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Rohloff oil leak

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jul:
Hi,

My rohloff is leaking oil very few on the left side,  it seems to come from the spindle.. 




Maybe someone know the problem ?..

Andre Jute:
Not generally a problem. It's called "misting". The outlet to air of the Rohloff is into the centre of a hollow axle and then to the outside. If you do not wipe the hub area for a few weeks, you will find a thin layer of oil on it.

Trivia: Your Rohloff isn't actually air- or water-tight. That would make it far too heavy. If you ride it through water over the hub, you should change the oil at the first opportunity.

***
If what you're now experiencing worsens to a reasonably-sized puddle under the bike, then it is worth investigating. But, before you panic, put your finger in it and taste it to ensure it is oil and not water that was "misted out" of first. Even if it is oil, it is usually no problem, especially if you either overfilled the gearbox (1) or there was a large change in the ambient pressure (a change of weather, which you can see if you have a barometer, or of temperature at the change of seasons or just if your bike is inside and you switched the central heating on or off).

More Trivia: Enough oil clings to the Rohloff gearbox teeth and axles to lubricate it under all normal conditions, so the box can never be empty of oil. Everything that is misted off is either unwanted water or surplus oil.

Instances of Rohloff boxes being ruined where the symptom is a little visible external oil are nil. The normal symptom of a Rohloff box being broken is a graunching noise or, more common, that it just stops working.

Don't worry; it is very hard for a conscientious owner who performs the regular oil changes to break a Rohloff.

(1) This happens if you didn't drain the cleaning oil fully, or if you put in more than 15ml of all-seasons oil. But this isn't a harmful condition, just slightly messy.

Matt2matt2002:
Happened to me yesterday.
Raven.
Two days after an oil change I parked my bike for 3 hours leaning to the right. At night in the shed it leans to the left.
No reason, just fits better that way.

A small oil patch ( I won't call it a puddle ) had formed on the floor. ( Didn't test for H2O )

It wasn't from the drain plug.
Despite rubbing tissues everywhere I couldn't find a source.

Runs like a dream and as usual I think it is quieter after a change.
( A goes faster of course )

mickeg:
I had a lot of leakage when I went to Iceland.  I suspected that the time on the planes with fluctuating air pressure was part of the problem and I suspected that the hub left side was oriented down during one or two flights.

Did you fly with the bike or anything like that?

Attached photo is what my hub looked like while in Iceland.  But since then I have changed the oil and since the last oil change when I did not fly anywhere, there has been almost no leakage.

Andre Jute:

--- Quote from: Matt2matt2002 on May 17, 2018, 07:10:59 pm ---Runs like a dream and as usual I think it is quieter after a change.
( A goes faster of course )
--- End quote ---

Of course. Doesn't happen if someone else does the oil change for you. It's just one of those mysteries.

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