Replacing an old freewheel. What's the usual way to go about it?

[bikeworkshop]

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the symptoms you describe could be due to a torsioned chain

one easy check is to demount it and let is hang loosely to see if it hangs straight


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If your freewheel is two notch type you will find it a lot easier if you place the tool in a vice . First drop some plus gas down the spoke side of the freewheel and leave over night .
If the hub is alloy you will more than likely find that the steel freewheel has bonded to it .
Place the tool in vice and insert the notches onto the fw .slowly turn the wheel from side two side in order to break the bond between the two different types of metal .
Unless the tools firmly held in place it is very easy to ruin the notches.

You should also bolt the tool in with the wheel nut if you have enough axle.

Sometimes I will move the axle across in the wheel so this can be done.
QR is usually easier because you can just use a longer qr, like mtb.

2dog removers are horribly unreliable, and easily damage the extraction notches.

 

[bagpuss]

2 notches ohh the joy . Thankfully someone came along with a better tool and splined fw and then a cassette .
I still have at least 6 different types of freewheel tools.

 

[bikeworkshop]

The 2 notch tool came from the days you'd take your freewheel off every few months and grease the threads.
The maintenance-free brigade all rode sturmey

 

[novocaine]

Teeth look fine on the front end.

 

[CarltonWorksop]

I actually had the freewheel off when I acquired the bike. Can’t remember how I did it, I have a tool that slots in but I seem to remember taking it to an engineering firm round the corner who put it in a vice . Hopefully I remembered to lube it when I cleaned it up.

 

[Glug]

Just going to mention you can probably fit a 6 speed freewheel (ultra 6) in there, but may require some wheel adjustment.
If you don't do mechanics yourself then don't bother.

Otherwise check out SunTour New Winner Ultra-6 freewheels on Ebay, you can take them apart and knit your own gear ratios.
You can also replace all the ball bearings and oil the internals, so they work like new.
I've made a 13-15-17-19-24-32 and 13-15-17-20-24-28 for my 1961 and 1953 Holdsworths - both 120mm dropout (= 5 speed).