Oil change

An oil change or a first fill puts 12.5 ml of Rohloff SPEEDHUB oil into the SPEEDHUB 500/14 (25 ml until October 2023). This small amount is enough to lubricate every bearing and gear in the gear unit.

Change the oil once a year or every 5,000 km. That way there is always enough oil in the gear unit even if a little escapes, and condensation or water that got in from outside is flushed out.

Rather not do it yourself?

We change the oil in our workshop too, and check the wear parts while we are at it — book an appointment. The service invoice is also the proof the warranty asks for.

What you need

The Rohloff oil-change kit (Art. no. 8410) contains:

• A — 25 ml flushing oil in a 50 ml bottle
• B — 12.5 ml Rohloff SPEEDHUB OIL
• C — oil fill tube
• D — 50 ml disposable syringe
• E — oil drain screw with fresh thread sealant

Plus a 3 mm Allen key, and a rag to cover the disc brake if there is one.

Step by step

1. The hub should be at room temperature — the oil flows better. Turn the wheel so the oil drain screw points up, and unscrew it (3 mm).

   

2. Push the tube onto the syringe (a drop of superglue secures the joint) and draw up 25 ml of flushing oil. Screw the tube into the hub and inject the flushing oil. To equalise the pressure, draw a little air back out of the hub before removing the tube, then screw the old drain screw back in.

   

3. Flush the gear unit: ride at least 1 km, or pedal on a stand for three minutes. Shift often into gears 3 and 5 — in these, every gear wheel turns.

4. Unscrew the drain screw and screw in the tube with the syringe. Turn the opening downwards and leave the wheel for 15–30 minutes so the oil collects. Then draw the oil out slowly and completely, and put it into the empty flushing-oil bottle.

   

5. Draw up 12.5 ml of SPEEDHUB OIL, screw in the tube and push the oil into the gear unit. To equalise the pressure, draw about 12.5 ml of air back out, then unscrew the tube.

   

6. Screw in and tighten the drain screw (3 mm, 0.5 Nm). The old screw can be reused as long as its thread sealant is intact.

   

Tip

Before flushing, cover the brake disc and caliper with a rag to keep oil off them.

Note

When you flush, the flushing oil adds to the oil already inside, so there are about 37.5 ml in the hub when you drain it. All of it fits into the 50 ml flushing-oil bottle.

Caution

Screw the oil drain screw in no further than flush with the shell, or several gears may freewheel.

Rohloff oil only

Only Rohloff oil — SPEEDHUB OIL and flushing oil — may go into a SPEEDHUB. Other oils or additives can damage parts of the gear unit, the plastic parts for example, and void the warranty. For the products, see Care products and oils.

Take the used oil to a waste-oil collection point — SPEEDHUB OIL and flushing oil can go with motor oil. Keep the oil out of direct sunlight.