Cleaning the Freewheel
#2
I just cleaned mine after over a thousand miles of trail riding, and boy did it need it. I flushed it out with Gunk Lubricant several times, plus used a small brush to loosen the crud.
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#4
I use and old tee shirt. I take the tee shirt and put a fold in it to get a double thickness, next, put the fold between each pair of cogs and slide it left to right repeatedly. This gets all the crud out and leaves the cogs looking nice and shiny. I'd be very wary of pouring degreaser between the cogs as this could work its way into the ratchet bit and maybe even your hub bearings.
#5
feros ferio

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 22,408
Likes: 1,873
From: www.ci.encinitas.ca.us
Bikes: 1959 Capo Modell Campagnolo; 1960 Capo Sieger (2); 1962 Carlton Franco Suisse; 1970 Peugeot UO-8; 1982 Bianchi Campione d'Italia; 1988 Schwinn Project KOM-10;
With a cassette/freehub, why not simply undo the lockring and slide the cogs off the body for convenient, thorough bench cleaning, with no risk to the ratchet or hub bearings? For freewheels, the folded T-shirt technique described above works well.
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." --Theodore Roosevelt
Capo: 1959 Modell Campagnolo, S/N 40324; 1960 Sieger (2), S/N 42624, 42597
Carlton: 1962 Franco Suisse, S/N K7911
Peugeot: 1970 UO-8, S/N 0010468
Bianchi: 1982 Campione d'Italia, S/N 1.M9914
Schwinn: 1988 Project KOM-10, S/N F804069
#6
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,049
Likes: 0
Besides the folded Tee Shirt. or almost any kind of rag, Park makes a tool specifically for that purpose. (Rags are cheaper.)
If it is a FreeWheel and not a cassette, it is not a good idea to submerge it into a cleaning solution which will get into the bearings, dilute the grease and ruin the FW.
Stein makes a grease injector for FW's, but it ain't cheap either.
If it is a FreeWheel and not a cassette, it is not a good idea to submerge it into a cleaning solution which will get into the bearings, dilute the grease and ruin the FW.
Stein makes a grease injector for FW's, but it ain't cheap either.
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ljbike
ljbike
#9
An even easier way to clean your freewheel is to spray some engine cleaner on it, then rinse it with a strong blast of the hose.
It certainly is NOT environmentally friendly, alas though, it does work well.
It certainly is NOT environmentally friendly, alas though, it does work well.
#11
Member

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
I have always soaked mine in Kerosene for and hour or so, remove, shake it out, let it dry overnight, and then add #20 motor oil to both sides. So far, that's worked really well for me.
lj's thought that it will damage bearings is interesting though, I'll have to check that out.
Good Riding!
lj's thought that it will damage bearings is interesting though, I'll have to check that out.
Good Riding!
#13
Originally posted by fubar5
It seems to me that every method of cleaning that actually works is bad for some part of the bike or for the environment.
It seems to me that every method of cleaning that actually works is bad for some part of the bike or for the environment.
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#14
Originally posted by Astra
Neither is it bearings friendly
!
Neither is it bearings friendly
!
I use foamy cleaner which does not SEEM to penetrate into the freewheel bearings. Guess you'd have to be inside the freewheel to know for sure.
Anyway, after weighing all points, I figure that the damage from the grit and grime on the freewheel is more likely to do more damage than the foamy cleaner.





