Removing a busted freewheel

[Motopecane]

So I had a wheel that I wanted to use for a road bike I was building up, that had a 5 speed freewheel on it. It was the type that requires an FR2 tool to remove. Okay no problem I have that. I ran into two problems

1.) The axle and bearings had been removed so I had to take the freewheel off to repack the bearings and put new ones in.
2.) Someone had tried to remove the freewheel with a screwdriver and hammer (from what I could tell) and chipped the edge that the removal tool pushes against.

So I pulled out the welder and here is what I came up with. I welded a tube onto the part that does NOT spin. After I did this I decided it would have been easier to weld a flat piece then clamp it in the vice. I ended up putting this in the vice anyway.

Here you can see the metal that is missing

Welded up.

and removed!

Hope this is helpful to someone.

 

[Anonymous]

NICE JOB!

I have not a welder...BUT my LBS whips them off for free.

 

[Motopecane]

NICE JOB!

I have not a welder...BUT my LBS whips them off for free.

They don't if someone has busted off part of what the removal tool pushes against. I have tools to remove all the different types of freewheels.

Your LBS would not have been able to get this off trust me. :wink:

 

[Bendix]

NICE JOB!

I have not a welder...BUT my LBS whips them off for free.

They don't if someone has busted off part of what the removal tool pushes against. I have tools to remove all the different types of freewheels.

Your LBS would not have been able to get this off trust me. :wink:

i could have easily gotten it off........ :wink:


but you'd be buying a new freewheel! :mrgreen:


good save!


(you are putting that freewheel back on again, i assume....)

 

[Motopecane]

Haha no I am not putting it back on. It had been on there a long time and had scored the spokes since someone didn't put a spoke guard and spacer on. I pretty much wrecked the freewheel by welding on it not to mention burning out all the grease.

 

[c.p.odom]

Years ago I machined oversize (wider) freewheel removers for the Suntour style. I would just grind them to fit the bigger remover, no drama.

 

[Motopecane]

Years ago I machined oversize (wider) freewheel removers for the Suntour style. I would just grind them to fit the bigger remover, no drama.

I can't machine, this was faster, and I didn't care about keeping a busted freewheel I have plenty.

 

[Bendix]

Haha no I am not putting it back on. It had been on there a long time and had scored the spokes since someone didn't put a spoke guard and spacer on. I pretty much wrecked the freewheel by welding on it not to mention burning out all the grease.

for folks without welding or machining options- i find it's usually a simple matter to remove a bad fw by tapping on the 2 pin spanner holes (almost always too tight for an actual pin spanner) w/a punch (righty loosey) until it all comes apart, then clamp the remnants of the freewheel body in a vise and do the usual twist..... 8)

a hammer and punch might be easier to get into action than the welder & etc anyhoo..... :wink:

worst case, you have to grind a couple flats, but typically there is already a convenient place to clamp.

 

[ozzmonaut]

If you're not saving the freewheel, then I would do as stated above. Grind some flats and use a pipe wrench. I personally would weld a bar on to the freewheel, but I'm saying this for those who don't have a welder as well.

 

[Motopecane]

If you're not saving the freewheel, then I would do as stated above. Grind some flats and use a pipe wrench. I personally would weld a bar on to the freewheel, but I'm saying this for those who don't have a welder as well.

Yeah if you don't have a welder then that is a good method, however if you do it is easy as pie :mrgreen: .