dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Im needing to remove my echo SL freewheel to fit a new half ring but im in need of the tool to remove it! I live 5 minutes away from a pretty large car shop, they have lots of tools, I was wondering if anyone has any ideas of a similar looking car tool that i could use to remove the freewheel. Has 4 prongs that slot into the grooves. i know its a long shot but was wondering if anyone had any ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Dark Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Got a mig and some steel? grind some bits up and stick them together with the mig to make a 6 prong tool...clamp it in the vice, drill a whole down through it ( m8 ) use a long m8 with penny washers to bolt the crank to the tool. Scaffold bar off the end ( pedal removed ) and hope your tool holds Edit: Or if you have some round solid/ very thick tubing ( 40mm ish od ) grind some chunks out to tie in with the cutouts in the SL and use that instead of the bits of steel welded together. Edit 2: OPr even better an appropriate size socket that you could grind to fit Edited November 18, 2011 by Alex Dark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 That would have been perfect but I dont have a welder! Cheers for the reply anyway.Thats actually a great idea. im pretty certain they sell almost like scaffolding there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Dark Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 No worries, hope you get it sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just realised even a socket would work in the same manner! If i can get one a little bit bigger than that it would be perfect I reckon. That in the pic is a 1 1/4 Haha i didnt realised you made that 3rd edit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogo Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 That size would work, my removal tool is tiny. No penis jokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bionic Balls Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Good luck grinding a socket... I don't think it's gonna like it! Adam 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bike_dummie Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Doubt the idea of a socket will work, i made a tool out of alloy billet using all of the cut out tabs with a very good fit and the freewheel broke the tool literally it snapped all the tabs off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Rainbird Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Billet will do that. Grinding a socket is doable, I've done it numerous times for various things. Will probably take a while mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Even a Halfords or somewhere like that would have a freewheel tool and would be open on a weekend. I'd have thought that would've been a million times easier to sort out - especially if your bodge job fails and you're back to square one anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 if you had ordered one from Tartybikes earlier when you first mentioned it, it's very likely it would have been with you tomorrow, too late now I guess. I would pay halfords a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 One thing worth mentioning is that if you get a bike shop to do it, I'm pretty sure they'll do the usual thing of clamping the crank arm in a vice, then trying to use the tool with an adjustable spanner to remove the freewheel. We've had plenty of customers phone up complaining their local shops can't get their freewheels off because they're trying it like that (apparently it's "because TartyBikes threadlock freewheels on" - even though that's obviously not the case), so make sure you tell them to do it by clamping the tool in the vice, bolting it to the crank then using an extension bar on the crank arm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 or buy the tool and do it yourself if possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Thanks for the comments guys Went up to the car shop, spend ages with the guy looking through all the different sockets but the OD was either too big or too small! How awkward. Reckon Halfords would have a freewheel removing tool that would fit Echo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali C Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 they would have a standard 4 pronged freewheel tool if they have any in stock, that would do the job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Standard, 4-prong freewheel removal tools fit Echos. If they don't have a normal tool I'd be pretty shocked (although it is Halfords, a store of which earlier in the month couldn't work out how to assemble an already assembled headset...). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Awesome! I'll have a gander over tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark W Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Basically, anything that looks remotely like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Just realised halfords shuts at 8pm. Going to have a drive over there now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Well that was a fail! Two of my mates work at halfords so was trying to get it off with above tool but the vice was letting go, and we didnt have that much leverage. so was pretty sad. So my mates lent me the tool from halfords and taking it to my work tomorrow where we have massive vices and big bars for leverage !! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blake Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 should do the job, doesn't take TOO much leverage. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 Yeah i think we would have nailed it but the vice was pretty shitty! Felt really good being in the workshop! I want a job there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aener Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 One thing worth mentioning is that if you get a bike shop to do it, I'm pretty sure they'll do the usual thing of clamping the crank arm in a vice, then trying to use the tool with an adjustable spanner to remove the freewheel. We've had plenty of customers phone up complaining their local shops can't get their freewheels off because they're trying it like that (apparently it's "because TartyBikes threadlock freewheels on" - even though that's obviously not the case), so make sure you tell them to do it by clamping the tool in the vice, bolting it to the crank then using an extension bar on the crank arm. Why is that, out of interest? On the times I've done it (granted, only a few), I've always had the crank in the vice and an adjustable + bar on top, and it's worked easy enough. Is it just better for super-stiff ones, and I've been lucky all this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weirdoku Posted November 18, 2011 Report Share Posted November 18, 2011 (edited) Yeah i think we would have nailed it but the vice was pretty shitty! Felt really good being in the workshop! I want a job there. I work in bikehut in my local store and their organisation store is crap. According to my manager our store is in the top 10 in the area/country (I can't remember exactly but we make a lot of money apparently). The rota for work hours are all over the place, days off are never the same each week, unless you're part time, full time they will juggle you about. Last week I've worked 5 days in a row and next week I have 4 days off in a week? I can never plan anything ahead either. And you don't get paid more for overtime unless they REALLY REALLY need you and you tell them the only way you'll work is if you get double pay. I'm making it sound bad I know, and it is in some ways. I'm only there cos I need money though. Once I've saved enough I'll be gone! And in regards to the freewheel, when I tried to take my ENO off. It took a few grown men and a 4-5 foot long scaffolding pole over the cranks for leverage to get it off. Freewheels are bastards. If they come off easily with no extra leverage you're either hulk or something is wrong with the threads! Edited November 18, 2011 by weirdoku Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dann2707 Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Yeah my friend said he worked really dodgy hours. The time I went last night seemed pretty chilled though, could just be in the workshop with them, the occasional customer. Well I took it to work, we put it in a massive vice and got a 6ft big bar of metal on it, straight off! I love the laws of physics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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