Freewheels: To service or not?

Way2many

Retro Guru
Got some Regina America and Sachs Maillard freewheels which are 20+ years old but still going. They are sounding a little 'dry and rumbly' when spun though.

Big question is do I just 'flost' some oil into them or split them and do a proper job?

Any advice on how to and lubes to use...or just leave well alone.

Ta.
 
Splitting them and putting them back together again is fiddly but not impossible..........I used to use cotton thread to hold the pawls and then pull it out :D

Way easier to flush and oil though LOL

Shaun
 
I would get inside there and have a look at the races and pawls, etc., What I do is get the lockring(s) off, put something like a milk-bottle top over the exposed bearings, and up-end the whole thing. Then the 'core' can be pulled out and the inner bearings flicked out of their race and into the bottle-top too.

I've just been reconditioning a 20+ year old Suntour Winner myself. The inner race was pitted to f--k. Been using emery cloth wrapped around a short length of strimmer cable, 'sacrificial' bearings (i.e. the old ones) with grinding paste, re-assemble without pawls and spin, spin, spin...
Not 'engineering', but it does (eventually) get it back into circulation. (pun intended)

Had to make a pair of new pawls out of an old woodwork plane blade, too.. the old ones were worn out.

So, a lot of work if your freewheels are as bad as mine was. I just use oil in 'em. Mainly in the bearings, and before re-assembling I wipe the whole inside of the body with oil. Just a smear for the pawls or they get gummed up and stop working. I'd be interested to know what others do... I doubt that my methods are anything like 'best practice'... Worst bit is when re-assembling.. you got the freewheel upside-down and have to get all those little balls positioned around the inner race,(in oil) and then get the 'core' with the pawls past them without knocking them out of place.

I do all this as a sort of penance for letting it get so f--ked up in the first place.. :LOL: BTW I re-read your post and mentally substituted 'bottom bracket' for 'freewheel'. If you do that, the answer becomes obvious.. Well, to me, anyway... :)
 
I wouldn't open it up unless it's getting loose and wobbly. Oiling is usually good enough for me :D
 
Unless its something special why bother? They are cheap and easy to buy. Having said that flushing them out with petrol works well, then oiling to lube etc. Try m/c chain lub if you have any.
 
I did last week open an old Shimano freewheel which was still on the axle. As I didn't have the right tool to remove it. I removed the whole inner bits and removed the body so to speak. And I managed (with some help of a book) to complete the freewheel afterwards again with all the tiny parts. And it is as new.... :D
 
mattsccm":2ldfm739 said:
Unless its something special why bother? They are cheap and easy to buy. Having said that flushing them out with petrol works well, then oiling to lube etc. Try m/c chain lub if you have any.

So...you know a cheap source of Regina Americas in 7 speed variety?

:?

The RA's are sounding the worst, but still have 1000's of miles left in the teeth, that's why I want to make sure the inards last just as long.
 
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