I talked with a guy who said the crankset on the bike he is selling is "stripped."

I asked him what he means, and he said it turns, but doesn't turn the wheels. Assuming he has a chain, and it's connected ( ), I'm thinking that something is wrong with the freewheel, and at worst, I may need to replace it. What say ye experts- any ideas on what might be going on with this "stripped" bike?

I thought this was going to have "strippers"or something...

I feel cheated

Busted freewheel. Unless its Shimano front freewheel system, then it would have busted front freewheel.

Sometimes freewheeling freewheels can be lubed and flushed to make it freewheel like a normal non-busted freewheel should freewheel when its freewheeling correctly.

My guess is I can probably find a freewheel pretty cheap these days (even a mountain bike freewheel).

Nicely done. I was going to recommend flushing it out as well but you did it way better.

1. Gummed up pawls in freewheel are the likely culprit and easily fixed as per Jim's post.
2. Broken pawl springs in freewheel.
3. Stripped the threads on the hub and/or freewheel body.
4. Stripped the threads on a freewheel cog, but this would cause problem only in one gear.

I was thinking it had something to do with the pawls, but wasn't sure what. If the wheels looks OK, I'll try flushing it out first as per Jim's suggestion. if that doesn't do it, I'll see about a new freewheel.

Hopefully it won't be these:

The last thing I need is another bike hanging around, but basically, if the wheels are otherwise sound, it's a cheap set of extra wheels, for running commuter slicks on my mountain bike, without having to change tires whenever. I have NO idea what I'll do with the rest of it. Longtail, maybe, someday?

Or just say no...

Thanks all!

Unless it's an old Helicomatic, in which case it will probably require replacement. Mine did.

Had a #4 in the shop, just last week. You don't run into them too often.

I'm sorry, when I saw how many times you could get freewheel in one sentence, and continue to make sense, (dramatic pause). Maybe it's just me, but I cracked up reading it.

I just cleaned and oiled a freewheel and it is now spinning great...

that being said, I bought a freewheel and cassette a few months ago at the used shop near me...together they were under 10 for sure and both looked barely used

This man is using his brain

Just as an interesting aside, it is possible to have a "stripped bottom bracket" in the sense that you have an Ashtabula crank set with bad threads.
This happens when the threads to get the cones on are ok, but at the point where they sit for running are so worn or damaged that the cone comes loose and then the cranks just free spin and rattle about in the dead zone where the bad threads are. Usually its the threads used to mount the cones (outside) that are bad but I have seen a crank or two where the threads in the running zone are bad. You try to save them with a needle file and loupe, but sometimes a new crank is the best way for that.

How about a swagged crank that "broke loose?" That would spin without the wheels moving too.
You really need to have a look at it and report back.