Classic & Vintage - Fuji Special Road Racer(s) / Puch Odyssey

Just laid out massive (not) bucks for 2 (two) Fuji Road racers, one my size (big) to restore or turn to a fixed gear, and the other smaller one to shine up purty and sell to someone to do the same with. My wire brush awaits the stem on the red one eagerly.

http://www.markspencer.us/fujis.jpg

Also have been riding/overhauling a Puch Odyssey as a....six speed?...wonderful. I'm obviously new to the game but have done pretty well so far till I started overhauling the rear Suntour hub on the Puch (and I'm guessing that when I get them, that's what'll be on the Fuji's, yes?) What besides cone wrenches and hand-tools will this goober need to get at the bearings on the freewheel side (which I carefully removed by letting some fall out and the rest surgically extracted)?

http://www.markspencer.us/suntourhub.jpg

I'm guessing some kind of special hub tool/attachment and a ....chain whip? Please advise...so far all my "repairs" have gone great, including re-doing the front hub...will I need to go on a massive hunt for some specialty items or is the direction right in front of me? Next of course I'll want to get in trouble with the crank/bottom bracket area, what do I have to look forward to there, tool and other-wise? Any links to less obvious fact-factories about old Fuji's and/or the Puke? Grazi in advance.

whoa, I just looked at the preview with the picture in it, that is a big greasy mess, enjoy.

You need a two-prong Sun Tour freewheel remover. It is like a socket that fits the two notches in the center of the freewheel. Later versions have four prongs. It will have a hex shaped outside and a hole through the center. Sorry to tell you this, but it would have been better to have the axle installed to help align the freewheel tool and keep it from slipping out of the notches. You may still be able to just slip the axle in without the bearings. Screw a nut on the axle and slip it through the freewheel tool and the wheel and put a nut on the other end to loosely hold everything together. If you have a vise, tighten the freewheel remover in the vise and use the wheel as a lever to loosen the freewheel (counter clockwise). Once it is loose, you can remove the axle and spin off the freewheel. If you don't have a vise, you will have to use a wrench, but freewheels can be really tight if they have been on a long time. Use anti-sieze compound on the threads when re-installing the freewheel. It doesn't need to be super tight when re-installing.
A bike shop should be able to do this in a few minutes, if they still have the correct tool.

A bike shop should be able to do this in a few minutes, if they still have the correct tool.

If they don't they don't o many repairs. There are millions of these old Suntour two-prongers still out there.

You need a two-prong Sun Tour freewheel remover. It is like a socket that fits the two notches in the center of the freewheel. Later versions have four prongs. It will have a hex shaped outside and a hole through the center. Sorry to tell you this, but it would have been better to have the axle installed to help align the freewheel tool and keep it from slipping out of the notches. You may still be able to just slip the axle in without the bearings. Screw a nut on the axle and slip it through the freewheel tool and the wheel and put a nut on the other end to loosely hold everything together. If you have a vise, tighten the freewheel remover in the vise and use the wheel as a lever to loosen the freewheel (counter clockwise). Once it is loose, you can remove the axle and spin off the freewheel. If you don't have a vise, you will have to use a wrench, but freewheels can be really tight if they have been on a long time. Use anti-sieze compound on the threads when re-installing the freewheel. It doesn't need to be super tight when re-installing.
A bike shop should be able to do this in a few minutes, if they still have the correct tool.

I'm guessing this is the remover I'll need...

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=99&subcategory=1234&brand=&sku=2664&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

(the two-notched for Suntour option)

I believe I could get the opposite side bearings/axle/nuts back on/in there for more aligned removal pretty easily. Also, I have a nice big vice on my workbench, so I should be able to deliver some fairly precision torque to the wheel. I'll certainly avail myself of the many fine bike shops in the area if I hit a brick wall, but at around 10 bucks a bike/victim I'm having a good time exploring and learning to work on the deep innards and become more familiar with tearing them down and building them up, hopefully better than before. If only I had more free time! Thanks again and in advance for any more greasy inside pics I may send up with (probably basic) queries.

As Pompiere mentioned, make sure you apply pressure on the freewheel remover with either a QR skewer or an axle nut. We all have our vices, but I hope you have a nice big vise on your workbench, as well. :)

I've seen more than 1 of those suntour 2 pronged freewheels get mangled by their proper tool without improper use. If you can, it's a good idea to just replace it with something else while you have it off.

I've seen more than 1 of those suntour 2 pronged freewheels get mangled by their proper tool without improper use. If you can, it's a good idea to just replace it with something else while you have it off.

What do you suggest, that would easily retro-fit into that existing hub, i.e. with no spoke removal?

I've seen more than 1 of those suntour 2 pronged freewheels get mangled by their proper tool without improper use. If you can, it's a good idea to just replace it with something else while you have it off.

Phooey. That's nothing but an excuse to allow anyone removing the freewheel to use shoddy workmanship on a more abuse-prone replacement. The Suntour removers are fine, so long as you secure them with the axle bolt or Q/R skewer before yanking them out.

My advise? Buy the $9 FW remover and keep the shops from getting their grungy little hands on it.

Frankly, I find the two or four prong Suntour removers to be much better systems then, let's say, the current Shimano freewheel remover pattern, which is designed to strip the tool after 15 uses. Best patterns of all were used on Atom and Regina freewheels - you can't tear those apart, and they work every time - axle or no axle.

Take care,

-Kurt

P.S.: My motto (those who've seen Pyramid's packaging will understand this): "I support my local bike shop when my local bike shop supports me")

Phooey. That's nothing but an excuse to allow anyone removing the freewheel to use shoddy workmanship on a more abuse-prone replacement. The Suntour removers are fine, so long as you secure them with the axle bolt or Q/R skewer before yanking them out.

My advise? Buy the $9 FW remover and keep the shops from getting their grungy little hands on it.

Frankly, I find the two or four prong Suntour removers to be much better systems then, let's say, the current Shimano freewheel remover pattern, which is designed to strip the tool after 15 uses. Best patterns of all were used on Atom and Regina freewheels - you can't tear those apart, and they work every time - axle or no axle.

Take care,

-Kurt

P.S.: My motto (those who've seen Pyramid's packaging will understand this): "I support my local bike shop when my local bike shop supports me")

Well, I'll be keeping all the Yay and Nay in mind while I'm working, but due to the nature of my "mission", which is to a) spend little to no money, b)do the work myself and learn something (even if it's the hard way, and c) get the bike rolling better and have some fun in the process (well, I consider it fun, so far!) I'll probably be puttin the elbow grease to it myself. Even more helpful would be a detailed description of what I'll find once i get in there, there are obviously two retainers that surround the bearings (for which I have new replacements (the bearings) and Park grease for) but what else is in there that I'm gonna need to watch out for? Will those retainers, or whatever the correct name is, become removeable and cleanable? One thing that spurred on this overhaul was a little grinding when the axle was turned when I had the wheel off (changing the tire and tube).... when I got the hub open and started getting the bearings out of the freewheel side there seemed to be a little bit of "string"-like substance floating around in there, (you can see a vestige of it in there in the greasy photo above), I remember reading something fleetingly about some kind of string or something that might be found in there. In any event, there's a shop down the road that has the Freewheel Remover for, 9 bucks! headin down there to spend my scooby-snack money right now.

I've seen more than 1 of those suntour 2 pronged freewheels get mangled by their proper tool without improper use. If you can, it's a good idea to just replace it with something else while you have it off.

Well, so far this couldn't be easier. 10" Crescent wrench and freewheel tool and one mighty/controlled pull and it cracked loose perfectly, no vise needed.

http://www.markspencer.us/puch/freewheelhub2.jpg

As you can see, my new tools predict more exploration....I have new bearings, but the old one's still look mighty pefect.

http://www.markspencer.us/puch/freewheelhub1.jpg

(yes, I know there are two missing, some mice are probably playing with them under my floor)