Neighbor has an old bike with friction shifting. It really needs new cables and housing. Can I use brake housing on the derailleur cables? She wants pink and I can find pink kits but the housing is all brake housing.

It'll work. Before index shifting there was only one kind of housing.

Thanks. I made the mistake of telling her there were colors besides black and white.

While brake housing does work as shift housing, particularly for friction shifting, I hope you are aware that index shifting housing should NEVER be used for brakes. Brake housing has tight spiral wound reinforcing wire which give it great burst strength. Index shift housing has it's reinforcing wires in a very open spiral that provides better length stability but poor burst strength.

Have you told her saddles come in colors also?

Give the lady what she wants. An old bike deserves a custom touch.

yes coil cable housing is fine .. in use you compensate for a trifle more housing compression

by moving the shift lever slightly further ..

Here you go. Full brake and shift cable kit. https://www.ebay.com/itm/OEM-Jagwire-...item337bc5b2aa
or better quality but more $$$ https://jagwire.com/products/v/road_pro Shop around for the best price.

The Jagwire cables mentioned ^^^ are really nice sets. I use the Pro series brake and shift cables on my hybrid.

Yup, I showed her the link for the first one and she picked pink.

However, we have other issues. It is a five speed on the rear and the chain is totally worn out---she actually rode the bike! And, the freewheel has broken teeth. This is a mid 1980s Panasonic mixte, not worth anything as far as I can tell. She is thinking about whether she wants me to fix it up or forget out it.

Thanks for the tip on shifter cable.

She has a big wide seat on the bike that she recently put on. Looks like a torture device to me but she likes it.

Well,new 5-speed freewheels can be has for $10 and a Walmart chain is probably $5 so putting the bike in riding condition won't be too expensive if it doesn't have any other serious flaws. Here's Amazon's listing for the freewheels:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...d%20freewheels

I have a lightly used 6, 7, 8 speed chain. I assume that will work?

I can't get the freewheel off; I think I'll head to the co-op tomorrow and get their help. I have the right tool but it won't budge and I don't have a vice or anything to get leverage.

Yes, that chain will be fine. Freewheels can be wound on VERY tight from pedaling pressure and some dirt and rust accumulation. Clamping the extractor tool in place (the qr skewer or axle nut is good if the tool can be used with the axle still in place) and a BIG wrench or clamping the tool in a vise and using the rim for leverage usually work.

OP, a long adjustable wrench usually works, or if the tool is set up with a 1/2" socket drive hole, a long torque wrench should provide the necessary leverage. If you only have a short adjustable wrench, a piece of pipe the handle will slide into makes a good cheater to give the extra torque.

Part of the problem with living in a motorhome is that you have to pick and chose what tools to have. No pipes. No long wrenches. I am headed to the co-op this afternoon.

Why would one take a chance of destroying a perfectly good torque wrench to loosen something?

As long as the ultimate force you pressed on the torque wrench wasn't more than it was designed for, what's the harm? My torque wrench laughs at stubborn freewheels. Laughs, I tell you.

Which would mean its range isn't appropriate for even tightening BB cups, since the resolution would be at an extreme end of the scale.
Even if it's digital, that doesn't make it accurate.

No, you're right, it is not appropriate for small-torque bike tasks. But that's not what rpenmanparker was talking about when he mentioned a 1/2-inch drive torque wrench with a long handle. I have a wrench like that: it's burly. And why would it even need to be sensitive enough for BB cups? I thought we were talking about removing a recalcitrant freewheel.

It can take a LOT of torque. I've had to have another mechanic help me with the freewheel remover clamped in a bench vise.

Wow, that's cheap.