I decided to give my bike a good clean and noticed that the rear (and front) cogs are showing a bit of wear. I'm wondering if these need replacing (I only do a few hundred miles a year). If they do need replacing, are these still commonplace? I know this is an old design, it was my dad's bike dating back to the 1980's.
Does this freewheel need replacing?
- Thread starter Dave32
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Cycleops
Legendary Member
- Location
- Accra, Ghana
While I do see some wear it's not too significant. Unless you're experiencing problems I should leave it be.
Older freewheels can get gummed up with lubricant causing the pawls not to catch and no drive. This can be remedied with a good flush with WD40 or similar.
Older freewheels can get gummed up with lubricant causing the pawls not to catch and no drive. This can be remedied with a good flush with WD40 or similar.
It is difficult to asses wear by eye. If the chain is not skipping then no need to replace.
This is the correct answer, for the most part. You can identify if a freewheel or cassette is very worn quite easily, there will be a shallowing of angle of the teeth, but this isn't the case here. The easiest way to identify when a cassette is worn is when the chain fails to engage in the sprockets and skates over the top, this gives a very audible noise and the pedals will jerk forward unexpectedly.
This is different from skipping where the chain moves laterally and is caused by improperly set up gears.
Good point, I should have said slipping rather than skipping.
EckyH
Senior Member
- Location
- Nottuln, North Rhine-Westphalia
In my opinion based on my experience: it depends.
With enough tension the chain doesn't slip on that cog.
The chain is so elongated that a chain checker doesn't fall into the gap between the rollers anymore.
But don't try this at home, this is just an experiment.
The old 6speed drive trains surely don't wear down as fast as more modern ones, because the teeth on the cogs are higher, the cogs are thicker, the chains are wider and therefore there is less pressure at the critical points in the whole drive train. Well maintained that stuff lasts for ages.
The old cogset differ from manufacturer to manufacturer and many of them are no more, eg. Regina or Maillard. Please be aware that there could be different thread types for the hubs - italian and BSC were common on track hubs. On road hubs it can be similar.
My approach would be to invest in a new chain and try to use it on that cogset. If everything runs smoothly, then I'd purchase at least another chain and change the chains regularly, because the cogs and the chainrings adapt to the elongated chain - so the chain is the culprit for "deformed" teeth on cogs and chainrings.
In my opinion changing the chains once or twice a year would be sufficient for that amount.
A chain for 7/8speed will work on 6speed cogsets - regarding to the width of the cogs.
Hope that helps,
E.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
Lovely picture of a worn sprocket, but unfortunately irrelevant to this discussion. Sprockets on singlespeeds without spring chain tensioners wear completely differerently from sprockets working with derailers. The above scenario will never happen with a cassette/freewheel.
Yellow Saddle
Guru
- Location
- Loch side.
I agree mostly with what you're saying but I don't understand the phrase
Could you elaborate please?
Ajax Bay
Guru
- Location
- East Devon
No
On the contrary, my approach would be to ride on. If the chain is not jumping/skating when you put serious power down the freewheeel/chain combo is fine.
Dont fit a new chain until this happens (or the chain is >0.7% elongated, and OK not to even then).
And (btw) a 6sp freewheel is what the OP has got and they are widely available.
For the really gunky older freewheels, our bike shop had a way to thoroughly clean and revive frozen freewheels. First let me say everything inside the freewheel is metal there is no rubber or plastic. The pawls, springs, body etc.
Get yourself a hot plate, some motor oil, a small frying pan or a saucepan you don't need anymore. Find someplace outside that has a lot of ventilation or open air is best. And by the way this works for chains too. Cover your freewheel/chain with oil and turn up the heat. When it starts to bubble, move the pan off the burner and set aside till it's cool.
Now you'll have to go get a gallon of carburetor cleaner at a local auto store. Let the oil drip off as much as you can and put it in the basket to soak overnight. Use rubber gloves and engage the freewheel and see how easily it now spins. I've had good results with it being upside down or normal I don't think it matters.
Now it's time to clean it up with solvent. I have my parts washer and I usually just let it soak again. Now the air compressor comes into play. And lastly you need to oil with a higher viscosity oil like Phil woods tenacious oil.
Keep turning as you inject the oil inside and spread it around. I've also injected Rock and roll Red devil Grease in there too with a hypodermic syringe minus the needle.
This is for really gummed up free wheels that won't even spin or to make a chain that's all rested up and stiff usable again. The cooked oil is absorbed by the chain and it does change the color to a dark black where there was rust.
You cannot use this on a cassette or any component that has rubber or plastic.
