Otto Rax

A friend of mine is looking to fix-up her mothers older Raleigh Sport, with the sturmey archer aw 3. A few questions before I help her dive in (she wants me to teach her as we go, which is more than a little initimidating, because i cant "figure it out" as i go).

1- it has the weinmann brakes, and someone suggested i need special cables. is that the case, or does that only apply to those "special" raleigh brakes?

2- loose balls i assume? before i make a horse's patoot of myself showing her how to rehab a headset, and pop the fork and lose them all...is it loose ball? and does anyone know how many and what size so i can grab some from the shop before i go over there?

3- Ditto for the BB, and what is the easiest way to remove cottered cranks without fubaring the pins?

4- and heres the big boy, the rear hub, when you pedal it, the cog just spins and spins, it never engages, but if you backpedal, you can hear it freewheel, so i dont know if the pawls are sticking and it just needs oils, or if i have to rebuild it. anyone? i posted this one in the mech forum, but i figured some sturmeyphile would lurk around here more often.

Thanks all

kpug505

Rear hub.....Sounds like you need to adjust the indicator. See here towards the bottom:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer.html

And they always need oil.

mswantak

With a Raleigh Sport, you'd better assume it's loose balls.

cudak888 

#1: Standard brake cables for the post-'76 machines w/Weinmanns. In fact, same for the Raleigh-specific levers too, with exception to the soldered-end variants that were phased out in the '60s.

#2/3: Loose.

#4: Pawl springs might be bad. Regardless, open it up and have a look.

-Kurt

nlerner

On the brakes, if it needs the double-sided cable, you'll see that the cable doesn't connect to the caliper with an anchor bolt but with a soldered bulbous end that fits snug in a kind of hooked end in the caliper. Here's an example of one from a 50s Humber:



Neal

mswantak

Oh, geeze -- don't open up the rear hub unless you have to. In fact, I'd sooner lace a new hub into the wheel. Fill the hub halfway with a solvent - like mineral spirits -- and spin the bejeezus out of it. Drain it, and repeat a couple more times. Put a SMALL amount of light machine oil in it, then see how it acts.

kpug505

Chicken^^^^
If the hub doesn't respond from the previous remedy.....Pop it open!
You can find directions from Sheldon and at Tony Hadlands site here: https://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/gear.html

There are some good links to places with repair parts there as well or you could just PM for bits as I have a ton....Literally.


They made service parts for a reason....

mparker326

I use the sheldon brown hammer method. I haven't fubared a pin yet, but they are only a couple bucks at the LBS so you may as well pick up a couple.

Regarding bearings:

Headset 5/32 - 50
Front Hub 3/16 - 20
BB 1/4 - 22
Rear Hub 1/4 - 18

These are the standard counts, I can't remember the exact number of bearings my Raleigh's took, always count what you take out. As a rule, I buy more than I need because I drop plenty of them.

edit: regarding the cotter pins, think how much confidence you will instill in your friend when you pull out a hammer to work on her bike.

deez

if its anything like my early 70's raleigh

#2 - 5/32" balls - Mine were in a retainer but when I overhauled it I opted for loose balls instead. I think there were like 30 or 32 each in the top and bottom.
#3 - 1/4" balls - loose balls. -I think there were like 11 or 12 balls per cup.. As far as the cotters...either a Cotter Press or a Claw hammer. Personally I like the hammer..you just gotta not swing it like a wuss. Sheldon's article on Cottered Cranks was very helpful to me https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/cotters.html

Doohickie

Before opening the hub, OIL it first. Where the chain goes in, and open the little plastic cap between the spokes. I just picked up an AW3 Raleigh a few weeks ago and it was behaving similarly at first. A little oil, a new shift cable (genuine Sturmey Archer, of course) and it works perfectly. That freewheeling may indicate that the hub is stuck between 2nd and 3rd gears where there is a sizable gap; it's just the way AWs are. Once the cable is moving freely it is very easy to adjust that out.

One thing I notices is that if the shift cable is "out of plane" where it comes out of your shifter, the cable will be sluggish and won't relax enough for the gears to shift.

Don't take the hub apart until you've dickered around with it a bit first.

southpawboston

hey there doohickie? how's the elantra?

didn't know you were a sturmey fan as well... small world, eh?

regarding the rear hub, ditto everything everyone else said. EXCEPT, i've had less then great luck using sheldon's advice for adjusting the indicator spindle (the chain that comes out of the hub and screws into the cable). using sturmey's official instructions to keep the end of the rod flush with the edge of the axle when in 2nd gear is what has worked best for me to keep the hub happy. also apply some light oil to the shifter itself and the cable.

adding oil to the hub may not free up the pawls if in fact they are sticking from years of sludge buildup/inactivity. you may try filling 'er up with kerosene, working the hub manually, then draining from the fill spout, repeating as necessary. then fill with some light oil. it'll be messy, but it will cut the sludge. (in fact, removing the fill spout altogether will help drain out loosened up sludge).

Doohickie

Ha! Anton! Fancy meeting you here!

I've known Anton from other (car) forums, and if he recommends something, I tend to believe him, for what it's worth.