harryflashman

How on earth do I remove this freewheel......

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9379471@N06/3281871598
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9379471@N06/3281050741

and these cranks....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9379471@N06/3281870748
https://www.flickr.com/photos/9379471@N06/3281870476

?? They are on a 1978 Peugeot which I have inherited and they have me stumped.

I have resigned myself to having to remove the freewheel destructively as they no longer manurfacture a puller for a 30mm 24 spline socket, but I can't even seem to do that as the holes that a pin wrench would fit into are behind the first sprocket, which won't budge despite persuasion by vice and chain whip.

dabac

Cottered cranks - dead easy unless you insist om being able to reuse the exact same parts during reassembly. In short: remove retaining nut orient crank with threaded bit of cotter facing up. support lower side of crank on a piece of tubing, with the little wart poking through inside the tube. Give threaded end a jolly good whack, repéat until successful.

dabac

Methinks you're going about it the wrong way. FWs are usually removed with a central tool bit with prongs that fits slots in the central well. I can see two slots, a tad offset, which would be odd. Maybe there's a 3rd I can't make out on the pic?

Pullers are easy to make shape-wise, but can be difficult to make strong enough to deal with a stubborn FW left in place since ancient times.

harryflashman

Cheers for the advice on the cranks, not seen this type before.

The fw only has two pin slots. Haven't been able to get a tool for it, and have called around a couple of good LBS who don't have them either, hence the attempts to take take it off by any means.

stausty

Looks like an old Maillard freewheel. We've got the tool at my local co-op, but there's no telling where they bought it. Gonna have to find a LBS that has been in the same place since the Carter administration to be sure they have one.

JohnDThompson 

This appears to be the tool you need for the freewheel:



Harris Cyclery's web site claims to have a "limited number" still available.

For the crank arms, press the pins out with a C clamp pushing on the threaded end of the pin and a wrench socket on the other end to allow the pin to come out as you tighten the C clamp.

If you do decide to disassemble the freewheel to remove it, remember that the cover plate uses a left hand thread.