Shimano 333 3-speed hub issue

[CRASH]

As I'm putting a 3-speed bike back together I inserted the push rod into the hub. I should have felt resistance of a spring, but there's nothing, and the push rod bottoms out. Is there a way to fix this, or am I going to have to pull the hub apart?

 

[Wildcat]

If that's the pushrod it's always had, then it shouldn't bottom out, it has a big problem. It should stick out about an inch when it contacts the mechanism, then have about a half inch of travel as it goes through the 3 gears.

 

[CRASH]

Yeah, I thought it had a problem. When I was tinkering with it it did touch a springy mechanism. But now when installing it on the frame I got nuthin'.

 

[CRASH]

No ideas?

I guess I'll have to pull it all apart tonight.

 

[Wildcat]

Good luck! I would rather get another wheel than the headache of all those tiny parts.

 

[CRASH]

A new wheel isn't an option.

I'm not breaking it down that far. In fact, when I cracked it open originally, I realized it was going to be more complicated than an SA hub, so I put it back together. The problem is I knocked those two axle keys out, and that's what I wasn't making contact with the spring. So, I've gone in, dug out the keys and I'm trying to reassemble.

The problem I'm having now is that the gear assemble won't come out. The axle drive falls right out no problem. In a YouTube video of a guy doing this with a 3S hub they both come out together. But my 333 hub leaves the transmission in the hub shell. It spins in there, rachets around, but I can't figure out how to get it out. It's like it's caught, or stuck, or a pawl is popping out and grabbing something.

Any ideas?

 

[CRASH]

Searched the net with no luck, but did find a comment that Glenn's Complete Bicycle Book (written in the early 70's) has a detailed explanation of disassembly and reassembly. I ordered a copy which should be here next week.

 

[mornview]

You're a much braver man than I am - those hubs are kinda a dime a dozen around here, but after getting my hands on one I would never try messing around with it. There's a reason that hub is halfway towards being named "666" .

Glenn's Repair Manual is an invaluable resource; I would seriously consider it the single most useful bike resource I've ever purchased. I own the "New" version, which covers a number of other Shimano 3-speeds, but I have heard that the original version of the manual (which I have not picked up yet) covers the 333 specifically.

Good luck!

 

[Bicycle808]

I've always considered the 333 three-speeds to be "throw-away" hubs....ride it if it works, toss it once it doesn't. Which is kind of a rare attitude for me to take, as I tend to try to save/conserve things. One day, these hubs may be worth some money... but for now, the "hassle" to "value" ratio is skewed heavily in favor of "hassle; same goes for the "hassle":"utility" ratio. If it were my bike, I'd swap in an AW or a singlespeed, or maybe a 2 speed. But, with a proper manual and some patience, I'm sure you can conquer that hub.

 

[mornview]

Those 333 hubs are the only 3-speed hubs I've had experience with (SA's are extremely rare around here for some reason), and they pretty much made me write off 3 speed hubs as a viable option. The area I now live in is really making me reconsider (both a lower and a higher gear would be handy here), but if I make that jump I'll likely go with something modern anyways. Besides, if my memory serves me correctly, Shimano made very few 3-speed hubs with a coaster brake (a must for me).

 

[CRASH]

I've got a modern Nexus 3-speed coaster system I'm putting into my wife's '46 Murray Astro Flight, but the bike I'm working on right now I want to keep as original as I can.

Maybe if I pick up my expertise level I can make a "how to" video and post it in our How To forum. Seems like there are a lot of these hubs and little experience with them. My daughter's Huffy Super Stock has one in it. (Thought I wouldn't be against putting in a modern system on hers for the same reason as my wife's)

 

[mornview]

A tutorial would be great. Like Bicycle808 I'm generally all for recycling/preserving things; I've just had bad experiences with this hub (then again, the bikes they've came on haven't been exactly well-maintained either).

 

[Bicycle808]

I think what it really boils down to is, for the AW, you can always find every replacement part, super easy. (That the AW is less complicated overall is helpful, as well.) For the 333, there's no new replacement parts, and finding used parts in nice condition is a crapshoot, at best. I'd love to see a tutorial, and i'd be curious to see whether or not the existing parts within Crash's hub are all salvageable, or if some are worn/damaged beyond serviceable use....

 

[5speed]

there evidendly arent many ppl with knowledgs n the so called othern 3 spd hubd,been trin to get adustment info on a sachs 3 speed shiter but no tesults

 

[Nagant]

Another issue with 333 hubs from a repair standpoint is from the little bit of reading I've done about them it seems Shimano made numerous revisions to them over the years of production. If so that means lots a variation in them. I've never been able to find detailed info about the various revisions. I wonder if Glenn's book covers the changes they made?

 

[Bicycle808]

Anyone who is into IGHs as far as maintenance, repair, and mods, should check out hubstripping.wordpress.com

As for you diehard F&S Dreigang enthusiasts, crack open the google translate and head on over to http://www.3gang.de/3-gang/3-gang_naben.html Just make sure you open it in an incognito window; your wife will think you're a pervert if she sees you've been browsing that site.

 

[Bicycle808]

Another issue with 333 hubs from a repair standpoint is from the little bit of reading I've done about them it seems Shimano made numerous revisions to them over the years of production. If so that means lots a variation in them. I've never been able to find detailed info about the various revisions. I wonder if Glenn's book covers the changes they made?

That may explain the difficulty my old roomie and I had trying to make one good hub out of two non-functioning 333 hubs.

 

[Chad T]

A tutorial would be great. I've always wanted to tear apart an internal gear hub. Sounds like this might be a tricky one.

 

[Nagant]

That may explain the difficulty my old roomie and I had trying to make one good hub out of two non-functioning 333 hubs.

Were you able to make one of them operational?

 

[Bicycle808]

Were you able to make one of them operational?

Nope!