Alfine 8 experts -please help !

[KirstinS]

Not ebike as such but many use them. Feel free to move post admins

After 6.5 years utterly dependable Service my alfine 8 is playing up. Changes up gears fine but gets stuck on 4 going down. Repeatedly hitting shifter and going over bumps does get it to move down again.

My LBS who have been so amazing on everything clearly don't have much expertise in this area. But they are amazing problem solvers and superb wheelbuulders.

They suggest taking out internals and cleaning in very expensive Shimano oil (I thought the alfine 8 sg501 was grease bases and the alfine 11 was an oil bath)

They change cable already and that didn't do it.

The other suggestion is to find a new or old hub and take theinternals out and slide into my hub casing. Very easy to. do and no wheel building required (cheapest solution ?:

Any other thoughts amongst alfine experts very much appreciated

Thanks
Kirstin

 

[Artstu]

I've just serviced an Alfine 8. The bearings were loose, I think I got there just in time to save the shell.
I'm certainly no expert, I used bearing grease in the bearings and L/EPO grease inside, lots of it.

Don't dunk it in transmission fluid, it'll dilute the grease and leak out. I split the internals into two parts for cleaning, just one clip to remove. I didn't have the tool to release the drive-side cone. Hardly any videos even mention that bearing. I may in future get the tools and revisit that.

The one I did was a bit of a state inside with hardly any grease applied as standard, so a clean and grease may work for you.

I watched a couple of videos and reviewed a couple of guides before tackling the one I've just done.

 

[KirstinS]

Thanks artsu, thats really helpful.

Did you notice a spring inside connected to gear cable.

My LBS now think my spring has lost its tension so when you click down gears it is just running out of tension. That's all the down shift does I'm told is release the spring in increments?

Thanks again

 

[KirstinS]

I should add I have two young kids and unexpected twins due in 3 weeks. I've effectively also got, in her words, a partially disabled blimp , for a wife!! - I have no time at all to do myself !

 

[Artstu]

Thanks artsu, thats really helpful.

Did you notice a spring inside connected to gear cable.

My LBS now think my spring has lost its tension so when you click down gears it is just running out of tension. That's all the down shift does I'm told is release the spring in increments?

Thanks again

I didn't touch that bit. I guess you could get a feel for how strong that spring is without any disassembly by pushing the mechanism round with your finger, mines not at all easy, not so bad when you stick a 2mm pin in that hole near the cable nipple clamp.

This shows the bit with the spring, and I can understand you not wanting to delve inside, it can get rather time consuming.

http://www.rideyourbike.com/shimano8axleunitassemblyinstructions.shtml

 

[KirstinS]

Cheers again

I think this has been very helpful in deciding on A new hub

 

[Kenny]

I have a similar problem with my Nexus 8.

On the up shifts it's fine but although the return spring feels strong when you move it with your finger, it's sticky in normal use.
looking for an easy fix, I replaced the Twist shifter and fitted a new cable and re-routed it to make sure there were no kinks.
It made no difference.
It's my spare bike and I hardly use it so on the odd occasion I ride it I shift down past the gear I want and then back up to that gear, which isn't ideal.

Guess I'll need to look into the spring mechanism when I've a bit of spare time.

 

[flecc]

I think this has been very helpful in deciding on A new hub

When they've been used few years as yours has, that, together with the lack of spares, means a new hub and swapping the insert is the best solution and one I've used more than once.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

4th gear is the weak gear in those hubs (Alfine and Nexus8).

Are these the simple version or the upgraded version with needle bearings? Seeing the age I am guessing the first version.

This is important to me as I am considering the Nexus 8 for my current build and Taylor wheels only have the basic version in their pre-built rims.

 

[KirstinS]

4th gear is the weak gear in those hubs (Alfine and Nexus8).

Are these the simple version or the upgraded version with needle bearings? Seeing the age I am guessing the first version.

This is important to me as I am considering the Nexus 8 for my current build and Taylor wheels only have the basic version in their pre-built rims.

It ist the sg501 model

 

[anotherkiwi]

From Sheldon Brown:

"A red band on the shell identifies a Nexus hub with needle-bearing pinions, for higher efficiency. The lower efficiency of 4th gear compared with the direct-drive 5th gear is noticeable on Nexus 8-speeds with plain-bearing pinions. Needle-bearing and plain-bearing pinions can be identified by their different appearance even in a fully-assembled gear-carrier unit."

I will ask Taylor Wheels for a quote on the needle bearing option, naked it is a 60 € vs. 124 € difference.

P.S. today I can ask for a quote because I just got a new job which has better wages

 

[flecc]

P.S. today I can ask for a quote because I just got a new job which has better wages

Well done, and still a French 35 hour week I hope, not one of our UK 48 hours or more.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

<off topic>
39 hour (8 hours x 5 days instead of 11 hours x 3) but <drum roll> paid above the minimum wage!

39 hours have always been allowed in several sectors of the economy since the 35 hour week was introduced. 44 hours is the maximum authorised but hours above 39 must be paid as overtime. Overtime is very badly paid here.
</off topic>

 

[flecc]

<off topic>
Overtime is very badly paid here.
</off topic>

Going that way here, junior doctors having national strikes over enforced removal of their Saturday overtime pay, now to be paid standard rates only.
.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Back on topic Taylor wheels only provide the standard bearing model at least in Nexus 8 inter form. The man very nicely said that if I ordered 20 wheels he would do the roller bearing version...

Thought: buy standard version, when spare cash becomes available and if I like it enough swap out the standard hub for the "premium" version.

Or save up for a Rohloff...

 

[KirstinS]

I finally found a brand new hub SG 501 at cnc bike parts (German parts seller) was 119 euro inc delivery, vastly cheaper than anything else I could find

 

[anotherkiwi]

Bike24 has the premium version for that price too and they used to have the base model for 64 € but it has disappeared.

 

[KirstinS]

Bike24 has the premium version for that price too and they used to have the base model for 64 € but it has disappeared.

I think you may be looking at the alfine dh501 dynamo hub?

Can t see the s501 8 gear hub on the site at all ?

There is a Taiwan eBay seller doingb the 500 version for 85 Inc delivery (2 vs 3 roller clutches I'm told )

 

[anotherkiwi]

Nope Nexus 8 Inter now they have the 6010 hubs with or without electric gear change and in silver or black. Last month they still had the non premium version on sale maybe it was a clearance price?

 

[KirstinS]

Ahhh
Nexus, not alfine
I see now !