Spare parts for Alfine 8 - S501?

Hello,

Wondering if the collective mind of LFGSS know if it's possible to source the bearings for an Alfine 8 geared hub?

I think I need The bearing that's part of part number 4 in this diagram: http://si.shimano.com/pdfs/ev/EV-SG-S501-2788C.pdf but all I really need is the bearing race plus bearings and not the entire unit. Pictures included below of current issue.

Any thoughts? SJS sell the unit but
it's almost as much as an entire second hand hub!

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Any thoughts?

I think you're out of luck unless you can get a damaged 2nd hand one somewhere.
I've had a few of the Alfines and spares are not easy to come by.
Are you sure the rest of it is working OK, it looks pretty "brown" inside.

I'd be looking out for a donor hub and just swap the entire internal assembly out. Yours looks like it's been badly affected by water ingress.

Actually thinking about this, I trashed a Nexus SG-8R36, if I can find it you can have it.
I'm 99% sure the innards on the Nexus 836 and Alfine 501 are the same.
It wasn't as bad as yours internally, but it was brown inside so I replace the large BB retainer and put it back together and in doing so trashed the hub.
I'll have a poke around in the shed.
R U in London?

Thanks @TheShipwright, I thought this maybe the case but wanted to see what my option were.

When in last used it it ran through gears 1-4, then caught on moving to gear 5 which seemed to be when it engages the next level of gears. It had sat still for some time after a winters worth of use with no TLC so it doesn't surprise me that it's not looking too hot.

If you did have a Nexus that would be wonderful! I think they are the same internals from shimano's documentation. Sadly I'm not London based but do travel into the big smoke every month or so.

Def will have a look and try to look tonight.

Have found my old hub it's not an 8r36 (sorry) but an 8r25.
Carrier unit has a different part no of 98020 but you're more than welcome to take it and have a go with it.
Might be the bearings are the same size but the internals of the carrier are different?

Thanks for the offer @TheShipwright. I'll take a look this evening/tomorrow and let you know if that's ok? Might be that it works enough for a commuter bike!

No probs at all

Don't mean to hijack this, but there seem to be some people familiar with Alfine... I've been running mine for 6,000 miles now with no maintenance. I've had some of it apart to replace sprockets but never cracked it open fully. I read into it a little bit and there seemed to be some disagreement about what oil to use inside - anyone have any recommendations? I'm considering giving it a proper service.

There was a hub gear thread (which was pretty much why I joined the forum back in 2009).

Which version, 8 or 11?

Humble 8-speed

That one uses grease not oil, there are some who put oil in it but it just leaks out making a mess and wrecking everything.

The service is basically cleaning the inner mechanism then dumping it in a bucket full of grease. But I'd still pay someone to do it. Bicycle Workshop notting hill did mine (RIP).

@sparky there's a long thread on CTC about greases/oil/semi fluid greases.
https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=93935&p=1141019&hilit=alfine#p1141019
On my hub, when I used it a lot, I used to open it up, dunk it ATF for 1/2 an hour, then let it drip for a while as I didn't want too much ATF left over, then use the shimano white (the stuff for Alfines) grease for the seals and on the innards. Apparently some oils/atf are aggressive and can do the seals in but I reckon it would take years.
The 8 speed is the best I reckon and easiest to maintain if you can do without the extra range.

Sorry for the delay @TheShipwright. Bit of digging later and Sheldon suggests that most parts are cross compatible. If you're still willing to let it go I'd be delighted.

@c4r1s cool. I'll pm you to hook up.

Hi. I realise it's a month later, but you might be interested in my dealings with an Alfine 8sp.
Firstly, the rusted internals of the sample hub, have probably been caused by the cones coming loose. The resulting "slack" on the axel, causes the large diameter seal on the drive side, to get distorted as it rotates, letting in water when it is wet.
Secondly, the broken 'bearing', is not a bearing. It is one of three clutches on the gear cluster. There are two (which you can see) on the outer diameter, and there is another buried inside. Depending on the gear selected, these engage/disengage, along with the sun and planet gears to provide propulsion. This is why it was ok in some gears, but not in others, as the clutch could not engage, as it was fubar!
On another point, I have read a number of times that you cannot use oil in an 8sp, as it leaks out. I beg to differ.... I have been running one with oil inside, on a MTB, for years, with no leaks.