I got a new (to me) Atala a few months ago and it has a Regina freewheel on the rear. I purchase the appropriate removal tool, at least I thought. It gets over the Campy axle nuts perfectly, but does not seem but won't go into the freewheel. The pattern looks right. Are there different patterns for Regina freewheels? Am I missing something?

Thanks in advance! Chris

The only ones I've used are the two notch freewheels. If you don't have one of those, then perhaps count splines. Or, even remove some of the axle spacers and lock nuts if needed.

This one has splines. No need to remove axle spacers or lock nuts.

If there is no need to remove the axle, does that mean you figured out why the tool won't fit?

There's only one Regina splined pattern. It is the same as ATOM freewheels.

There are other splined pattern freewheel removers though, mainly the one that fits Shimano and a couple others. The splines are visibly coarser. If you post a photo we'd be able to tell you what you have, most likely.

So probably you have the wrong type of splined tool, or else it is simply a tight fit and you may need to push it in harder. Can't say for certain without being there.

My Regina freewheel tool is the Park FR 4. It has 20 raised splines. I don't think mine fits over Campy locknuts but it's been a few months since I last used it.

Some of the Regina like this are two-notch and the Suntour two-notch removal tool will usually work. If someone hasn't removed properly in the past, the notches may be munged up and deformed so the two-not remover won't fit in.

PRO TIP: The biggest mistake newbies make when removing two-notch will make you slap yourself in the face. Secure the freewheel removal tool in place with a QR skewer (nut on tool side) so it doesn't slip. As you see in the Velobase pic above, the edges of these freewheels are often marred from someone NOT securing the remover, which then slips and ... you see the end result.

If I had a choice between lightly filing my remover and lightly filing my freewheel body, I think I'd modify the tool to make it fit... my 2¢ of course!

I don't think the Park FR4 do fit over. Maybe sometimes if you're really lucky. The old Phil Wood tools would fit over Campy locknuts, but the sides were paper thin, and the tools would fail on occasion because of it. I still have a Phil but I'm very careful with it, and frankly it's used only very rarely these days.

Anyway, in practice it usually didn't matter if you had to take off the locknuts, cuz typically if you were taking the freewheel off you were repacking the hub anyway. Leave the other side together and readjust from the drive side when the bearings are repacked.

I bought the VAR tool for Regina, Atom and Zeus. It could just be a tight fit, but I even lightly tapped with a hammer.

If you are going to mess with the locknuts, just remove the NDS nut/spacers/cone and then pull the whole axle out from the DS. Otherwise you're screwed if you can't get the freewheel off and will have to take apart the NDS side anyway.

Is the apparent problem that one notch goes in, but the other won't, as if the remover is too wide, so it sits across them at a slant?

Yeah, that's one way. It's the faster way and most often used in bike shops BITD.

I prefer to remove the drive side locknut and leave the axle in, so I can use a QR skewer to secure the tool. Not technically necessary with splined removers, but Phil removers are extinct, and I don't want to trash mine. I guess I should point out that if I use my Phil tool, it goes over the locknuts so none of that is necessary, but if I was using a thicker old Atom or park remover, I'd do it that way just because there's less chance of slippage. I've (knock on wood) never actually met a freewheel I couldn't get off. (and please don't send my your rusty stuck wheels, Bike forumites!!! )

To the OP: the obvious thing to do at this point is remove locknut using either my suggestion or Kontact's, and see if the tool fits. Could be hanging up on the locknuts in a non visible way.

Looking at the Amazon listing, 1 out of 3 users also couldn't get this remover in. VAR doesn't show it on their website.

I think the walls are too thick and the locknut is in the way, but that's just a guess.

Yes, that appears to be the issue, seems a touch big. Seems to line up perfect but thin it’s like only in seide house in, like a millimeter and it slants so that it is not right.

Yeah, was hoping. The locknut is definitely not in the way, which is why I tried this one.

The problem with removing the locknut is the freewheel protrudes a little to far to get the wrench in to hold it. But it really does not appear to be hanging up in the locknut.

My main reason for getting it off is I spilled something on it and the hub and want to clean it. I will likely replace the freewheel with one that is larger. 28t.

Dealt with that problem last year. You could either look for the proper thin walled remover made by Phil Wood (long out of production), and I think a coupl of other makers from Europe, or get the Park tool and Dremel out the half milimeter or so of material from the inside of the tool to let it fit over the Campy axle lock nuts. I already had the Park tool, so I did tge latter using a small drum shaped sanding tip from my Dremel kit, being careful to do it evenly around the tool tube shaft. Only took like 15 minutes to do and it now fits over Campy lock nuts. I'vs removed a few freewheels from hubs with it since with no problems. Thereis enough material on the tool's tube shaft that doing so does not compromise the tools strength.

Or you could go to a bike shop.

Been there, done that. I've got a couple of different two-notch removers downstairs. One is a VAR RL413, the other is the Park FR-2. One of these two ALWAYS works. When you don't have the correct one, it does exactly as you say. If I recall, the FR-2 usually ends up fitting when the VAR is too big.

Could be worth the $$ to pick up the FR-2 if you don't already have one? If nothing else, you'll end up using it eventually, or you could donate it to the local co-op. Better yet, you could just go to the co-op and see if they have one...

Just make sure you use your QR skewer to sandwich the remover firmly into the freewheel. Don't be "that guy" who thinks he can win against a two-notch, such a human doesn't exist.

Good luck!

You might not have read the thread or looked at any of the pictures, but the OP has a splined freewheel, not the notched kind that takes the FR-2.

.
...if you're going to be replacing it with a different freewheel (28 tooth cog) as stated, why don't you just use the destructive freewheel procedure ?

Destroying an old regina freewheel because you are not competent enough to remove it is ridiculously wasteful. Save that method for freewheels with destroyed slots that are no longer removable otherwise.

At one time there was no choice but to take the axle or the locknut off to remove these and other splined freewheels. It ain't that hard.

I can tell by looking that the VAR tool is thicker walled than the old Phil tools. Again, most likely problem is that it's hanging up on the locknut. Other than that, nothing to do other than double check you were sent the right tool, and also that you in fact have a regina freewheel. Is the number of splines correct? Did you verify the diameter with a micrometer?

Thank you for all the comments. I appreciate it. This is not my first freewheel by any means, but its been a while and it is my first Regina.

1. Yes it is a Regina
2. I have tool has the correct number of splines and it is the correct tool, as stated anyway, to remove Regina freewheels.
3. It is not hanging up on the locknut,
4. I will not destroy the freewheel, I may want to use it!
5. I am not above going to the hobby shop, I am just not terribly impressed with the ones in town, but I may be able to get to the Yellow Jersey on Saturday as I will be up in Madison for a swap meet. (Madison is 1.5 hours north)

Some pics:
Untitled by Christopher Andress, on Flickr

Untitled by Christopher Andress, on Flickr

Untitled by Christopher Andress, on Flickr

Yellow Jersey, Machinery Row, Cronometro or Budget Bike should all have the thin walled spline tool to get that off.

Phil Wood and Zeus both made a splined tool that fits over Campagnolo hub locknuts. The problem these days is finding one.

Keep in mind that Yellow Jersey is no longer in Madison, having moved to Arlington a year or so ago.