Argh! Sturmey Archer Downshifting problem

I have a problem with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed on the downshift. Shifting up is fine. On the downshift the indicator chain does not retract as fully as the cable is allowing. Final result is the cable will be slack and the ferrule will come out of the holder!

I have adjusted the indicator chain so that it lines up in 2nd gear. I have fitted the anti rotation washer. No friction in the cable. Thats it I'm stuck!!! Please help :shock:

Disconnect the cable and see if you can change all three gears up and down by hand by pulling the chain. then tension up the cable to the trigger by hand and see if the trigger operates correctly. If everything works by hand then it's usually an adjustment issue.....

Shaun

Thank you Shaun.

Yes all three gears engage fine using the manual method (and when upshifting). Trigger works fine whilst maintaining (hand) tension on the cable.

It's puzzling me to distraction....

Are all the links free on the chain, sometimes a stiff link can stop the chain sliding back.....

Shaun

Yes and I have tried another indicator chain just to be sure....

Then it's possible that there isn't enough tension in the chain from the hub to activate and lock out a downshift..... or the trigger is too stiff for the tension in the chain to lock it out.

If the 3 speed hub is working well then it's the trigger...is there a lot of tension pulling out the 3 speed chain from the hub?

WD40 to the trigger ?

Shaun

tension on chain seems "normal". WD40 on the trigger was the last thing I tried. Think I need to get back out there!

Aha! I think that the upper portion of cable is snagging, very loosely but with some fiddling it does certainly seem to be in that region. Too late to be doing it now so tomorrow strip and replace that section of outer I think...

Thanks for your help Shaun.

Hated Sturmey Archer strip downs and problems.....usually left it to "Bunny" the older guy who thought they were foolproof. I got stuck with the more modern stuff

At least you could see what was happening when the Hurret / Valentino / Campag / Shimano / moved

Best of luck

Shaun

Wow! This thread brings back memories for me.

The only decent bike I owned as a kid was a Claude Butler that I bought from another lad for something like 50p. It had a Strumey Archer three speed fitted, but had a broken chain. I had no idea they could be repaired, so I just rode the thing as a single speed.

When I moved to the South West, from London, I made some new school friends, one of them had a dad who was a keen road rider. This lad saw my CB languishing at the back of the garage and went nuts. He and his dad came to have a look and offered me the vast sum of £25 for the bike, which I happily accepted. They stripped it, resprayed it and rebuilt it up to the standard it deserved.

To this day I have not the slightest idea what model it was, but it was obviously a good'un and is most likely still giving fine service now.

I suspect I know what happened to the Sturmey Archer hub!