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Alfine 8 Speed Hub Service

StuInTokyo

Maximum Pace
Dec 3, 2010
1,662
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Well I finally got all the tools, oil, and grease in to be able to tackle the first service on my Alfine 8-Speed hub. I has been almost exactly a year since I got the bike, I've put about 3000Km on the bike, 90% of that towing a trailer full of beer, not to mention carrying my large butt around too, time for a service.

I hope to find some time to do this tomorrow afternoon evening, I have a date with my two girls in the morning, shopping and then lunch, but I hope to get on this right away, because today, while doing a delivery I had a bad slip of something. My chain is almost brand new, an 1/8" Izumi unit, it is at a good tension, the rear cog is almost brand new, when I changed from 700C wheels to 26" wheels, I went from a well used 23T cog to an almost new 22T cog. The front chain ring has all 3000Km on it, and it will get replaced soon, but it is not bad at all, Tim S. you saw it, it was not that bad, right? I have had a few other slips, when I went to change gear the crank would suddenly go forward about 1/4 turn, and make a bad noise, but only now and then, and from my reading on the net, this is not uncommon when putting power down while changing gears. Today I had just come up my street from Akebonobashi, and I was in 5th gear all the way up that hill, I got stopped at the light near my shop, when the light changed to green I started as usual, but when I did that first push on the crank, it spun a good half turn, throwing me onto the top tube of the bike, and I almost fell over, which would have been rather embarrassing :eek: :rolleyes: :D I really smacked the hamstring of my left leg, hurts like a got kicked. After this I've done more deliveries and I've had no troubles, but I' rather gun shy on starting, or hills. This is the first time this happened without any gear changes. I understand that the pawls get gunked up and slip (sorry for the technical jargon :D ) Therefore I'm going to strip the hub and clean it up. Apparently you are supposed to use much less of the special grease and instead use the new hub oil Shimano has come out with.

b0b0a4e3.jpg

All the special Shimano tools, oil and grease came to about 20,000 yen. Not cheap, but I figure I should be able to service this hub twice a year for many years to come, and it was all a business expense so that is good too.

I'll post pics up when I'm done, I hope to get out my good camera and tripod and take some decent pics, as there is next to nothing on the web showing how to service this hub.

Wish me luck!
 
Stu is this hub still under warranty? If yes send it back, Shimano with their replace or nothing warranty policy probably didn't figure on 3000kms a year. Well done on that BTW. Please take a ton of pictures to document the process, good luck.
 
Stu is this hub still under warranty? If yes send it back, Shimano with their replace or nothing warranty policy probably didn't figure on 3000kms a year. Well done on that BTW. Please take a ton of pictures to document the process, good luck.

I bought the bike from Wiggle in the UK, I can imagine the run around and BS that would be included to cover the warranty work. I'm sure it will just need a cleaning, as I'm sure you have figured out by now, I'm kind of a Do It Myself guy.

Yep, lots of pics, partly so I know how the darn thing goes back together :rolleyes: :D

Cheers!
 
>> HERE << is the link to Shimano USA's Warranty page.

Looks like the Alfine has a two year warranty in the US, now looking for the UK page, as I bought the bike from Wiggle in the UK.....
 
>> Here << is the Euro version

The same two years, but the fine print basically says if you took the part out of the box and used it, the warranty is void.... :rolleyes:
 
And then, depression set in..... :(

Some badly worn parts, and the guts of the Alfine are maybe 80% the same as the Nexus, had to do some head scratching to get it all apart, but I'm glad I did, as I found some badly worn bit.

I think that if I replace the worn parts, and if I can get it all back together I'll be good to go, but, I'll be pulling this thing apart a LOT more often to lube it.....

Pics to follow, I just got up here from the Dungeon, about 3 hours work into tearing it down.
 
Whats a new hub cost? Versus your time and stress of dealing with a company that doesn't do small parts very well. Maybe steal Snoogly's rear end when he isn't looking. Hope he doesn't have google alerts working.
 
Bastards :mad:

Looking at the parts diagram >> HERE << (it should open as a PDF file) I have to but the whole unit, #4 on the parts diagram :eek:uch: The worn parts are inside that unit.

There is a keyed ring that sits right in the guts of the shifting part, and it has some bad wear on it....

keyed_ring_inside.jpg

Me thinks it should NOT look like that :mad:

The other badly worn parts are the pins through the planetary gears there are six of them.....

planetary_gear_pins.jpg

.... again, that kind of wear just sucks.

This is my collection of parts....
parts_collection.jpg

... and while I took a lot of pics, the parts diagram is NOT very helpful as the majority of the smaller parts are NOT shown nor are they for sale.

I'll order the #4 part called a "Carrier Unit" and I'll be taking this thing apart to dunk it in the special oil at least twice a year from now on. :mad:

I'm tempeted to put it all back together and try to send it back, but I would bet that would be hard to do, and I'd be without my bike for a long time, no thanks.

NOT very impressed Mr. Shimano......

What does a Rohloff unit cost :rolleyes:

OUCH quick check at least three times the price of my whole bike :eek:

If the #4 part is not too expensive, I guess I'll just have to take better care of the Alfine hub :eek:uch:
 
Whats a new hub cost? Versus your time and stress of dealing with a company that doesn't do small parts very well. Maybe steal Snoogly's rear end when he isn't looking. Hope he doesn't have google alerts working.

We'll see what the #4 part costs, and I'll find out what a whole new hub costs, if I buy it here in Japan, and I have a problem with it, I have a two year warranty.

bastards....:mad:
 
Sounds to me these internal geared hubs aren't as good as what you guys hyped them up to be a few months back!
 
Hahahah - yes I do but they haven't released a carbon, titanium with polished unobtainium flanges version yet. But riding an Aluminium bike you wouldn't understand Pete :p
 
Sounds to me these internal geared hubs aren't as good as what you guys hyped them up to be a few months back!
A couple of points;

1. I'm using this product in a way it was never designed.
2. I really should have taken it apart and lubed it sooner, but yes, you could certainly say that I'm less impressed with it than I was before, still a dam sight cheaper than a Rohloff hub:rolleyes:
 
Bastards......
Alfine_SG-G501_Parts_exploded.png


The cluster that has the badly worn parts in it, is #4 in this exploded diagram, Mr. Shimano wants 10,400 yen for it. The part labled #1 basically the guts of the unit, they want 19,400 yen for it. I can get a whole new hub from cycle-yoshida delivered for 21,300 yen......bastards.

I've ordered the #4 part, as it is the quickest way to get me back on the road. It contains the only worn parts that I can find.

Still we are going to contact Shimano and try to see it this will be covered by warranty. I know this is complicated as I bought the bike thus the hub from a dealer in the UK, I do not know how they will handle that, it could be a case of sending stuff back to the UK?

This is what the Shimano Europe site says about the warranty:

WARRANTY EXCLUSIONS

This warranty does not cover:
· the Shimano Product if it has been modified or repaired by a person other than an authorized Shimano dealer;
· the Shimano Product if it has been used for rental or commercial purposes;
· damage resulting from causes other than defects in materials and workmanship, including but not limited to accident, abuse, misuse, neglect, improper assembly, improper repair, improper maintenance, alteration, modification or other abnormal, excessive or improper use;
· damage occurring during shipment of the Shimano Product;
· products that are not manufactured by or for Shimano (whether or not packaged or sold with the Shimano Product at the time of purchase); and
· damage resulting from use of products which are defective or incompatible with the Shimano Product;
· damage resulting from normal wear and tear, including but not limited to damage or deterioration to the surface finish, aesthetics or appearance of the Shimano Product.

This warranty expressly provides for the repair or replacement of a defective Shimano Product and is the sole remedy of the warranty. Any and all other remedies and damage that may otherwise be applicable are excluded, including but not limited to, incidental and consequential damages.

WARRANTY HANDLING

To make a valid claim under this warranty, please return the Shimano Product to an authorized Shimano dealer, preferably the dealer it was purchased from, together with the original, dated invoice or receipt.

If, having inspected the Shimano Product, Shimano accepts that the Shimano Product is defective, Shimano will (in its sole discretion) either repair or replace the Shimano Product without charge.

I'm an honest person, maybe to a fault, I can see where I've voided the warranty as it stands in several places, I have used the part for commercial use, I have taken it apart, and I'm not an "Authorized Shimano Dealer" etc.
Basically unless I wish to misrepresent the fact, the warranty is void.

The only way I could tell where all the metal flakes were coming from was to take it apart, and in doing so I void the warranty. What was I supposed to do? No bike shop that I talked to wanted to take on the job of maintenance, so I did it myself.

I will tell you one thing, I'll be taking the repaired unit apart every three months or so and giving it an oil bath.

Not very impressed....
 
other abnormal, excessive or improper use;

I would say at least two of these too!:D
 
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