pcfxer

Hello all,

I'm doing a bit more work on my Dad's Gitane as the winter months approach. The bottom bracket was in very good condition but the crank arm is being replaced. I'm swapping the whole bit out for a Campy UT setup (only because of price since I just rebuilt the Sugino BB anyhow).

I decided to pull off the rear wheel and inspect it fully because I only repacked the hub when I last prepped it. I found that the freewheel cogs are quite loose on the freewheel body and rattle about quite a bit. The freewheel seems to click-click just fine, but the cogs rattling is bothering me. Is the freewheel toast?

auchencrow

bump

pcfxer

Thanks for the bump!

No takers?

On a side note, the Crankset I got is not UT so I reinstalled the Sugino. Everything just fits so nicely once you get it all greased up.

theo3000

Freewheels have spacers that can be removed to compensate for wear. Check this out:

https://www.campyonly.com/history/cat...eel_manual.pdf

pcfxer

Thanks for the information. I'll buy the removal tool and check it out.

unworthy1

whaaa?...I've taken a few FWs apart (never a Campagnolo FW) and never have I heard of a "wear compensating spacer". What wear does this spacer compensate for? Sprocket thinning, sprocket thickening? Only wear I have seen is to the teeth...solution: new sprockets or a new FW.

Grand Bois

+1

khatfull

Yeah seriously, sounds like the threaded sprockets are loose or the freewheel was disassembled and reassembled with some spacers missing?

Chombi

+2
Only thing I can think of is a wrong thickness/brand(?) spacer was put in somwhere so the screw-on last cog is bottoming out before the cogs are squeezed together/secured on the freewheel outer body. Otherwise, spacers never get any kind of wear. through it's life on a freewheel as I don't think they even come in contact with the chain, specially on the bigger rear cogs.

Chombi

theo3000

Page 84 of "Bicycle Repair Book: Maintenance and Repair of the Modern Bicycle" by Rob Van Der Plas specifically states that the spacers can be removed when wear causes the freewheel to become loose. Maybe the races wear down. ???

Here's Sheldon Brown's mentioning the spacers and looseness, but he doesn't mention wear as a potential cause:

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html#disassembly

Take it FWIW. Myself, I'd just get a new freewheel, but I had heard about this option, so I wanted to share it with the OP. If it's bad advice, I apologize.

pcfxer

The freewheel is an Atom freewheel on a Campy hub (original to the Gitane TDF), do I have to look for a "specially" threaded freewheel? I'd also like to go with a Campagnolo freewheel if I can find a good one, should I look out for anything?

Thanks for noticing my thread!

Chombi

Only function of the spacers is they keep the cogs apart on the freewheel outer body. they do not physically interface with the chain or the freewheel internal mechanism at all, that's why many FW manufacturers can use plastic material for these spacers. Only wear/damage I could see happening is if the spacer cracks apart for some reason and maybe part of it fell off. Maybe that could also be the reason why pcfixer's cogs are loose and making noise.

Chombi

Grand Bois

A Campagnolo freewheel would probably cost more than the bike is worth. If you want it to shift well, get a Shimano UG. I paid $8 for the last one I bought and it's new.

Assuming the threads are standard, of course.

Do the hub flanges have round holes?

theo3000

I should have called them "shim washers" instead of "spacers." Shim washers are for bearing adjustment, spacers are for cog placement.

Sorry about that.

Chombi - you are totally correct.

pcfxer

Yes, the flanges have round holes. I believe from my readings that they are Nuovo Tippo hubs. Is Standard threading not the Italian threading that I've seen on ebay?

unworthy1

"standard" threading (AKA "ISO") is so close to Italian that they are considered to be interchangeable except: once you switch you should not switch back. One problem is that hubs aren't always clearly marked (tho Campagnolo usually did a good job of that back in the '70s). But if you don't know the history of the hub and all the FWs that have been used on it, stick to the threading of the latest/last FW used (hoping that it's marked for you or can be IDed).

Grand Bois

I wouldn't expect a Gitane to have Italian hub threads, but French threads are certainly a possibility.