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Regina CX, Basket Case? Or Is Nothing Hopeless?

4/6/2011

6 Comments

 
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 A few weeks ago, a member of Classic & Vintage sub-forum on www.bikeforums.net started a thread about a set of wheels he had recently picked up.  Mounted to the rear hub was this severely rusted Regina CX 7 speed freewheel.  Yes, that is rust, not caked on road grime, oil, and dirt.  He also noted the FW made a loud clunking sound.

I sent him my Regina tool in order to remove the FW and send it in for the Full Spa Treatment.  It arrived about two weeks ago, and I could not believe how bad this FW had been neglected!  Every cog had about a .5mm layer of rust.  Obviously it had lived near the ocean.  It was sad, but I was not deterred. 

A liberal dose of penetrating oil was applied to the cogs and retaining ring.  I repeated this about 4-5 times.  Eventually, the cogs started to loosen in their threads.

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Nothing pretty about this Regina CX! Rust, not road grime, was the culprit behind the discoloration of the silver cogs!
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Even the body was rusted. Even more worrisome, there was significant 'slop' between the core and the body. I feared the races were shot.
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Also, the retaining ring would not budge. This FW might be toast. But I would not give up and eventually a hammer and punch persuaded the ring to yield to the Spa Master.
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A bath in Oxalic Acid took care of the rust. Some of the original silver finish would be forever gone. Also most of the original bearings were discolored and not salvageable.
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Cleaned, greased, pawls oiled, and new bearings ready for reassembly. Would the new bearings and grease take care of the slop?
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Yes! All back together, and it purrs like a kitten! Even an apparent basket case, still has many years and tens of 1000s of miles of life left!
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6 Comments
Jim Muller
4/6/2011 11:25:23 am

A week or so ago Bob sent me a 5-speed he'd been cleaning, restoring, etc. I was hoping for any decent used 120mm 5-speed for a vintage bike. What I got could have been straight out of the box from the factory! It was clean, smooth, lovely, looked new. Even better, it had non-standard gearing that was just what I never expect to find. Pastor Bob communicated with me about what I wanted and what he had. It was the perfect solution for me.

I'd show some pictures but the freewheel is now on the bike.

Reply
Jeff Roth
4/18/2011 02:58:17 am

As a vintage bike hobbyist restorer, I feel pretty confident in my ability to rebuild everything on a vintage bike except for one thing. I wouldn’t even attempt trying to rebuild the mysterious inner-workings of a freewheel. In the past, if the freewheel seemed not to work properly, I would just replace it and chuck the old one. It was so nice to find someone who specialized in reconditioning these contraptions. I had assumed that the Regina FW I sent to FreeWheelSpa was a goner; however, I was completely amazed at the like-new rock-solid condition it was in after the “Spa” treatment. Very friendly folks and great customer service! I think the FW’s I come across in the future will be ‘begging’ me to send them to the “spa”, and I will happily oblige. - J. Roth

Reply
The Spa Meister link
4/18/2011 11:20:47 am

Thanks guys for the votes of confidence! I do my utmost to make the customer and the freewheel happier than they might ever imagine!

Reply
David Truett
4/24/2011 09:10:58 am

Pastor Bob, what a great idea! There are a lot of folks afraid to take a freewheel apart, this is perfect for anyone afraid of small ball bearings and even smaller springs.

To anyone who might consider sending their freewheel in for a spa treatment, fear not, it will be in the best of hands!

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143 Records link
1/12/2021 10:27:18 am

Grreat blog I enjoyed reading

Reply
Dominic link
6/24/2024 04:28:29 am

This was greatt to read

Reply



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    The Spa Meister

    In my normal life I'm a pastor, really, a husband, and a dad.  In my spare time I ride and wrench bikes.  Freewheel Spa might be a good way to contribute to Soc Sec!

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