Pre 1950s rides of LFGSS: old bikes, vintage rats, classic lightweights

Ah that’s great, thanks for info.

I did fully service one a couple of years ago. The idea of taking off the face plate with a pin spanner is a joke, I’ve had to use a punch and a hammer both times I’ve taken one off. Maybe now I know what penetrating oil actually is that might help, but still servicing can be destructive.

When I got it open I just found I really needn’t have bothered. And to get the balls and pawls back in and the outer body on, you need at least three hands.

Getting the sprockets off with 2 chainwhips is ok as @benjaminbunny says. You probably won’t be able to get the last one off, but at least you can give them all a good clean including the one left on the body. I’ve started just soaking in paraffin scrubbing and spinning for a few soaking cycles, then flush with wd40, then I feed in Phil Wood Tenacious Oil (I’m sure there are other equally good options - I have a little bottle and pretty much only use it in freewheels).

That has made a couple of gritty feeling freewheels turn nicely again.

If there’s play in it I don‘t think you can do much about it. And it probably came like it. The one I fully serviced was an Oro so should be the best quality but it had play - just felt like the 2 thin (shim?) washers inside were too thick. I tried without one and it bound, and with both there was play. I couldn’t get it just right.

As far as I know tolerances were just a bit sloppy. Why Japanese freewheels took over! A Suntour from the 70s is likely to be more precisely made than European equivalents.

@benjaminbunny thanks for corroborating! I suspect your method is appealing to @absurdbird as it doesn’t involve buying an expensive tool!

Both my gran sport freewheels have no stamp, I wonder when they started/stopped doing that!