Originally Posted by
cmcanulty
OK that's it. I know how to use the tool but can't get it to mesh with the splines. I put bearings in the inner race so should be OK
Are the splines damaged somehow? Otherwise I cannot imagine how the correct tool can fail to mesh.
There are a few styles of freewheel and cassette removers that have very similar patterns (shimano freewheel, shimano cassette, falcon freewheel), but the genuine shimano pattern is by far the most reliable and consistent of all freewheel removers.
FWIW, I have
never ever failed to get a Shimano freewheel off (
ever) when using the correct tool... and putting the remover in a solidly mounted vice and spinning the wheel counter-clockwise (like a bus driver turning left) is the most effective.