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-   -   Stuck freewheel (https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1297865-stuck-freewheel.html)

zandoval 07-21-24 02:47 PM

Aluminum alloy Hub and a Steel Freewheel. Very dissimilar metals and with just a little oxidation they can be a bugger to separate. Of course PB Blaster, and allowing time for it to work, is usually your savior. One trick not recently mentioned is using a Trifloroethaine spray. Something like CRC Freeze Off or just a can of Liquid Air held upside down as a spray.

The coefficients of expansion between the Aluminum Alloy and steel are very much different. That difference could work for you. I would not aggressively heat up the freewheel. Some of the Shimano freewheels I have taken apart have plastic spacers between the cogs.

It could be that the energy that broke that axle most likely bent or got the hub out of round further complicating the freewheels removal.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/t...als-d_859.html

Hey... A stuck Freewheel! Finally something I know about... Ha


noglider 07-21-24 03:45 PM


Originally Posted by smontanaro (Post 23301662)
For future reference, I believe Phil made thin wall tools for a couple freewheel types. I'm not sure which ones, but I have one for splined Shimano freewheels.​​​​​

They were fragile. You had to use them very carefully, and even then, they would still fail. They were the best thing in some situations such as the original small-splined Shimano freewheel, because the only way to use a standard extractor was to remove the axle from the hub, and that was something mechanics wanted to avoid.

smontanaro 07-21-24 03:55 PM

I suppose if you (or a friend) has a lathe, you could adapt a thicker wall tool, maybe heat treat it.

52telecaster 07-21-24 04:25 PM


Originally Posted by smontanaro (Post 23301722)
I suppose if you (or a friend) has a lathe, you could adapt a thicker wall tool, maybe heat treat it.

The issue is it would have had to be incredibly thin to work. Suntour removers are fine because there is more clearance and since I have several good suntour freewheels that is what I will use in the future

nlerner 07-21-24 04:29 PM

Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88498a008.jpg

52telecaster 07-21-24 04:47 PM


Originally Posted by nlerner (Post 23301758)
Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88498a008.jpg

I used to have most of those.

JohnDThompson 07-21-24 05:11 PM


Originally Posted by bulgie (Post 23301406)
And if you have an older Dura Ace freewheel with the two-notch remover style, be sure to use a real Shimano TL-FW10 remover, not a generic one.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...630bbe462a.jpg

What the TL-FW10 has that generics don't is that ring around the prongs. It strengthens them immensely.

There was another one with the ring that also works, I forget, by Bicycle Research maybe? But the TL-FW10 is a safe bet, never known one to fail.

The prong type (whether 2-, 3- or 4-prong) are the ones where it's most important to use the skewer. Splined removers are much safer to use without a skewer, but prong-type? Don't even think of it.

The TL-FW10 is also the best tool to use on old Regina FWs with the two-notch body. That Shimano tool fits a Regina better than a Regina tool does. So it's a super-valuable tool for a C&V kinda guy to own.

That ring also stabilizes the tool, so it is less likely to cam off the slots and cause damage.

N.B. the Bicycle Research CT-1 also has that ring and works on those old Dura-Ace, Regina, and Caimi freewheels with the two notches:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8572551584.jpg


Mad Honk 07-21-24 05:12 PM


Originally Posted by nlerner (Post 23301758)
Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88498a008.jpg

Ok Neal,
I'll play....
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...78476f7dbb.jpg
This hasn't failed me yet. Needs about 90 PSI to run but always spins the FW's off pretty fast.
Smiles, MH

nlerner 07-21-24 05:17 PM

^ So you use that to open your mail, Dave?

bulgie 07-21-24 05:50 PM


Originally Posted by 52telecaster (Post 23301601)
Just a note hear on something I recently did. I put a French freewheel, (English thread) on an early phil wood freewheel hub. Once in place I realized the two smallest cogs were skipping and worn. Let me just say removal was exceedingly difficult. The removal tool would not fit over the phil wood axle. It required complete axle removal with my makeshift tools. Fortunately I seemed to not have ruined anything and it was cool to see how it all went back together but I will never put a French freewheel on it again.

Do you remember any details like what brand of FW, or brand of remover? Because if it was an Atom FW with the spined interface, Phil sold a remover specifically for that.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...47318033a6.jpg

The key point is how thin the wall is on the sort-of tubular part. It must be made of strong steel, because despite how thin they are, I've never seen one fail. I use my Phil tool for any Atom (or Regina which used that same spline), regardless of whether the thin-wall is required. That thing is a life-saver.

bulgie 07-21-24 06:02 PM


Originally Posted by noglider (Post 23301714)
They were fragile. You had to use them very carefully, and even then, they would still fail. They were the best thing in some situations such as the original small-splined Shimano freewheel, because the only way to use a standard extractor was to remove the axle from the hub, and that was something mechanics wanted to avoid.

Oops I hadn't read your post before I sent mine claiming I've never seen a Phil tool fail. I mean, I haven't, but maybe I "need to get out more". My time as a mechanic predates that tool; by the time I had one I was a frame builder and I didn't work side by side with mechanics anymore, so my dataset is pretty just me with my tool, working on my own bikes. A pro in a busy shop would have used his many times more than me.

bulgie 07-21-24 06:24 PM


Originally Posted by nlerner (Post 23301758)
Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

ooh, can I play?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...057bb28eed.jpg

A few unusual ones in there:
  • front-center, there are two Cyclo-Pans 4-prongers
  • Front-right, who made that goofy thing with the skewer nut bult in? It spins but it's held captive. What a waste of steel, I mean you have the actual skewer nut in your hand from taking it off, so when would you want this? It's just a curio, I've probably never used it.
  • Next to the chrome Dura-Ace TL-FW10 is the yellow Bicycle Research CT-1 that does the same thing. I like redundancy.
  • in front of the CT-1 is a TDC 3-prong, anyone ever work on TDC FWs? At my old job (early '70s) we decided it stood for Totally Degenerate Crap. Not fair, but moderately funny.
  • Behind the CT-1 is a Maillard. Funny thing about that one, in addition to the large external spline you see, they also had a smaller internal spline at the other end, which fits an Atom remover up inside it. The only logic for that I can imagine is if you had an Atom remover welded to a large tommy bar, you could use that to drive the big Maillard remover. Or maybe it's to prevent the Maillard "can" from being crushed in the vise?
  • To the left of the Maillard is the can that Phil used to ship with their hubs, to prevent you from accidentally extracting the axle/bearings subassembly.
  • Upper left is a freehub tool, how'd that sneak in there? Someone wasn't paying attention.:innocent:

Kontact 07-21-24 06:26 PM

In all my time as a shop mechanic, I have never needed anything more than the spline tool and a bench vice to get a Shimano fw off.

Skewers don't do anything for Shimano tools, and I have never seen thread corrosion that was strong enough to resist two hands and a bench vise.


Adding more tools just creates more opportunities for something to go wrong.

oneclick 07-21-24 06:53 PM


Originally Posted by noglider (Post 23301714)
They were fragile. You had to use them very carefully, and even then, they would still fail. They were the best thing in some situations such as the original small-splined Shimano freewheel, because the only way to use a standard extractor was to remove the axle from the hub, and that was something mechanics wanted to avoid.

Not so, if the axle was built correctly; that being with a locknut securing the drive-side cone, and a spacer outboard of those two.
Pull the spacer off and there is enough room for the tool.

52telecaster 07-21-24 08:24 PM


Originally Posted by bulgie (Post 23301833)
Do you remember any details like what brand of FW, or brand of remover? Because if it was an Atom FW with the spined interface, Phil sold a remover specifically for that.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...47318033a6.jpg

The key point is how thin the wall is on the sort-of tubular part. It must be made of strong steel, because despite how thin they are, I've never seen one fail. I use my Phil tool for any Atom (or Regina which used that same spline), regardless of whether the thin-wall is required. That thing is a life-saver.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0932a2ada7.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a949085a6a.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c9248d5b5c.jpg
So it's an atom freewheel and the tool was a park tool.

miamijim 07-21-24 08:54 PM

You need to a use a very rapid ‘jerk/snap’ kind of motion to break the freewheel loose. Think ‘absolute destruction’ and go at it, anything less isn’t enough.

If we’re playing the tool game I have 2, 4 and 6 prong Suntour. And Suntour cog gauges.

pastorbobnlnh 07-22-24 05:27 AM

Dang! This has turned into a freewheel tool and removal technique p!$$!ng match! :roflmao2:Who would have ever thought that a "stuck freewheel" could be so much fun?

jdawginsc 07-22-24 05:33 AM


Originally Posted by pastorbobnlnh (Post 23302143)
Dang! This has turned into a freewheel tool and removal technique p!$$!ng match! :roflmao2:Who would have ever thought that a "stuck freewheel" could be so much fun?

I have every possible tool I could imagine needing, except the one that is needed for the next project...Murphy’s Law sub category...

bikemig 07-22-24 06:14 AM


Originally Posted by nlerner (Post 23301758)
Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88498a008.jpg


Originally Posted by bulgie (Post 23301862)


Looks like I'm going to need to step up my game and buy a few more freewheel tools to be a full member of the cool kids club . .

bikemig 07-22-24 06:15 AM


Originally Posted by nlerner (Post 23301758)
Has this become a show-us-your-freewheel-removers thread?

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c88498a008.jpg


Originally Posted by bulgie (Post 23301862)
ooh, can I play?
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...057bb28eed.jpg

A few unusual ones in there:
  • front-center, there are two Cyclo-Pans 4-prongers
  • Front-right, who made that goofy thing with the skewer nut bult in? It spins but it's held captive. What a waste of steel, I mean you have the actual skewer nut in your hand from taking it off, so when would you want this? It's just a curio, I've probably never used it.
  • Next to the chrome Dura-Ace TL-FW10 is the yellow Bicycle Research CT-1 that does the same thing. I like redundancy.
  • in front of the CT-1 is a TDC 3-prong, anyone ever work on TDC FWs? At my old job (early '70s) we decided it stood for Totally Degenerate Crap. Not fair, but moderately funny.
  • Behind the CT-1 is a Maillard. Funny thing about that one, in addition to the large external spline you see, they also had a smaller internal spline at the other end, which fits an Atom remover up inside it. The only logic for that I can imagine is if you had an Atom remover welded to a large tommy bar, you could use that to drive the big Maillard remover. Or maybe it's to prevent the Maillard "can" from being crushed in the vise?
  • To the left of the Maillard is the can that Phil used to ship with their hubs, to prevent you from accidentally extracting the axle/bearings subassembly.
  • Upper left is a freehub tool, how'd that sneak in there? Someone wasn't paying attention.:innocent:


Looks like I'm going to need to step up my game and buy a few more freewheel tools to be a full member of the cool kids club . .



noglider 07-22-24 10:52 AM

I was incorrect above. That Phil extractor I used was for an Atom freewheel, not a Shimano.

Mr. Spadoni 07-22-24 01:39 PM


Originally Posted by miamijim (Post 23301992)
You need to a use a very rapid ‘jerk/snap’ kind of motion to break the freewheel loose. Think ‘absolute destruction’ and go at it, anything less isn’t enough.

If we’re playing the tool game I have 2, 4 and 6 prong Suntour. And Suntour cog gauges.

JERK/SNAP FOR THE WIN!

Woke up in the middle of the night and remembered that I had a old chain link fence post in the Pile Of Crap That Might Be Useful Someday.This am, Retrieved the wheel from outside the garage where it had been marinating in the hot sun with the bit of Liquid Wrench I’d applied days earlier. Found the 1” Wrench rather than the 12” adjustable. Slipped the post over the wrench, and gave a sharp snap, and felt some movement. Second snap and the FW broke free. It had in fact been well lubed, old grease was vey much in evidence
Here’s the tools and results.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8527b6220.jpeg

Thanks all for the help.

You may now return to the displays of freewheel tools currently in progress….

52telecaster 07-22-24 01:43 PM


Originally Posted by noglider (Post 23302416)
I was incorrect above. That Phil extractor I used was for an Atom freewheel, not a Shimano.

Yeah my park tool Shimano one works.

52telecaster 07-22-24 01:45 PM


Originally Posted by Mr. Spadoni (Post 23302563)
JERK/SNAP FOR THE WIN!

Woke up in the middle of the night and remembered that I had a old chain link fence post in the Pile Of Crap That Might Be Useful Someday.This am, Retrieved the wheel from outside the garage where it had been marinating in the hot sun with the bit of Liquid Wrench I’d applied days earlier. Found the 1” Wrench rather than the 12” adjustable. Slipped the post over the wrench, and gave a sharp snap, and felt some movement. Second snap and the FW broke free. It had in fact been well lubed, old grease was vey much in evidence
Here’s the tools and results.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8527b6220.jpeg

Thanks all for the help.

You may now return to the displays of freewheel tools currently in progress….

Awesome!!

JohnDThompson 07-22-24 06:30 PM


Originally Posted by 52telecaster (Post 23301601)
Just a note hear on something I recently did. I put a French freewheel, (English thread) on an early phil wood freewheel hub. Once in place I realized the two smallest cogs were skipping and worn. Let me just say removal was exceedingly difficult. The removal tool would not fit over the phil wood axle. It required complete axle removal with my makeshift tools. Fortunately I seemed to not have ruined anything and it was cool to see how it all went back together but I will never put a French freewheel on it again.


Originally Posted by bulgie (Post 23301833)
Do you remember any details like what brand of FW, or brand of remover? Because if it was an Atom FW with the spined interface, Phil sold a remover specifically for that.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...47318033a6.jpg

Phil hubs, as well as Campagnolo Record and Zeus, have larger diameter locknuts than many other hubs, which prevent most splined removers from seating properly unless you remove the locknut. Phil's tool was specifically desgned with this in mind, so customers could service Atom/Regina/Caimi/Zeus splined freewheels on Phil's hubs. Zeus also offered a thin-wall splined remover for their hubs and freewheels. I don't know if one was copied from the other (or which came first), or if they were independently developed, but they both work interchangeably on Atom/Regina/Caimi/Zeus splined freewheels.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...244073409f.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...61ce6aab48.jpg
At that time, Campagnolo didn't offer a freewheel, so providing an appropriate tool apparently wasn't felt to be their problem. And when they did eventually offer a freewheel, they went with a proprietary helical two-slot design, arguably the best two-slot remover since removal torque drives the tool further into the helical slots, preventing it from camming out, as is so common with other two-slot freewheels (I still prefer splined freewheels). This is the Bicycle Research version of the Campagnolo freewheel remover:
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...64608e15be.jpg



The key point is how thin the wall is on the sort-of tubular part. It must be made of strong steel, because despite how thin they are, I've never seen one fail. I use my Phil tool for any Atom (or Regina which used that same spline), regardless of whether the thin-wall is required. That thing is a life-saver.
Unfortunately, I have seen a Phil tool fail. I loaned one out, and got it back with the splines twisted. :cry:


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