Absolutely! In the old days MG's and FIAT's called for 30w motor oil or straight GL1 mineral oil in the gearbox, when people would use GL5 gear oil instead they would shift horribly and wear fast. Partly the extreme pressure additives mucked up the syncros but also I was told the additives affected how easily/quickly the oil could flow between the gear teeth.

yes, after checking, mine is a 1974 AW, not the SW in the drawing. But mine is also different than this AW spec sheet. Neither shows the dust caps.
I am going to try 10 loose balls. I'm only seeing the HSA284 available in the EU and Australia. One would think they sold enough 3-speeds in the US to justify someone stocking parts.

Sturmey AW

Now, when it comes to gear oil, which a few have commented on, I read many(!) threads/discussions before deciding on this. I figured it has gears, why not use gear oil.

Here's a shot of the official factory 1972 exploded view:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4843c06dda.png

Sturmey-ArcherParts.com out of Seattle USA has them:

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...cb5045793b.png

Thanks for that source, I will bookmark it. When I googled that part, that did not show up. Search has so much room to improve. Hope AI achieves that.

Anyway, fixed it with the loose bearings. Got all the parts back in the right order too. The two dust caps(?) fit together in a way I wasn't expecting. Took it for a ride, the bike and the wheel feel great.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...74ac70d8d7.jpg

It is remarkable how satisfying it is to fix something, especially when you get to ride it afterwards!

Thanks for this drawing. There were enough responses that I completely missed this. It shows my parts, and confirms that I got it right during reassembly. I'm untrained and often take a heuristic approach with new tasks, that is, trail and error.

'Caged' bearings were introduced simply to aid manufacturers assembly time.
To be found in wheel hubs, steering stems and bottom brackets.
Packing such bearings with loose balls (as previously done) means there are more to take and distribute the loads.

I've fixed/flipped a lot of bikes, ~80 plus all my keepers, mostly 70's era, and more Peugeots than I can count. Well over 50% have had loose bearings. Whenever I see caged bearings I think about the extra that could fit in the same space.

This was my first 3-speed though, which had me a little discombobulated, and when I disassembled it all the bearings fell into the hub. Instead of remembering that was normal, I initially thought the cage was required. Wrong conclusion. In fact, I rely on that when I leave the fixed cup in a bottom bracket and remove those bearings from the non-driveside.

Newly Built Three Speeder
 

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e7632d5727.jpg
Newly built and getting ridden, three speed Path Racer:

Wow!

I just brought a few more bikes home from the Bike Exchange and I have questions reguarding this english 3 speed

It has a Sturmy Archer 3 speed hub with a coaster brake , a top tube mounted shifter, very odd steel side pull brakes front and rear with a unique cable which has a drum shaped end at the levers and a pear shaped end at the brake with an adjuster in the cable.
Further wierdness includes steel brake levers with 2 positions in the lever for attaching the cable.
The front fender comes to a very sharp point , definately not a Raleigh fender.
The matress sadle says Hercules on it.
The bike is black with a head badge decal which is mostly unreadavle except for (made in?) Chadwell heath at the bottom.
the black out shifter might mean ww2 vintage.
the front wheel is a place setter froom another bike
the rear wheel looks too good to be original , maybe a replacement (coaster brake???)

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...576365b543.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6539cd522d.jpg
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1d20e6ec66.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...388b5328ab.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1d5aa71110.jpg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f34705e8cd.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...dbb0fc9589.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f2f51b891b.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0079ef40d1.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...09840e8616.jpg
Any of you 3 speed freeks know what this beast might be???

WOW!
You have a wonderful bicycle there in splendid original condition.
The seat hints it is a Hercules (pre-war)?
Calipers, levers and 'Harpoon' front fender definitely 1930's.
3 speed S/A, rear brake caliper. Even retains much of the frame lining.
A careful clean and lube job/service should have you on your way.
Ruin the patina and you loose the intrinsic value of such a machine.

remarkably free of rust! Is that a keeper, or a restoration for bikex?

Love this bike. Steep angles, cool calipers, likely 30's. Modern replacement hub. Sweet.

The slotted crown cap is unusual. Maybe a pre-Raleigh Rudge rebrand?

Last week I saved a 1969 (as dated on the SA AW hub) Phillips / Nottingham in very rough shape from the trash. It was complete except for a missing front wheel. Plenty of rust. However, it was otherwise complete and original.It deserved a refresh.

I scraped most of the rust off, but decided to sand and repaint the mudguards since they were just terrible. I chose Rustoleum's Colonial Red Glossy, and Glossy White for the white patch / dovetail. Kept the "FairyLite" Red reflector. I like the black frame / red mudguard contrast. Didn't remove all the chrome rust, but buffed what I could do easily.

Purchased a new 26" front wheel / hub from Wheel Master (Front Bicycle Wheel 26 x 1 3/8 36H, Steel, Bolt On, Silver (ISO 590) ). New brake cables, new shift cable, new pedals (I like to ride with toe clips), 2 new Kendra K40 tires / tubes / rim strips. Since the frame is only a 19.5" , I needed a longer seat post (I used a new 25.4 x 350 mm), and fitted a period correct Brooks mattress saddle from another bike since the original was busted. New chain and a 22T cog (to replace the 19T that was previously fitted). The front crank is a 46T.

Soon I'll add a simple rear rack and panniers, a bell, and an odometer.

Lubricated all moving parts, but no need to overhaul the AW or the bottom bracket (just added some oil down the seat tube).

It rides well. Way better than a landfill or metal recycling future.

Here's one photo, and a link to others.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...96c4606fe3.jpg

The bike appears to be 1930s. The wheels and pedals obviously replaced (SA AW 'lined' hubs first appeared in 1972). The front hub has no oiler. Black hardware, like the SA shift pulley, were done in a durable black finish before the war and was considered stylish. I suspect the handlebars and stem to be later; black handlebars were more likely. The front fender in particular is quite charming. Nice touch on the brake calipers to have the stress release mechanism to prevent cable failure.

Hercules was made in Birmingham weren't they? I have a prewar Royal Enfield that came with a Hercules saddle.

So far the only manufacturer of cycles I can find at Chadwell heath was an old established company, 'BOWN'.
Hercules was indeed a Birmingham company.
Between the wars it was common to fit front mudguards without a front 'peak'. The pointed peak became a popular separate accessory, eventually adopted as part of the full blade.
See post 27968 for a similar but not the same brake caliper.
US convention left lever front brake.
It would seem a little 'belt & braces' to have both a rear caliper AND a coaster brake, but it was done occasionally.

Can any of our resident SA 3 speed experts confirm that low gear pawl HSA111 is a direct replacement for K512 and HSA119 is a replacement for K513 please?

Anyone here commute on their three-speed? I'm thinking of stripping and respraying my 1959 Raleigh Sports/Canadian using Spray Bike's Hercules dark green, and turning it into a commuter. I've also got a chaincase I would paint, and some decals for late 50s Raleighs.

Nothing better it seems to me than running one of these for the daily run to and from work. I've got a '56 FG hub, stainless steel wheels, Fibrax "rain" brake blocks, and a Sturmey lampset that would look the business.

It would be good to see examples of three-speed commuters or city errand bikes.

I hope this post is allowed. This is just a link to my post in the For Sale section. This is for the owners of the of the 3x7 Fichtel Sachs or SRAM hubs who are looking for a shifter/indicator chain. These are the rare hubs with the internal 3 gear hub and the 7 speed cassette. These were not as common in the US as they were in Germany back in the 90s. But some bike brands in the US used them as well such as Bike Friday, BikeE, Rans, Linear and a few others. But these shifter chains are no longer made. I lucked out myself a few years back but now found a way to make new shifter chains. I put a post in the For Sale Section. I just wanted to link it here since there maybe some folks who have these older Sachs or SRAM hubs and have been looking for one of these.

My commute is relatively short—2.5 miles each way if I go the most direct route, and I’ve used a variety of IGH bikes over the years. Two of the more recent were retrofitted Raleigh Gran Sports:

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...aff8d66de.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0f4e32c70.jpeg

Since I've basically worked from home over the last five years, bike commuting does not really exist for me. But I've had my Raleigh Superbe since 2016, and did use it during my active commute days. And I still use it for utility/basic transportation.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6e722606b1.jpg

"Sturmey-Archer changed its parts numbering system sometime around 1950*. Older parts numbers begin with the letter K and newer ones, with H. If the model of the hub is the same, and the description of the part is the same, the part is almost always the same, despite the different numbering." - Sheldon Brown

Low Gear Pawl K513 ☞ HSA111

Gear Ring Pawl K512 ☞ HSA119 (still a current part in the AW-NIG)

*I think Sturmey's part number switch was in 1961.

https://hadland.wordpress.com/wp-con...07/2tables.pdf

Has drawings of pawls.

Have any of you weighed your bikes? I am wondering if any of these are less than 40lbs.

I've ridden my Raleigh Sports to work for years. I have it set up with a Dynohub, LED lights, Sun rims w/stainless spokes, Tektro 800s with Kool Stops, and a 5 speed S5 hub. It's a great commuter bike.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e86db51c54.png


I've been riding my touring bike the last few months, but I'll probably switch back to the Sports here soon.

I ride my Twenty sometimes, too.

Good question. I think I checked one time and with basket, saddlebag, tools, etc. it was well over 40 lbs.

The other option is to start with a sporting bike and configure it to be more utilitarian. I have a '51 New Hudson, '53 Lenton, and '49 Clubman set up as utility/touring bikes with North Road style bars similar to a conventional Raleigh Sports. Being based on lighter sporting/road bikes, they are all under 40 pounds. You can definitely go lighter with three speeds if you want to do that.