i know it is unnecessary to lube the cogs, but do i lubricate inside the freewheel assembly?

Yes. Turn it over so that the largest cog is on top. Place a piece of cardboard or a shop rag under it. Allow chainlube to penetrate and flow through it by placing oil where the body spins on the threaded part. There were specific tools with a zerk fitting that would allow one to push grease into freewheels. I wish I had one of those.

I always used Phil Oil. and of course my method was different. I would leave the FW on the wheel, and lay it on the bench. turn the cogs so it 'freewheels' and drop the oil in between the moving outer body and inner body.

I remember seeing the grease fitting tools but never used one.

I've always used Sturmey Archer oil (which IIRC is ~30wt), and done it much as BG describes. I've never disassembled and rebuilt a freewheel, and know that grease is recommended for the bearings, but so far no problems. I also occasionally will soak the freewheel in mineral spirits and then lube them after letting them dry out for a day or two.

I usually do it small cog up, spinning slowly as I dribble it in ... better shape to catch the oil. I like 10w-30 or such.
When the clicking sound changes, I figure that's enough.

Edit: ditto to BG. Anything more seems like overkill

I've always soaked them in mineral spirits once a year, spinning it occasionally to make sure everything gets penetrated then put either chainlube or Phil oil in. I like Phil oil best.

Marc

My method is a little more involved but we'll assume this is a used freewheel from a co-op I want to use:

- Run in the ultrasonic in 3:1 water to Awesome cleaner for several cycles. Point is to remove ALL traces of any lube.
- Rinse THOROUGHLY
- Place freewheel on lots of paper towel and with aerosol WD-40 completely saturate the body internally via the gap where it spins to chase out all water.
- Leave on paper towel for a day to allow as much WD-40 to leave as possible, sometimes I'll heat them with my heat gun too to get more to flow out.
- While turning the internals of the freewheel add drop-by-drop Finish Line Wet Lube. Add 5 drops or so then one every 10 seconds until the sound of the pawls change.
- Keep spinning for a few minutes to further distribute the lube.
- Leave on paper towel for a day do let any further lube wick out.

Not a freewheel I've done like this...maybe a dozen and a half...have failed to spin and sound like buttah when done.

Yes, I'd like one of those grease doodads too.

Yes, I'm a freak.

Interesting. I've always heard to use "light" machine oil on/in freewheels. I like Phil oil for my chains, but, always thought it was a bit heavy for freewheel internals. Unless you guys and gals are talking about that "other" Phil oil. What's it called? BIO-LUBE? Have never used it.

I usually flush with WD40 then drizzle in standard bike oil.
Use an old plastic tube to hold the freewheel and catch the stuff running out of the small cog end.

Sachs freewheeels have sealed rotating parts so you cant relube like this.

Soak in mineral spirits/thinner for several days, wipe clean.
Rinse in fresh solution of the same. Spray the freewheel interior with brake cleaner to flush the inside.
Air dry for a day or two.
Multigrade or a straight 30w, spin to work it in, remove excess.

Interesting variety of comments.

The point not stated for the benefit of the OP is that the bearings of a freewheel carry only the trivial load of the weight of the cogs and some chain when it is freewheeling. The pawls carry no load but their return springs. When you are pedalling that's when everything is loaded, but when you are pedalling nothing in the freewheel is moving with respect to any other part. Under those kinds of loads a freewheel could probably run forever with little or no lub'ing at all. Also you don't want a thick grease to contact the pawls or they won't click into place as quickly as they might. So the prime reason to do all this cleaning and re-lub'ing is to remove road dirt that might have worked its way in.

Any technique or oil will do. If a freewheel is really gummy, I'll start with WD40. If not, I just use oil, whatever I have on hand. Lately, that's ATF.

I oil both sides, at the cracks where body meets uh, the other thing.

Exactly .... that's why I just dribble some oil in once in a while .... not worth much fussing over.

It's not something I ever think about until the freewheel starts acting up and that has only happened once.

Most freewheels have holes in the back where the pawl springs are mounted. I just push the grease tube tip against those holes and push in a good amount of grease while spinning the FW to distribute it internally. It's the best way to get the grease deep inside the FW body without disassembling it. Some grease will eventually bleed out of the FW body half seams, outboard of the bearings as you spin it. Just wipe that excess off till nothing more comes out and install on the wheel.

Chombi

You forgot "repeat weekly." Amirite?

LOL, no, I haven't done one more than once so far

It's just that if I don't know the history, other than that they're dirty as !@#$%^&* I want to get them squeaky clean...then lube them so they don't squeak of course.

Flush the freewheel out with an appropriate solvent, such as mineral spirits. Allow that to drain for a couple of days or blow it out with compressed air(two minutes). Then, using a very light transmission oil, allow that to drip in, from either side(it really doesn't matter). Drain or blow out the transmission fluid. Apply more transmission fluid and allow it to drain only. Wipe everything off, grease the freewheel threads, and install the thing. You're set.

That's the way I do it and have had perfect success so far. Hope this is a help.