When I went out to the Interbike show in Las Vegas I had an
opportunity to chat with a former Sturmey-Archer executive, now
employed by SunRace Sturmey-Archer. I've already reported on this at
http://sheldonbrown.org/
Tonight a posting on the Menotomy list reminded me of something else he mentioned: I had commented on the decline of Sturmey-Archer quality over the years. As an example, I mentioned the fact that the newer hubs no longer come with a lubrication port.
He agreed that this was unfortunate, then mentioned a problem that occurred in the late '50s, when they switched from the old metal lubricator cap with the spring-loaded hinge to the newer, plastic type.
As it happened, the old metal caps were never actually oil-tight, and would always leak, and the oil would gradually cover the hub shell. Once they switched to the plastic caps, they didn't leak any more. As a result, there was no longer a film of oil on the hub shell, and they started having problems with shells rusting!
In the end, the switch to the plastic lubricator required them to start using a higher-quality chrome plating procedure than they had previously used!
Sheldon "Oops!" Brown
Newtonville, Massachusetts
+--------------------------------------------+
| Never worry about theory as long as the |
| machinery does what it's supposed to do. |
| --Robert A. Heinlein |
+--------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772, 617-244-1040, FAX 617-244-1041
http://harriscyclery.com
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
http://captainbike.com
Useful articles about bicycles and cycling
http://sheldonbrown.com