The bike is 7 years old. Maybe time for a new bike. Internet store bikes like mine in the economy grade (except for the gear hub) seem to be all out of stock and the price jumped. You are urged to pre-order to be in the queue to maybe be one of the lucky few to get one when some might come. OK, so maybe watching this would tell me if I am up to replacing the hub. But... I checked the ring mentioned. That ring looked slightly uneven front to back, although in about the right rotation. IAC I fiddled with it until it came off, then put it on with a quarter turn as specified. The shifter cable then needed to be re-adjusted to align the yellow marks. Now I don't require a new gear hub for $235, if I do it myself, or a new economy range Internet bike for $600, if I can get one, and the gears and shifting are like new.
Excellent introduction to modern internal gear hub servicing. To everyone saying he shouldn't have touched the brake rotor with his oily hands... you're either trolling or just regurgitating general service guidelines. It obviously already had dirty oil/grease on it and needed a full clean.
Very helpful, thanks. On a 2016 model the cover with the left hand thread isn't there - it's a press fit part. To get it out I just tapped the axle from the opposite side and it popped off nicely.
I'd just like to note that if it looks like Simon is relaxed and enjoying the rebuild, it's cause he is. I just did a re-grease myself for the first time using his instructions and found it very easy and simple. The lock-ring from hell, though a minor challenge, not that hard at all, took a casual minute off and minute on with a single pair of pliers.
There is nothing in there that appears an issue for orange based degreaser, but I don't really know what's inside the gear core, there could be something we don't know about. I didn't find the need for any though, just thorough wipe with a couple paper towels was more than sufficient to clean out the factory grease and I'm rather pedantic when I overhaul my toys.
thanks for the video, that captures most of the tricky part of disassembling that middle hub.... I unfortunately had to go further disassembling it down to the middle axle to get the internal pawns and clutch free from dirt/grease. Great british mood to that video as well!
Great video, very helpful. Though at times I wished I could see what you're doing! Particularly where you applied grease (mostly a video about a blurry green elbow at that point). The best tip was the little hole to turn the shift ring. I found a short piece of an old bicycle spoke works well. That's going in my road-side tool kit!
if you're using the original shimano oil that is fairly thin, an you let the assembly drip out the oil like they say, then you won't have any issues. Did that to numerous hubs and no issue
Thanks a lot for this video - been having a debate over buying a proper commuter bicycle with the Alfine 8 rear hub and I never like buying things I cannot service myself down the line when the guarantee wears out, so your video made my mind up it is a purchase I have to make.
Excellent tutorial video. I agree with you regarding the "Oil Bath" totally useless. My own Nexus 8 hub, @2005, is in poor condition, due to West of Scotland weather and factory lubrication. The oil seals and gaskets were not as good when this model was introduced. Still a good clean and grease should get another couple of thousand miles out of it.
Due to camera angle, very difficult to see the greasing process properly which was one of the main reasons I watched the clip. However, many other useful tips, so thank you for posting it.
I purchased an e bike last year , with an Alfine Hub 8 speed. I had a problem with the battery recently which was has replaced. When I picked the bike up I was told by the dealer the hub oil will need changing soon. I searched online and Shimano manuals clearly illustrate a complete disassembly and oil dip for the 8 speed where as the 11 speed it is only a matter of a drain plug on the hub as with Rohloff. As to why Shimano could not have had a drain plug for the 8 speed is very frustrating. I can do some cycle mechanics but this is a bit more complicated and you are also using a vice. My only recourse is to take to a dealer which with the amount of disassemble /reassembly involved will be costly. Your video is very good but without a workshop/shed I could not get this done myself.
Just a tip of advice. At 4:36 you touched your disc brake rotor with greasy hands. Try to avoid doing this as the grease will get into you brake pads and ruin your braking. That aside thank you for the video, it was very helpful!
Well, that rotor was already dirty, because of leaking oil, so his brake pads was already ruined. But You are right, I once accidentially sprayed Brunox Deo on my front brake and then almost get killed on road crossing. Be careful guys.
Very nice walk through. I guess the hardest part is that lockring from hell and adjusting the bearings. Also too bad that you didn't give some hints on the oil cleaning procedure itself.
Hey there, recently got an Alfine 8 bike for free from a friend, seems to ride okay but shifting is a bit weak. You really need to back off and stop pedaling before it will shift. Just wondering if this will improve shifting. Also wondering about the longevity of grease vs oil, could you comment about this if you still have the bike?
That circlip from hell is a pain. I think the trick is to expand it by bending apart just enough to make it still fit but with less effort. This works on Sturmey. I've fitted Sturmey ones in desperation. Shimano circlips are square in profile while Sturmey ones are round in profile which makes them easier to slip into place with judicious use of hitty tools to aid. The square Shimano groove seems to cope ok with the round Sturmey circlip. But be cautious because these are desperate measures for desperate times: square pegs into round holes and all that. It would be better if the Shimano one was round in profile or square with pin holes for circlip pliers like on other circlips
anyone know if we can replace the snap ring with the more practical kind with holes for a tool to stretch ? thats the problem i had installing the rest of the shifter was figuring out that needed to be lower.. and using a screwdriver to press down the belt cog more in a prying way
Could you please mention what size flat spanner you use with the 17mil spanner to hold the cone screw while countering it on the non-drive side? My Alfine sadly keeps having play, and I need to re-adjust the play to keep it running straight.
Hi. I have shimano alfine 8 hub in my bike (sg-s501). Let me ask you a question. I have my hub adjusted well, yellow points are in the line, but gears don't change correctly. There's a trouble with 6th gear. When I shift gear up from 5th to 6th nothing happens. I have to shift up to 7th and then downshift to 6th, and then it just runs. You know what might be causing this? Also when changing other gears sometimes it's first tic tic tic before changing. I add that there's a minimal diffrence in yellow points line between changing gear up and down. Also the red line on shifter isn't perfectly on 4, but it's a little bit on left (maybe one or two milimeters). Whether it's fault of hub, shifter or cable? Thanks for the answer.
Witek D. Try replacing the gear cable approx once a year. Also clean the cassette joint and ensure the cable nut is 184mm (I think it is) from the joining point. If the cable doesn't run smoothly you will have gear changing problems. Also you need a good chainline and adequate chain tension.
I have exactly the same problem. It's usually 5-6-7 gears that give me trouble. Sometimes the gears didn't seem to shift right away. Sometimes, I get the grating noise, forcing me to shift back and forth until it quiets down. I've followed the instructions about lining up the yellow lines and such many times to no avail.
Thank you very much! Your video will help performing service. Your point about oil droping on break disc is reasonable. But why does Shimano recommand an oil bath of the Nexus/Alfine 8?
Thanks for the video. I did notice that your frame is set up for a derailleur and that you are running the Alfine without a chain tensioner. Have you run into any issues with skipping or falling chains?
What have I done wrong? I got the whole thing back together, installed on the bike, and it's very difficult to turn the pedals backwards, or coast. With the bike flipped upside down, when I stop pedalling, friction stops the wheel in 1/2 revolution. Yes, I checked and it's not the disc brake. Gad, I've had the thing apart twice already.
Aha, it was the large bearing race, I'd flipped it over. Now I've got another problem: the arm where the shift cable attaches is subtly misaligned when I put it on the bike. This has happened 2/4 times I've taken this apart, and I'm trying to figure out what the difference is. I notice in this video, he didn't take apart the little cogged thingy that ultimately orients the shift cable arm. I did, not realizing I didn't have to. It appears symmetrical, but it isn't. Does anyone know how to tell which is the right way? And what about aligning the red dots, wrt the Anti-Rotation Washers? I think at this point it's something to do with that.
The Alfine is supposed to be pretty much maintenance free, or far more so than a standard derailleur. Why are people stripping these down after one year and a couple of thousand k's? Seem like overkill and asking for trouble. The whole purpose of these hubs seems to be in contradiction to the reality if this annual stripping is correct. I've had mine for probably 3 years now and the inside has been untouched, still going strong with no issues.
Thanks for the great video. I'm planning to do soon but in my case it's Nexus 8. May i ask how did you clean it after extracting it from the shell? You didn't sub-disassemble, right? A local shop recommended me to use Shimano oil bath and shimano gear grease but their cost turn off my project. Can i use general teflon grease for the bearing?
I'm not aware of any type of snap ring plier that you can use on this snap ring. It is only a ring with a cut through it (much like an engine piston ring). A small screwdriver and a bit of patience seems to work best.
One slightly larger screwdriver to press into the gap in the ring and another smaller one pressed into one of the small divots to 'catch' it as it lift worked for me, came away surprisingly easily. Then launched across the room, obviously, will I ever learn... 😩😂
One question that I have, what type of cleaning for internals after disassembly is recommended before greasing everything up? I thought to ask as that part is skipped in the video. Other than that thanks for the video and detailed explanations! This is on the maintenance list before the season kicks in.
Not sure what the OP did but I would wash in mineral turps until clear then in methylated spirits to clean off the solvent (and the metho just flashes off to leave pristine surface) Same process as I would use to clean a chain - which is how the pros do it before they wax a chain
Jones, thanks for your question. I often have to check information and am careful with where I get the info. I found some sites as you say mention different ways. The shimano site mentions grease. As far as I am aware only the 11 speed is incased in oil. Have alook at sheldons site. He also mentions grease on your model. www.sheldonbrown.com/nexus-mech.html
fred Yes only oil in the Alfine 11. The Alfine 8 and Nexus are greased internals. Only the Alfine 11 has an oil port. This means you don't need to strip it down like this, although it's still not a bad idea occasionally. The NDS bearings will need greasing like this from time to time.
Grease is better I think. I ended up dumping my A11 because I couldnt stop it leaking and it wouldnt stop jumping gears. The Nexus is much smoother on the change and has never jumped. I think the big problem with the A11 is too many gears in too small a can. Eight is about the max in a can that size I venture to suggest.
2:50 - It was irritating to watch you rotating the shifter cable nut _the wrong way_ while trying to remove it. If you look closely at the shifter cable nut you can clearly see there are two flat sides that will line-up with the retention tabs on the shifter mechanism, but _only_ if you rotate the nut _clockwise_ so the end of the cable points in towards the axle. Also, when you use an internal-gear hub with vertical dropouts, you're supposed to use a derailleur-style chain tensioner to take up the chain slack, since you can't adjust the wheel fore-to-aft to get the chain tension perfect manually.
Very good and useful tutorial, but at the beginning you've done a little error! You have touched the disk rotor with your fingers! It's better to don't touch it with dirty hands!
Daniele, the rotor is started in oil from the hub and would therefore need a thourow clean and most likely also need new pad, so touching the disk at this stage would not be an issues at all.
Not to undermine your efforts, which were quite helpful, but relocating the camera and focusing it would have yielded a much more useful video. Nonetheless, thank you.
Dude, who put that bike together last, you? Not trying to be a smartass but you might wanna go a bit lighter on your effort when tightening things. Nothing worse than taking something mechanical apart that's been torqued down by some gorilla with a cheater bar. Stepping threads z and smashing knuckles. There is no need to put 100ft/lbs on everything. It's usually the design of the thing that's maintains togetherness. Nuts and bolts just hold it in place.
tiene una gran desventaja si estuviera en una competencia o carrera y pinchara el etiempo que me tomaria en desmontar todo el sistema es un lio mala malo es novedoso pero tiene gran desventaja y sin contar la herramienta que tendria que nesecitar ufff
Greasing process, most important, is not there. Disassemble process out of focus, your hands in the way. You need to improve that. And please, please learn how to take the line off.
Really irritating video as most of the time looking at this guy's hand or arm blocking the view of the hub or when you do get a glimpse it's out of focus. Also should wear gloves. Remove gear cable in gear 8 rather than 1, as the cable has no tension on it.
He did it right: Put it in 8 when the cable is routed over the top of the hub (later Alfine 8 models), put it to 1 if it is routed beneath it (often seen with Nexus 8 models).
