Bicycle Tutor

Great tutorials on cassettes and freewheels.

I have an older 7 speed freewheel, and have removed it from the hub. When spinning by hand, there was noticeable grinding, like sand. I flushed it out with cleaner and water under pressure, and this has eliminated most of the grinding, but there is still some minor intermittant grinding.

Should I attempt to disassmble the wratchet freewheel mechanism, and clean, or is it too complex, and should I just continue to clean by flushing through the cracks?

Thanks in advance.

ps. There wasn't really a category on Cassettes, just wheels and hubs... (or I might have missed it).

A freewheel will show much more resistance when you try to turn it by hand than if it's on the hub. In fact, the clicking will be louder. So probably no problem.

The problem actually depends on what you did by "flushing it out with cleaner and water under pressure". If it's under the rachet assembly (as I think you meant by the second question), then you might just have caused more problems than you solved. Trying to disassemble it would go more down that same road, to the point that you might not get it back together. It's just not wise.

After all, new freewheels are cheap enough for what you get ($14.80 USD for this one). You get it clean and then you get fresh cogs (a concern anyway, more than the mechanicals of it) and fresh lube/bearings sealed within it. If you're really dead set in mind that the old one has a problem, you'd do best just to replace it.
http://bicycletutor.com/go/shimanohg37

Hi Sky,

Didn't realize a new freewheel was that inexpensive. I don't think there is anything really wrong with my existing, and it was grinding alot worse before I cleaned it.

My cleaning was just pouring clean varsol over it as I spun the mechanism. That got alot out, but I couldn't get a good stream of varsol, so put it under a running tap, while spinning, and that got more out.

In any case, I think you're right. I'll just put it back on, as I don't think there is anything really wrong with it, and if it "wears" down, or has any mechanical problems, then a new unit is the way to go.

Thanks again for the insight, and the link!

Yeah, taking them apart can be a nightmare. I would jsut flush with a good heavy oil. You do want to make sure you flush any remaining water out because that will wear out the freewheel rapidly. But an occasional flush with oil will keep it going for a long time. Just watch for excess oil dripping on your rims/brakes. Good to let it sit for a while for any excess to come out.