A freewheel recently installed makes noises when under load,
but only when the chain is on the middlish cogs. It's a 7
speed 14-34 sold under the Sturmey-Archer name, made in China.

The sound is a crisp click once or twice per revolution.
Backpedaling for a moment makes the noise go away after
a few tries. It's annoying, but seems harmless and rather
a nitpick to take back to the LBS. They've been reasonably
helpful, I don't want to hassle them needlessly.

If I'm going to do something it should be soon, while the
receipt's still fresh. I can live with the noise, but a
stripped freewheel makes for a long walk. Is it possible
to get a look inside with normal tools?

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

On 5/16/2023 8:34 PM, bob prohaska wrote:
> A freewheel recently installed makes noises when under load,
> but only when the chain is on the middlish cogs. It's a 7
> speed 14-34 sold under the Sturmey-Archer name, made in China.
>
> The sound is a crisp click once or twice per revolution.
> Backpedaling for a moment makes the noise go away after
> a few tries. It's annoying, but seems harmless and rather
> a nitpick to take back to the LBS. They've been reasonably
> helpful, I don't want to hassle them needlessly.
>
> If I'm going to do something it should be soon, while the
> receipt's still fresh. I can live with the noise, but a
> stripped freewheel makes for a long walk. Is it possible
> to get a look inside with normal tools?
>
> Thanks for reading,
>
> bob prohaska
>

Don't open it. There's precious little improvement you could
effect inside and in most cases zero.

Remove it, run oil through while spinning it in your fingers
(on the offside chance there's crud in it).

If no improvement or if you notice binding, catching or
irregular pawl engagement, return it for another one.
Freewheel failure, either spontaneous disassembly or pawl
not engaged, can lead to a rider injury.

--
Andrew Muzi
<www.yellowjersey.org/>
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Wed, 17 May 2023 01:34:07 -0000 (UTC), bob prohaska
<bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:

>A freewheel recently installed makes noises when under load,
>but only when the chain is on the middlish cogs. It's a 7
>speed 14-34 sold under the Sturmey-Archer name, made in China.
>
>The sound is a crisp click once or twice per revolution.
>Backpedaling for a moment makes the noise go away after
>a few tries. It's annoying, but seems harmless and rather
>a nitpick to take back to the LBS. They've been reasonably
>helpful, I don't want to hassle them needlessly.
>
>If I'm going to do something it should be soon, while the
>receipt's still fresh. I can live with the noise, but a
>stripped freewheel makes for a long walk. Is it possible
>to get a look inside with normal tools?
>
>Thanks for reading,
>
>bob prohaska

Well :-) You can probably get a look inside with normal tools (:-) It
is putting it back together again that gives the problems (:-)

Mr. Andrew Muzi's shop must be closed for the first time in 90 years,
as he hasn't posted today, but he will be the guy to give you the
correct answer (:-)

But sitting here, 8,000 mile away, I might comment that sometimes a
chain will give a clicking sound. If you have a spare chain, even a
worn one, you might try trading chains temporarily and see what
happens.

--
Cheers,

John B.

On 5/16/2023 9:41 PM, AMuzi wrote:
> On 5/16/2023 8:34 PM, bob prohaska wrote:
>> A freewheel recently installed makes noises when under load,
>> but only when the chain is on the middlish cogs. It's a 7
>> speed 14-34 sold under the Sturmey-Archer name, made in China.
>>
>> The sound is a crisp click once or twice per revolution.
>> Backpedaling for a moment makes the noise go away after
>> a few tries. It's annoying, but seems harmless and rather
>> a nitpick to take back to the LBS. They've been reasonably
>> helpful, I don't want to hassle them needlessly.
>>
>> If I'm going to do something it should be soon, while the
>> receipt's still fresh. I can live with the noise, but a
>> stripped freewheel makes for a long walk. Is it possible
>> to get a look inside with normal tools?
>>
>> Thanks for reading,
>>
>> bob prohaska
>>
>
> Don't open it. There's precious little improvement you could effect
> inside and in most cases zero.

Agreed. Back in my poverty days I opened one or two freewheels. They're
not complicated mechanically, but they're fussy to get back together. I
wouldn't do it again.
>
> Remove it, run oil through while spinning it in your fingers (on the
> offside chance there's crud in it).
>
> If no improvement or if you notice binding, catching or irregular pawl
> engagement, return it for another one. Freewheel failure, either
> spontaneous disassembly or pawl not engaged, can lead to a rider injury.

I'm puzzled by the fact that the clicks occur only on certain cogs. I
might try putting the bike on a workstand, shifting to those cogs, and
turning the cranks in slow motion while applying resistance to the
wheel, so I can watch in detail exactly how the chain engages those
cogs. That's in case there's some incompatibility between the widths or
spacing of the cogs and chain.

I'd also make sure there's no looseness in the attachment of the cogs to
the freewheel body, even though I think that's very unlikely.

If those steps don't reveal anything obvious, I'd return it.

--
- Frank Krygowski

Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
> I'm puzzled by the fact that the clicks occur only on certain cogs. I
> might try putting the bike on a workstand, shifting to those cogs, and
> turning the cranks in slow motion while applying resistance to the
> wheel, so I can watch in detail exactly how the chain engages those
> cogs. That's in case there's some incompatibility between the widths or
> spacing of the cogs and chain.
>

I tried to replicate the problem on a CycleOps exercise stand, but
couldn't get the freewheel to make any noise at all when turning
the cranks by hand so I could get my ears close enough to the
drivtrain to identify the source. On the saddle the noise can be
replicated but the source not located at a roughly five minute
per mile speed.

> I'd also make sure there's no looseness in the attachment of the cogs to
> the freewheel body, even though I think that's very unlikely.
>

I didn't closely inspect the freewheel before installation, but maybe
now I should. Nothing seemed amiss in casual handling, it would be
really astounding if some cogs were loose. It's worth another look.
My first thought was the freewheel bearings were loose and allowing
the pawls to rock against the teeth. Thus the question about opening
it up.

> If those steps don't reveal anything obvious, I'd return it.
>
Three votes to take it back make a difference.

Thanks to everyone who replied!

bob prohaska