Raleigh Frame Numbers & Early Shimano Cassettes: Help?

[Cab]

I know these questions have been asked plenty, but I tried searching the site & TBH have to be in work soon, so help me out:

Frame No. WG 9001404, does W indicate Worksop? & is the year 90 or 91?

On the same bike, it's a 6spd Cassette, no lockring, but I can just see threads on the end of the freehub splines. Do I need 2 chain whips, 1 to hold the body & 1 to unscrew the small cog?

 

[RooKilo]

W = Worksop
G = First fortnight of April
9 = 1989

The rest is just a serial number.

The cassette sounds like a Uniglide, you need two chainwhips as the smallest one is the lockring also. It's apparently easy to change to a later Hyperglide cassette body (which wil take a more modern cassette with separate lockring) if you wish, I've not done it myself but need to.

 

[Tad]

I used a chain whip them made a basic tool from an aluminium bar and two bolts, not pretty but did the job.

Fitting is nice and easy, finger tight then fit the chain on the smallest sprocket and go for a ride.

 

[Cab]

Nice One (x2)! Thanks for the advice lads, hopefully I'll get that cassette off tonight & have a think about wheels & gears. Maybe this bike should have been in the MTB thread, it's called 'Gemini Trail' & another sticker says 'Mountain Lite' but it looks like a cyclo X bike to me, just needs drops & maybe bar end shifters (if I don't go ss or fixed). Frame's labelled as 531, forks 525, Gipiemme ends. Fitted with Dia-Compe canti's which feel really powerful despite still having what appear to be original pads!

 

[Cab]

Ah! Uniglide - now I've taken it apart I remember it. Nice tooth profiles compared to modern cassettes; might be a better idea for 'cross!
Looks like a 'cross bike with flat bars (not the original seat or post, they were missing):

& here's the cable stops, sadly not threaded for adjusters but should be able to work something out:

Just need to decide on the right drops now.

 

[Jonny69]

You don't need two chain whips if you leave the wheel and chain on the bike. Put it in a slow gear, put your weight on the bottom pedal and you should be able to get the last sprocket slackened easily.

It's almost certainly a Uniglide hub. If the freewheel mech starts to jump you can take them apart and clean the ratchet, or soak it in petrol and all the solidified grease comes out and it works again. I then let mine dry out and soaked it in engine oil to re-lubricate and it's been fine for years.