Arrrgh! Freewheel removal hell...

[Goldie]

I've got a couple of mid seventies Shimano freewheels which take a splined freewheel removal tool to get them off the hub. So far, so good....

I've got a Park FR-4, and that is too big. Looking on Park's website, the FR-1 - which is for Shimano freewheels - is even larger in diameter. Can anyone tell me what I need to get the freewheel off? Did Shimano really cruelly change the size of their freewheels some time in the late seventies? Or am I just being a bit dense?

 

[cchris2lou]

look on sheldon brown website , plenty of info there .

 

[dutchie]

Look here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=230338 what I did. Not the most common way, but nevetheless it worked...

 

[torqueless]

If you could count the number of splines and measure the diameter?

FWIW I have a Shimano tool numbered TL-FW30 with 12 splines and about 21mm. diameter. (edit: Park FR-4 has 20 splines, FR-1 has 12)

Or do it as Dutchie describes, if you are either ditching the freewheel or don't mind rebuilding it.

 

[dutchie]

Yes... maybe this can be of any help... In.... Dutch....

 

[torqueless]

Look here http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=230338 what I did. Not the most common way, but nevetheless it worked...

Yeah I actually think that is the best way, provided you are not in a hurry.
Oftentimes a freewheel that is a bitch to get off the hub is a neglected freewheel that should be cleaned and lubricated anyway. You've got a much more favourable leverage situation with the pawl housings clamped in a vice, and if the worst comes to the worst, you can 'squeeze' the big inner flange of the freewheel core in the vice, to gently 'ovalise' it, breaking the grip of whatever substance is gluing it to the hub thread. I've had to do that in the past... :x........

 

[Quizzer]

shimano pre 1985 removal tool

Hi..I think this is the tool yo need.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRE-1985-SHIM ... 5d35af828b


Regards..

 

[Goldie]

Thanks all. Having checked the diameter of the splined part of the freewheel, I think Quizzer's freewheel remover, My Record No.2 vice and a lot of WD40 should do the trick