Then direct the conversation back to the freewheel by restating what you want to know. Don't even respond to those of us that offer advice you don't want. That way your conversation stays on track better and doesn't instead encourage us to defend our advisories. Unsolicited advice is the nature of public conversations. I don't think any of us are going to hate you if you do as you please with you bike. I do as I please with mine, despite many thinking me foolish for it. But that doesn't make them my enemies. I'd be pleased to drink a beer, coffee, tea or otherwise just sit around and bull **** with any of them....... or ride.

Back to the freewheel...... if it is a freewheel. But similar thinking applies. I've had some old rusty looking freewheels on my kids bikes and even some of my own through the years that didn't want to turn from disuse. The rust was really more cosmetic as the bearings were really just stuck in long hardened lube. You can always go the more correct but hard way and remove it and disassemble it. Or you can simply pump lots of light lubricant or solvents into every gap you see and get it freed up and working. I've done the easy way at least five times in the last 18 years on three different bikes. WD40 works well for me. Unless coasting is 90 percent of your riding, I question those that say it's not good enough for a freewheel when it's mechanism does no work when pedaling and if not for the rust would work just as well with no lube. You will have to repack the axle bearings though. WD40 or other light lubes and solvents are not good for long term use of them. For certain some will get in them.

I'll also add that I don't think freewheels were intended to be a user serviceable part. They really were designed to replace. Though a DIYer and tinkerer can open them with correct tools and knowledge. If tinkering is your meditation of choice, then go for it.

Different freewheels and freehubs require different tools. Many cheap, but many you might only use once because none of the models you might replace it with use the same. I replaced an old Suntour 5 speed freewheel with a Shimano 7 speed on my '78 Raleigh Competition. The downtube friction shifters allowed that. Are the Huffy's friction? Thankfully the Suntour freewheel only required a very easy to improvise removal tool.

Browse this old and haphazardly organized site........ Articles by Sheldon Brown and Others It was created by a bike mechanic, writer and contributer to cycling magazine articles. He was also a member of this forum who sadly died early. There is some good stuff in here. There are new contributions and lot of stuff has been updated by those that keep the site going. It's not the bible, I'll argue with some of it, but it's got all the stuff to get you thinking in the right directions.

There is also a sticky at the top of this sub-forum with additional links into his various internet postings.