sturmey archer scAW no 1st gear
 

Hi, Wish I lived down South so I could be riding, but oh well. I picked up a AW hub from ebay to take apart and refurb and to see how it works hands on so I would understand them more. I'm putting it back together and one of the pawl springs went flying never to be found. I was told I could assemble it with one pawl on the bottom left side and put it in a vice to see if it shifts. Well it shifts to 2nd and third but not first. I found this info on a google forum---I should ask, does the hub make the classic click-click-click when
pedaled in top gear. If it does not, it implies that the low gear
ratchet pawls are not working, either because their frail return
springs are broken or are gummed up with old lubricant.

JB mentioned the ticking in high
gear, that's what you get when the hub is lubed correctly, it
dissapears as the oil thickens. It's a good indicator to the correct
viscocity of oil you are using, too thin and the tick is loud, too
thick and it dissapears completely, A gentle tick is sweet music to
the AW rider. It should be barely perceptible when riding in a quiet
environment.

I think you'll find that the ratchet pawls on the right end (low gear)
are not articulating for one reason or another. Check for "gum" and
for bent or missing pawl springs. These springs are weak.

Your problem seems to be that the low gear pawls are not engaging, or
at least not articulating or you would hear them make an over-running
click when riding in high gear. I'm guessing that it may not shift into 1st with one pawl and/or the one spring is weak. I have not put oil in it yet, just lubricated it real good with T9 spray to play with, are the left side bottom pawls for 1st gear. Any ideas? Thanks, Mike

Lots of good stuff here.
https://hadland.wordpress.com/2012/0...y-archer-hubs/
and here
Sturmey-Archer Heritage :: History

BF member also has a youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6t...DoQDcOdRqlCdEA

Thanks for replying. I actually was watching one of Dan Burhat's video on how the AW works. I also belong to the facebook sturmey archer forum and they have been a great help. I have got 4 new springs on order and they should be here next week. The other website you gave me was very interesting too. Thanks, Mike

Walk around your work area in bare feet. You'll find that wayward spring.

sturmey archer scAW no 1st gear
 

Well, I've got her all cleaned up and back together with 4 new pawl springs and she shifts fine with the hub off (I've got it in a vice ) but when I put the hub on it's almost impossible to find first.Following Dan Burkhart's video on how it works. Mike

First should be very close to the furthest you can pull out the cable. I you pull it all the way till it stops, it should get into first. Typically on the bike you adjust it so there's just a tiny bit of additional "give" in the cable.

How did you set the cones? The correct way is to screw the DS cone as far as it will go, then back it off until it lines up with the locking washer. Then you do all of your actual bearing adjustment with the NDS cone.

I've tried adjusting the drive side anywhere from 1/4 to 3/4 turns and just snug the left side up til it touches so there's just a tiny bit of play. What is the best way to do the left side? When I pull the cable out all the way is runs like in 2nd. I've attached pics of my shifter test setup. I just tried this and again 2nd and 3rd shifted fine. !st gear it took 8 revolutions of the crank end to turn the hub 1 time. Shouldn't 8 turns of the crant end turn the hub 6 times or am I crazy? How could this be or am I figuring wrong? Thanks, Mike
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...359be81ea5.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...067760d8bc.jpg
pics of my setup. There is a nut on the left side that I can adjust ever so slightly to pull the chain just a little so I can try it easily in different positions.

sturmey archer scAW no 1st gear
 

Well, whatever I find out or don't find out I have accomplished what I wanted to. I've learned alot about how to take apart and reassemble the AW hub and how it works makes sense to me so it was worth the $40 I spent on ebay. Thanks, Mike

It's possible your test rig is not rigid enough to exert enough tension to hold it in first gear. The other thought is drive side cone wound down too tight.

Thanks Dan, finally got her right, Thanks, Mike

I started rebuilding 3 speed hubs as a teenager. We would take them apart, clean them up, reassemble and ride. Luckily they are pretty bulletproof. Some of the newer Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs use a rotary shifter. I have more recent experience with the Shimano Nexus 7 speed hubs. They are easy to take apart and clean but the rotary shifting mechanism is not easy to take apart. In fact I never disassembled the rotary shifter on the 7 speed hubs. Eventually the shifting mechanism wore and the hub became useless. AW hubs were easy to change out everything including the shifting mechanism.

sturmey archer scAW no 1st gear
 

Well, I finally got her all back together and working. Here is a pic of the setup I came up with to check the shifting. I can turn either the axle nut and/or the brass lamp coupler to pull the chain and shift to all 3 gears. Thanks everyone, Mike
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5c5e8e2213.jpg