Grease & Calculated Gambles

I’d been pondering the state of Denise’s Shimano DH3N71 Dynohub, which had been in hard service, several years before the bike’s conception.  I’d been very reticent to attempt servicing of any kind, since “Ship in a Bottle” models were traditionally marketed as return to factory. I’ve had two Shutter Precision (PD8 HALO CLASSIC RIM & SHUTTER PRECISION DYNOHUB DISC WHEEL BUILD and SL9 HALO EVURA & SHUTTER PRECISION SL9 DYNOHUB BUILD) go on a sabbatical to Taiwan, courtesy of our friends at Ison Distribution, their UK distributor Welcome to Ison Distribution | Ison Distribution. On both occasions, the cartridge bearings finally got the grumbles after five years and 25,000 miles.

However, qualified sources have reassured me that Shimano’s non-drive side is genuinely user serviceable. I’d be farming anything with labyrinth seals out to a specialist. Contact seals, though less impervious to the elements, are straightforward customers.  

Free from the phone and other distractions, I rounded up a 15mm cone and 17mm spanners, two greases, solvent, clean rag and a magnetic bowl to avoid lost bearings and similar distress. I also wanted to turn the job around quickly, lest Simba turn subversive…

Back to the greases, I wasn’t brewing a strange (and potentially incompatible) hybrid blend, rather was torn between the hell n’ high water prowess of Juice Lubes Bearing JuiceThe Juice Lubes Bearing Juice Long Term | cycling-not-racing and their Slick Juice, which is being subjected to longer term testing.

To some extent, we can get an idea of a grease's performance and characteristics after six weeks or so. 3-6 months and ideally a grotty winter reveal considerably more. Quick-release skewer removed, I set about opening the hub. The locknut was quite stubborn but released without penetrant spray and caught me off guard. Removing the cone confirmed some suspicions, but allayed fears that we were on borrowed time. The OEM grease had degraded to an oily state, offering some lubrication and protection, but repacking was definitely in order.

Cleaned in a solvent-soaked rag, bearings, cone and races were still in great shape. I packed the race with Bearing Juice, since staying prowess was my priority. The thick, putty--like cnsistency also holds the bearings securely, but in my experience can be a little sticky, hence the sloppy " School dinners" dollop. Worked into the races and bearings, the excess was redeployed around the cone for comprehensive protection from watery ingress.

Reassembly was a cinch, although it took me four attempts to get the bearing tension just so. Some neurotic checking followed, having refitted the wheel but confirmed all was well. Bearings seemed a little smoother too, which may have been psychosomatic. Either way, I drew comfort from knowing the job was done before winter's slimy cocktail could cause mischief.

I straddle two camps when it comes to overhauling and repair.

The first says stay with something until you’re speaking its language fluidly and ace the task. Knowing when to quit while you’re ahead is equally important. It can mean the difference between riding and a long, demoralising walk. Now, there will be folks accusing me of doing half a job, pointing to the fact I haven't stripped the drive side. However, I didn’t want to run the risk of damaging connector caps and similar tiny, but significant components. Credit to you if you're confident about removing and resoldering connectors.  Shimano doesn’t recommend a full tear-down and some very experienced independent mechanics suggested the hub could be rendered bin fodder, given the model’s age and parts availability.

Another reminder that things are nuanced. While the internet is a fantastic resource, it can also be a mine of mis (and dis) information. In the zone, I packed my Yak homage trailer’s rear hub with Slick Grease and am suitably impressed with the buttery smoothness. Keep in mind that it’s a very basic hub that I will pension off, rather than rebuild when the bearings or axle fail. Thought’s? Well, I’ll probably go for a Deore, maybe even an NOS LX from back in the day-inexpensiv; easy to service and surprisingly smooth. A 32-hole 16-inch rim might be trickier to come by, at least at the right price, but this is want, not need- there's no rush.

Sometimes it’s the little things, small, unexpected wins...I’ve been testing the M Part Ride Pannier Rack and thus far, am generally impressed by its solid construction, rigidity and luggage compatibility. Four-point designs are widely regarded (justly in my view) as the best option for heavier loads. P clips are the traditional option for frames without bosses.

They’re inexpensive, neat and generally reliable. However, seat collars with integral threaded eyelets are a neat solution on framesets without traditional “ears”.

Ursula, Denise and Muffin both have healthy frame threads, but I’ve gone the integrated collar and rack route with both. With the first proviso in mind, it’s also a good option on an older frameset with tired boss threads but in otherwise solid structural and cosmetic shape.

Continuing this theme, while exorcising the workbench and sorting through a mountain of discarded fasteners, I unearthed a Garmin Pattern with precisely the right strap length…I’d been wanting to replace the Coospo CS600  Coospo CS600 GPS | cycling-not-racing OEM mount. It was functional enough, just a little crude. Its stray successor is more secure and neater into the bargain.

 Right, I'll close here, this one's a reminder I must inspect the tube stocks...

Michael