RE: [CR]Wanted Sturmey FM indicator spindle

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From: "Mark Bulgier" <mark@bulgier.net>
To: 'Joe Bender-Zanoni' <velo531@hotmail.com>, Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: RE: [CR]Wanted Sturmey FM indicator spindle
Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 14:59:21 -0800

Joe B-Z wrote:
> I would like to buy an indicator spindle for a Sturmey Archer FM hub.
>
> It never struck me that there was an earlier two piece type
> spindle. Are these common to all the 4 speeds? Can the AW
> threaded "key" be fitted and the AW spindle used?

The 4-speed indicators are more complicated than the 3-speeds because there are two different keys that need to be moved, at different times: the one that pulls the two sun gears only kicks in for the shift from low to extra-low. It might be possible to use a 3-speed indicator (haven't tried it) but you'd then have a 3-speed hub consisting of 2nd-3rd-4th, no way to get 1st.

A caution: the big spring that pushes on the sliding clutch and the little one that pushes on the clutch key were both made weaker at some point. I don't know how to tell which vintage a spring is, so just try to have both springs from the same year or thereabouts. If you had an older strong big (clutch) spring combined with the newer weak small (clutch key) spring, then the suns will be pulled over too soon, before the sliding clutch is in low. The effect (I believe) would be to have no regular low gear (2nd) - you'd go right from Normal (3rd) to extra-low (1st).

Mark Bulgier
Seattle, Wa
USA