# Questions on Alfine hub



## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

Hi guys:

Just bought two Alfine 8-speed hubs and the seller shipped the bare hubs and included parts (not the small parts kit) in the shipping box and stuck the UPC sticker on the shipping box. Cannot find the serial anywhere.

Two questions.

1. Does the alfine hub come with a serial number? If so, where is it located? 

2. Can you see any parts missing in the following photo?


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

I see no parts missing in your photo. My hub arrived with the ring that has white on it (in your photo) already on my hub, held in place by a temporary plastic circlip.

Can't find a number anywhere except on the label that is on the end of the box. I suspect the string of numbers immediately above the bar code might be the serial #.
Mine is 237N5100017


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

The serial number is on the flattened part of the hub axle.
Can I trouble you to check if it matches the number you gave above?


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

The numbers do not match. I was just guessing that the number I mentioned in my prior post (found only on the outside of the box, on the label) was the serial#. I saw the number on the hub axel, too, but I thought maybe it was a part#. I guess that's it, though, if that's where its supposed to be located. The number on my hub axel is LB13SS501, which does not look like serial# to me, but more like a part#.



anga said:


> The serial number is on the flattened part of the hub axle.
> Can I trouble you to check if it matches the number you gave above?


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

I think you are correct--the two hubs with me have the same number (LFxxSS501) on the axles but different from yours. Damn, I now have to figure out the serial numbers.


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

In the above photo, going from left to right are these part numbers and description correct? Please check and let me know.

1. Y-24Z 02000 Rotor Mount Cover (top left)
2. Y-34R 0E000 Right Hand Dust Cap B (top right)
3. Y-35Z 20000 Chain Guard (bottom)

BTW, did you get Driver cap (Y-74Y 18000) in the small-parts kit?


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

I have those parts. I can not find any numbers on my parts, but they are identical to the ones in your photo. The small flexible Rotor Mount Cover says "Shimano" on it in two places. 

Yes, I found my Driver Cap, but there is no number. I identified it from the illustration in the instructions that came with my kit. Its a black ring a bit smaller than the R Hand Dust Cap B.

I am waiting for a part and a tool to arrive at my LBS before I can proceed any further with my build. 

(If I'd ordered it from Universal, the parts would already be here, but I'm biting the bullet and trying to help my LBS's proprietor stay in business. He knows alot about bikes, but we have the highest unemployment in the State of WA in our county, and a lot of local small business are struggling just to stay alive. He has pathetically anemic cash flow this time of year, and likes to wait until he can get a big enough order ready before he send it in to QBP so that he can get some kind of volume discount. Sometimes that waiting period is several weeks. I need my parts/tools ASAP, and I can get them in 3-5 days by ordering online. Asking customers to wait for an indeterminate time period before the order even goes out (!!!!) is no way to run a business in this day when he is competing with online stores).


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

The part numbers are here
http://techdocs.shimano.com/media/t...SG/EV-SG-S501-2788C_v1_m56577569830714875.pdf


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

Thanks for the link, anga. I don't need parts numbers at this time, but I may need to order something in the future.


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

I bought my Alfine 8-spd from a dealer, brand new, sealed in its original box. There is a factory Shimano sticker on the end of my box that has three lines of numbers and two bar codes. The three lines of numbers are located just above the EAN code. Below the EAN code is the UPC code.

The first (top) line of numbers signifies that it is an Alfine 8-spd hub.
The second line had numbers on it similar to those on the first line, but they tell me that mine is the black (rather than the silver) edition of this hub.
The third line looks like it is the serial number. By process of elimination, I think that is what it is.

If your hub came in the factory box, you should have this sticker with the numbers and codes on it.
If your's didn't come in a factory box, then you might be out of luck. I wouldn't worry about it. There probably isn't any reason to know the serial number, anyway.

When you think about it, it doesn't make sense to stamp a serial number on each individual hub. Its a small item, similar to a fishing reel. It probably makes more sense from Shimano's point of view to locate the serial # on a sticker that is on the original packaging.


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

The lack of a serial per se doesn't bother me. More concerned about the need for it if/when warranty needs to be used.


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## anga (Aug 22, 2011)

PlutonicPlague said:


> The numbers do not match. I was just guessing that the number I mentioned in my prior post (found only on the outside of the box, on the label) was the serial#. I saw the number on the hub axel, too, but I thought maybe it was a part#. I guess that's it, though, if that's where its supposed to be located. The number on my hub axel is LB13SS501, which does not look like serial# to me, but more like a part#.


Just heard from the vendor--the number on the hub axle is something like the batch number and is the one to be used for warranty claims. Vendor claims he was sent the hubs in bulk and not in individual boxes!


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

I was looking for warranty info on Shimano's site, and all I could find regarding this was that they require a copy of your original receipt showing vendor and date of purchase. No mention of serial #. 
If I ever have to send mine back to Shimano, I'll remember to include the "batch #" in any correspondence. Thanks for finding out about that # on the axel.


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