PdalPowr

Edited to add.

I should have mentioned the rear wheel is a good upgrade.

I am starting a new thread to focus in on this one issue.
Still talking about my 2016 Norco Yorkville hybrid.
As suggested I think the warming temperature did
just as much to free up the pawls than any spray lube I put on.
Does putting a thin penetrating lube between the hub and
the gears really or at least somewhat degunk the internal mechanism?
I know this can be tiresome for some folks.
I just want to make it through 'til Spring when I can work on the bike.

jimc101

If it's a Shimano type cassette freehub (which is what is listed, KT Alloy hub w/Cassette, here https://www.norco.com/bike-archives/2016/yorkville/) how do you expect to be able to get into it without removing the wheel from the bike?

Even on a basic freehub, there should be very little ability to get anything in past the freehub, and being low end, you will probably find it cheaper to just replace the whole wheel, rather than trying to strip it, and maybe needing non-existant spares.

AnkleWork

Might as well try -- what could it hurt?

cyccommute 

I don't take the freewheel off to put oil in it. I just drip it down between the gap on the front of the freewheel. That's usually enough to free it up. If you want to flush it, it would be better to take it off. You could flush it from the front but all the gunk pours out the back and onto the hub. It's harder to clean a hub than it is a freewheel.

Of course remove any dirt from the outside of the freewheel before you add anything. It's keeps it from flushing down into the freewheel. One other note, I usually just add enough oil until the freewheel "sound" changes. It will start to sound a little drowned.

cyccommute 

You are reading that wrong. The Shimano MF-TZ31 is a freewheel, not a cassette.

trailangel

Why not fix it?

jimc101

Nope, I read it correctly, and so did you, the spec is contradictory

Rear Hub
KT Alloy hub w/Cassette 32h - Silver

Cassette
Shimano MF-TZ31 Megarange 14-34T 7speed

taken from the page I linked to, the bike in the photo looks to have freewheel sprockets, not a cassette.

Add to that, the OP doesn't specify what they have, so either the spec changed before the bike was released, or more likely, it is a freewheel hub as in the photo.

It would be useful if the OP clarified what they have, using the term pawls normally indicate a freehub, as these can be user-serviceable, but not really the case with those in freewheels, as they are deep inside the body of it.

PdalPowr

You always give concise practical answers.
It is funny that even brand new my pawls didn't always make noise.
I mean whether pedaling or coasting.
When they did I thought it was the slightly misaligned chain clicking.
Now I can hear them clicking sometimes since using lube.
Well I am glad to have used jigaloo a spray lubricant at first. It sure washed off all the gunk.
I am going to break down and buy some good 3 in 1 oil.
Come Spring I am going to look at upgrading.

edited to add

I should have mentioned the rear wheel is a very good upgrade.

cyccommute 

While you are correct that they list it as having a "cassette", no one puts cassettes on modern 7 speeds.

PdalPowr

I should have mentioned.
The rear wheel is a very good upgrade.🤗

PdalPowr

Well I got that three in one oil.
It definitely reached the pawls as their clicking became audible soon after.
I am still hoping to make it through to better weather before taking a close look at them.
There is no bike shop anywhere near me. The closest is a half hour drive even if I had a car.🤗

Miele Man

Maybe so but the site twice calls it a cassette.

I've sometimes flushed a freewheel on a wheel that's removed from the bike and laid on its side. I have the pin spanner to fit the lockring on the freewheel body. I loosen that a bit and then saturate the inside of the freewheel with solvent and then I blow it as dry as I can and let it sit to completely dry. When it's fully dry I put a bit of light oil into the freewheel body. I do NOT use 3-in-1 oil as it can gum up quite a bit as it ages. Then I just snug down the lockring again.

Cheers.

PdalPowr

Now that I may be able to handle even in the winter.
The issue being if my hub needs that pin spanner.
I have visited the only bike shop a half hour away from my house if I had a car.
The mechanic was cool but didn't seem like he knew much more than me.
I could call and see if they can service my ride without an appointment.
If the wheel is off the bike it shouldn't take too long.
Thanks for the advice on tri oil.
The last thing I need is gummed up pawls.🤗

PdalPowr

So how can I tell if it is free wheel or cassette by looking at it?
Oh and the wheel is from AlexRims. I don't know what model but
my old bike shop treated me very well and never sold anything but good quality parts.

Miele Man

Okay. I just looked at the specs for the 2016 Norco Yorkville hybrid and see that the ORIGINAL wheel was a threaded Megarange freewheel. BUT... You've stated that your rear wheel is an upgrade. So, what wheel did you put on the bike? Can you post an image somewhere of the wheel off the bike so we can see the rear cogs cluster?

If it's a freewheel it should have two dimpled in t he lockring. Those are what the tool would fit into to unscrew the lockring. If you don't have the tool you can still unscrew the lockring by carefully using a drift pund that fits into one of those dimples and hitting it with a hammer. Once it's loosened it's very easy to unscrew it. Be carefull not to unscrew it very far so that the lockring doesn't come all the way off and cause the ball bearings to fall out.

As cycocommute stated above; if the wheel is laid flat with the freewheel facing up you should then be able to drip a light oil onto the body and allow the oil to seep in past the part of the body that turns and t he part that doesn't. I've done that with many a freewheel.

An image of your cogs cluster would be very helpful at this point.

Cheers

Miele Man

Go to about 2/3 of the way down this page.

Identification: Freewheel or Cassette?

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/free-k7.html

Cheers

PdalPowr

Well no matter what the wheel has to come off the bike.
I can do that tomorrow if the weather holds.
Pics? That depends how my weak tablet is feeling.🤗

PsychoMike

Yeah, in order to do anything with the freewheel or cassette, the wheel needs to come off the bike (I don't think there's enough room around any frame to get in there otherwise).

As for servicing...oil might get you some temporary relief, but chances are you'll have to take off the cassette and freewheel to do any substantive service work on the freehub.

squirtdad

For the most part freewheels (assuming what this is) are lubricated by grease, not oil,so flushing it out with something light is going to create a risk of under lubrication.if much of the grease is removed. I have some luck in lubricating with Phil's Tenacious oil... take the freewheel off and dribble in at the small crack between center and cogs....ala @cyccommute

and to truly clean this up, the only way is to take it apart....and there are about 50 million small ball bearing that are in there waiting to escape and get lost......not hard but a total pain to do

ramzilla

I just take them off the wheel & soak them in diesel fuel for a few days. Scrub em down clean & reinstall. I used to soak them in Type F ATF fluid after. But, not so much anymore. It takes too long to drain off and, makes a mess if you aren't careful.