Is all Alfine ?

[Fat tyre kicker]

Sorry for the corny title
Just picked up a secondhand Alfine 8 hub, before I lace it up for project Vagabond
I'm going to service it and relube, wondering if anybody here has any snippets of info ?
I've done a bit of web bashing and found great info on Sheldon brown and muddymoles.org,
I was also recommended hubstripping.com but a web search turned up blank. Anywho, going
To strip and relube in atf etc as per recommendations. I also need to order the right (green & blue)
Anti rotation washers for vertical dropouts....any other info much appreciated

[rufus748]

Stand by.....
A mate has one (2 now) and has recently started servicing his own. He found a guy on line who's regarded as a 'guru' and uses different oil from the recommended. It's much cheaper and runs smoother.
I'll get the details for you

[Fat tyre kicker]

Cheers Rufus,
I've been told the Shimano oil is really expensive but auto trans fluid does the job,
Thanks for getting the details

[rufus748]

Apparently it's a guy called 'Hobo' and he posts on MBR uk.

He posted here (I think it's the 6th entry):

http://www.mbr.co.uk/forums/showthread. ... 1-hub-gear

[benp1]

thats for an 11 rather than an 8, is it similar?

My 8 needs some love, will get round to it one day

[GregMay]

Mechanic where I worked used to use some sort of oil that was not the Shimano made from the blood of pixies oil when servicing our hubs in the shop. No idea what it was, but it was cheap and worked fine. Vague memories of some sort of cluch oil.

[DoctorRad]

Go and make some friends on the Cycling UK (ex-CTC) forum

[ctznsmith]

thats for an 11 rather than an 8, is it similar?

My 8 needs some love, will get round to it one day

Shimano say for the 8 speed that you should take out the internals and give them a bath.

Whilst for the 11 you use a syringe to suck out the old dirty oil and inject new clean stuff.

[Fat tyre kicker]

"Shimano say for the 8 speed that you should take out the internals and give them a bath."

That's what I've been reading, Using a large empty pop bottle as a bath with ATF in .
]

Go and make some friends on the Cycling UK (ex-CTC) forum

I'm on that forum and will have a read up, just thought I'd get a quicker more concise answer on here

Thanks for any info chaps.

[Fat tyre kicker]

Right....I've had a delve into some Cycling uk and read 9 or so of the 222 pages
Of Alfine info related stuff and apart from finding out they mostly like
Sturmey Archer hubs ......however a good tip was gleamed about using
Land Rover swivel housing grease .....I'll re look at some C.u.k when
I've had some rest........

[Mart]

Yes I've done my servicing on Alfine 8 for a while, and it's really easy after you do it the first time

1- remove wheel from bike and take off all the gubbins from the drive side (sprocket, cover etc)

2- unscrew the black cover from the drive side ..... important to note this is Left hand threaded the wrong way. Usually it on hand tight but can be persuaded with a gentle tap with a wooden drift. The emphasis on gentle as it's just plastic and can damage easily

3- unscrew the bearing from the non drive side

The internals will fall out in one large piece
I then used to dip the internals in ATF fluid (used a big coke bottle)
Clean out the hub and regrease the caged bearings
I used Motorex 2000 (motorbike grease)

Reassemble in reverse order

Happy to do it for you and show you how if your anywhere near Burton on Trent

I usually stripped, dipped and relubed every 9 mths to a year, tried to time it in the spring after all the winter crap was out the way.

If you have any more q's then give me a shout.

[Fat tyre kicker]

Cheers Mart, great info thanks

[Fat tyre kicker]

Mart, looks like a good call on the Moterex 2000 grease, quite a few sources say it's
Exactly the same stuff Shimano use but both companies deny it