# Alfine 8 Weird Shifting



## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Hey all, this is my first post, and I'm hoping that there are some experts out there on the Alfine 8 (SG-S500, with SL-S500 shifter)

I bought this hub used, and before I tried it I did the ATF fluid bath. After I reassembled it, it shifted very oddly. 

On the 1st through 4th gears, it shifts up a gear each time, then shifts down a gear or two on 5th, then up again for 6th, then stays constant until 8th gear. 

I believe I did everything per the instructions, and the yellow dots line up and so forth -- is the hub toast? I attached a picture for clarity in case my explanation was hard to follow.


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## dru (Sep 4, 2006)

You have the yellow dots lining up in 4th gear?

Drew


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, the dots line up perfectly in 4th.


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## OFFcourse (Aug 11, 2011)

Have a good look at the cable and make sure there are no bends/krimps etc. bad routing, also check that the bolt is attached to the cable at the specified distance.


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

It's a new cable, and the bolt is connected at 127mm (I'm using the wet weather cassette joint). Thanks for the relplies!

-Joel


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## OFFcourse (Aug 11, 2011)

I didn't know there was a wet weather joint does the regular one have a bolt connection at 100mm BTW? (my manuals in a box somewhere)


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, the normal cassette joint has a distance of 100mm, but the wet weather one has a rubber grommet to keep water out, so the metal arm is longer, hence the longer bolt distance.

The shifter is working fine, the cable is new, the distance is correct for the cable bolt, and the dots line up when in 4th. I'm thinking that this problem lies inside the hub, as everything else seems to check out... is there a way to assemble the hub wrong so it starts in the wrong gear?

Tonight when I get home I'll see which gear is direct drive, I doubt it's going to be 5th gear which I believe it's supposed to be. That should give me an idea if I'm off by a few gears or something.

Here's a link to a file that does an excellent job showing how an alfine 8 works:

http://forums.mtbr.com/internal-gear-hubs/alfine-8-5th-gear-1-1-a-827419.html

Cheers,

Joel


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

A little update, all of the gears when cycling through the shifter are lower than direct drive, that is, the cog spins faster than the hub...

-Joel


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## Surly29 (Jun 8, 2009)

Have you checked that the cable is running clean through ALL the gears.

I had the rubber boot on my wet weather cable pulled all the way down and when I shifted into the highest gears it would ride between the cable and the cassette joint, pulling the shift mech to a lower gear. That was on my 11-spd though, I would think if that happened on an 8 you'd end up in a higher gear


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Yeah, the cable is moving smoothly through each of the gears, and I actually didn't even install the rubber boot because it's not wet out yet and I didn't want to introduce more friction into the system than there already is.

-Joel


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Anyone here know what's going on? I'm about to scrap it and buy a new hub...

-Joel


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

I *think* there's a second pawl above 5th that manages the overdrive gears - sounds like it's broken.


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## munsonjo (Sep 9, 2013)

Is that a replaceable part? I'm going to contact Shimano to see if I can purchase that part. 

-Joel


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## Drew Diller (Jan 4, 2010)

munsonjo said:


> Is that a replaceable part? I'm going to contact Shimano to see if I can purchase that part.
> 
> -Joel


Sorry, that's a bit beyond my level of intimate knowledge of the hub. I would be sure to describe how almost half your gears are inaccessible and I bet they'd know what the issue is right off the bat. If you're lucky, warranty and wheel relace would probably be easier.


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