[austex]

Bought a used wheelset and want to swap freewheel (Maillard 7-sp, uses Shimano tool).

Well, neither a three-foot cheater pipe on my ratchet handle (managed to twist the f/w tool) nor clamping the tool in a vise and having a friend help apply torque at the rim (after soaking for two days with penetrating oil) have succeeded in even budging the f/w.

Next step is to disassemble the f/w body (yes, I know how) and apply serious heat to the remaining steel f/w piece on the hub before twisting one more time.

Any other ideas? Thx.

Final option is to repack hub and f/w and ride 'til totally toast.

Tom

 

[Road cyclist]

If you apply "serious heat" I fear the alum hub body underneath will expand outward
more than the steel freewheel hub you are trying to get off. Have you considered
freezing the area with freon "freeze spray" to get more dimensional clearance?

Another option is to possibly heat the freewheel and apply freeze spray to the hub
inner body with the axle removed.

If no dice on thermal expansion/contraction,
if you are going to toss the existing freewheel, can you not grind away the freewheel
hub body? Sounds like a long process with a Dremel tool and a magnifying set of
glasses to avoid hitting the alum threads underneath, but I would do it for a nice hub.
You just need to do two opposing seams so you can gently pry the freewheel apart.

 

[Maybeck]

You can try heating the freewheel without taking it apart. Use Map gas, when the grease starts running out of the hub, that's hot enough. Let it cool completely, then try to remove. Tool held in a vise (attached to the frewheel with a q/r skewer), and you turning the wheel counter-clockwise. Aluminum and steel cool at different rates and sometimes just heating them up and letting them cool is enough to break the bond. A couple of sharp smacks with a bronze drift to the freewheel body might be in order as well. If the tool has not broken the slots in the freewheel yet I think it will come off. Make sure you completely strip and re-pack the hub after, as the grease will be shot from the BBQ. If you do have to take it apart, remember the flange you unscrew with a pin-spanner is a reverse thread.

 

[Road cyclist]

I like your observation about different rates of cooling. But don't you think using Mapp
gas for non-brazing applications is kind of extreme. He can get the same temp increase
by using much cheaper propane. I think propane will get the freewheel red hot if applied
without moving the torch flame.

 

[Holdem]

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html#remove

 

[KDS]

Impact wrench

Try taking your wheel to a local auto repair shop, and ask if they would try using an impact wrench to remove your freewheel. Install your removal tool with a skewer to hold it in place, then rattle it loose with the impact wrench(I think a 1" socket fits most FW tools). The vibration should loosen it easily. Be sure to remove the skewer before trying to unscrew the freewheel very far (just use the impact to break it loose). Good Luck.
Kevin

 

[steelbikerider]

Take the freewheel body apart and put a pipe wrench on it. The notches for the freewheel pawls to engage will provide enough of a flat for the wrench to engage without slipping. It will probably ruin the freewheel but this used to work when I would round off the removal prongs on Regina freewheels.