Replacing Rohloff Hub Oil Seals…

Leaky Rohloff…

The Rohloff IGH in my Surly Big Dummy has been leaking oil for a while. This doesn’t really matter a whole lot as the Rohloff continued to work just fine, but I knew it was something I should sort out. So I collected the parts I needed and specialized Rohloff tools last year and finally got around to making it happen last week.

Most of what I needed…

Here is what you need:

• Hub oil seals x 2 = #8244
• Tools for mounting hub seals = #8503
• Paper gaskets = #8710
• Loctite = #8347
• Oil change kit = #8410
• Sprocket removal tool = #8510
• Rohloff instruction manual
• Torx 20 driver
• 3mm, 5mm & 8mm allen keys
• large adjustable wrench
• chain whip
• paper towel
• q-tips
• rubbing alcohol
• beer x 6
• music

Before getting started wash your hub/rim/tire and let dry. You don’t want to have chunks of dirt fall into the open hub and it will be nicer to work with a clean wheel.

Axle side oil seal removed…

Like all Rohloff projects I’ve embarked on it was much easier than I had feared, but complicated enough that I ran into a couple glitches. Here are some instructions on how to replace the hub oil seals.

You will also need to read up on:

• removing/installing the disc brake [assuming you have one]
• removing/installing the shifting mechanism
• removing/installing the drive sprocket
• how to do an oil change

It’s worth reading all the way through so you can be sure you have all the parts and tools you need.

Staying organized…

I started on the axle side where the shift box attaches. Pulling off the disc brake rotor and the shifting mechanism was easy. The hub oil seal was in pretty tight so it took me a few tries to get it out. It helps that you can destroy it in the process since it’s headed for the bin anyways.

New hub seal…

With the Rohloff tool installing the new hub seal is dead easy. Just make sure you clean out the old seal mating surface before installing and don’t get crazy with the Loctite around the new seal. You don’t want to contaminate the hub.

Seal installed…

Once the hub seal is installed just reassemble the axle side of the hub. It’s a bit fiddly so read the instructions first and then tackle it.

Paper gaskets…

It was about this point that I realized I was missing 2 small paper gaskets I needed to reinstall my shift mechanism. I was a bit bummed because I didn’t think I’d be able to source them locally and figured I might be waiting 2 weeks for mail order parts to arrive. Happily I went down to the Fairfield Bicycle Shop and they had exactly what I needed in stock. Awesome! :)

It’s really nice to have a LBS who services Rohloffs in town. If I ever have questions I can talk to them and they carry the parts I need for any projects.

The video above shows how to remove the sprocket from a Rohloff hub. These sprockets are threaded onto the hub and continuously tightened by your pedalling action. So they are a bitch to get off.

I tried….

I tried to loosen the sprocket at home, but failed. So I carried the hub down to the kind folks at Cycles West my neighbourhood LBS. They used their bench vice to hold the hub and spin off the sprocket with a chain whip. Thanks guys – you rock! :)

The video above shows how to replace the hub oil seal on the drive side of the hub.

SLX brake parts…

I cleaned the brake rotor with rubbing alcohol to remove any traces of hub oil that may have gotten on to it. I sanded down the pads and then set them ablaze for a while in a pool of rubbing alcohol to clean them up as well. I probably need new pads, but I’m a bit lazy so I’ll use these for now until I get some freshies.

My Big Dummy repair stand… ;)

With the hub back together I pumped some cleaning solution into it as the first part of an oil change.

The video above explains how to do an oil change.

Time to haul…

I needed to work the cleaning solution all through the hub so I figured I might as well go get some groceries.

Checking everything out…

The ride let me check that the hub was working correctly in case I had goofed something during reassembly. As it turns out the IGH was purring like a kitten! :)

My buddy Steve…

I ran into my buddy Steve so we talked cargo bikes and he checked out the passenger deck.

Fresh oil…

Once home I let the dirty oil drain out and then I injected 25ml of the clean stuff and buttoned up the Rohloff.

See you in 5000kms…

Since my Big Dummy doesn’t see big mileage these days and lives inside I won’t be messing with this Rohloff for a few years.

Ready for summer…

Now that I have been through it all once I could replace a set of Rohloff hub seals in 1hr – assuming I had the parts and a bench vice at home. Sadly I’ll probably forget everything I just did by the time I need to do it again! ;)

Big Dummy DIY Tail Wheels…

Photo: Everyday Adventures Blog

Click on the image above to jump to the Everyday Adventures Blog and read about a DIY tail wheels project for enhanced Surly Big Dummy mobility. Even if you don’t own a Dummy you’ll appreciate how simple and smart this concept is.

Weekend Mash Up…

Scott, Ben & I...

I had hoped to be surfing this weekend in Tofino, but Sharon’s got ankle & knee injuries from playing squash and I wasn’t motivated enough to spend the $$ to drive up alone. Ben was visiting Victoria so I went out with him and Scott for a few beers while we discussed world domination plans.

Ben and his Surly Big Dummy...

Ben rode his prototype Surly Electric Big Dummy Black Ops Urban Assault rig over to the island with some help from the ferry. He’s got a sweet bike with a Rohloff, e-assist and general awesomeness…=-)

What a sad day!...=(

I rode my Bike Friday NWT to the pub to meet Ben and Scott because it has a dynohub to facilitate lighting up the road. Sadly my 4yr streak of never having a flat on a Greenspeed Scorcher tire came to an end due to a beer bottle shard…=-( These tires have performed extremely well for me over the years and are all I use on my Bike Friday folders, but it was nice being able to proclaim a zero flat record despite so much urban riding. I was too lazy to actually fix the flat so I just pumped the tire back up and rode towards home – repeating that process 3 times until I got to my driveway. I’ll get around to fixing it on a sunny warm day.

Rustproofing my Pugs...

Friday was a rain-fest so I rustproofed my Pugs which was a very very very messy job!

Ben and Aaron at Fairfield Bicycle Shop...

With the weather looking grim I met up with Aaron, Ben and Scott down at Fairfield to get some supplies for my Pugsley rebuild. I must give the Fairfield Bicycle Shop big props for always having all the odd little bits and pieces that are a pain to stock, but vital to my bike needs. This time around they had a set of bearings in stock for my Pug’s 100mm square taper Phil Wood’s BB and installed them for me without hassles. They also had a Shimano 9spd barcon lever so I can complete a missing shifter set I had. Thanks Fairfield you rock!…=-)

Sharon sold her Mini Cooper and wrangled with local Honda dealers for a new CRV.

Goodbye little red buddy!

The Mini was a fun car to drive, but it didn’t really fit our lifestyle all that well or my tall frame for that matter. I called my position in the passenger seat The Praying Mantis…=-)

She looks so nice in white...

The Honda CRV will offer a bit more traction, ground clearance, leg room and cargo space without a punishing fuel bill.

Scott and Sharon trying not to buy any new bike bling at Fairfield...

We had a tasty lunch on Cook St at a Thai place Aaron suggested before heading home to wrench some more on my bikes and settle in for some Netfilx in the PM.

New flaps!

I put some Buddy Flaps mudflaps on my 26″ wheeled Long Haul Trucker which completes the Velo Orange fenders nicely while expressing my pro-pirate sentiments….=-)

Seriously?

Once we got on the pirate tip I had to explain to my cat why parrots riding on a Pirate’s shoulder worked so much better than a cat.

Whatever!

She didn’t believe me so she jumped off my shoulder in disgust and went on a nap-strike. Her “no cuddles for you!” message was received loud and clear.

What would Gary do?

I started the order process for a set of bags for my Surly Pugsley from Scott at Porcelain Rocket. Trouble is he has so many options that I tried to skype with the always fashionable Gary Fisher and get his take on what colours/options would best suit my fat bike. Unfortunately Gary was getting his goatee styled all weekend so he wasn’t available. I may just get on the Devo train and go camo for my bags….not sure yet????

I wish I was there...

This morning I’m drinking my 3rd cup of tea thinking about the beach in Baja while I try to decide if I am going MTBing or if I want to brave the cold water and kiteboard.

Doug & Family’s CETMA Tour of the KVR…

Doug and Fiona with their CETMA...

Doug is my uber-CETMA riding buddy from Calgary who went on a great tour of the Kettle Valley Railway [KVR] this summer with his wife and two kids. He posted a cool trip report over at the SPOT website that shows his route, has a slideshow and a write up of their trip. Just click on the pic above to jump there.

Doug and family on the KVR...

The Tao of Wow!

Person, paddle and SUP - all you really need...

Over the years I’ve been exposed to a number of spiritual traditions.

• My dad is Hindu.
• My mom is Protestant.
• I went to a Catholic high school.
• I practiced yoga daily for over 3yrs when I was younger.
• I’ve read extensively about Buddhism and other Eastern traditions.
• And I’ve had friends that came were on many different spiritual paths.

Now that I am in my 40’s I find myself spending less and less time reading books about this topic or going to places where spirituality or religious experience is the focus. Not because I have no interest in that part of my life. In fact as I get older it seems to me that this is the whole point of life – to get a handle on your life and what it means. I’m finding that the most rewarding place to explore the experience of my life and to understand what it means to me is not in a yoga studio or in a temple, but in the everyday moments I live. There is no spiritual guide to help you down this path. Surfing and cycling don’t have a religious dogma to learn or spiritual instructional program. But, there is no reason that you can’t connect with God just as well flying through the air kiteboarding or gliding along in your sea kayak as you can in a yoga studio or church.

In fact I think that engaging in the direct experience of all that life has to offer in these ways has a benefit. Since there is no book, no manual or lexicon your mind is not being channeled down specific paths of thought. Your experience is beyond the bounds and constraints of language. Without words or a set of ideas someone else taught you you can engage with your life on a deeper level.

That lets paddling a SUP become a moving meditation. A consciousness expanding voyage into your reality. An appropriate metaphor when you picture a tiny SUPer floating on a vast ocean.

Your bike can be rolling along on two big prayer wheels as you pedal.

The wave that rises up behind you and pushes you along on your surfboard has travelled from halfway around the planet to interact with you in this one brief moment which makes it easy to appreciate the infinite connections we have with everything else.

Just to be clear I’m not down on churches, yoga studios or any other spiritual tradition. I figure there are so many flavours of humanity out there not everyone is going to get turned on to the same thing. Find what makes you passionate and embrace it.

Ortlieb my secret weapon!

High visibility black...

I went to collect my mail at my UPS Store mailbox downtown yesterday. The lady who grabbed my parcels knows I usually come on a bike so she was concerned I wouldn’t be able to get two decent sized boxes home without a car. I told her it would be no problem as I shrugged off my large Ortlieb backpack and started loading it up. Once I had both boxes inside I showed her that there was plenty of room left for more!

Boxes are no problem!

The Ortlieb Messenger Bag Pro is designed for professional bike couriers and that pedigree shows when you are stuffing bulky boxes inside or trying to keep large envelopes flat and undamaged. If you are looking for a way to haul stuff on your bike without the hassle of panniers and racks this is a bag worth considering. Especially if carrying bulky items and having a waterproof enclosure are important to you.

RIP Val…

Sad news….=-(