Zizkov

I'm struggling with disassembling an old road bike and need some advice.

How do I remove these shifters. And how do I remove this cassette?

JohnDThompson 

For the shifters, once you have the bolt out (as in your picture) you should be able to simply pull them straight off the mounting boss. If that's difficult, apply some penetrating oil and rotate the lever to spread it around until it comes free.

The cluster appears to be a Uniglide freehub. The smallest sprocket is threaded, and holds the other sprockets in place. To remove the cluster, you need two chain whips: one to prevent the cluster from rotating while you use the other to unscrew the smallest sprocket (counter-clockwise). Once the smallest sprocket is removed, you should be able to lift the other sprockets straight off the freehub body

SpedFast

I just wanted to note for everyone else that is reading this thread--the DORK DISK IS STILL INTACT!!
I also want to applaud Zizkov for wanting to learn bike mechanics. Good on you,

Zizkov

Thanks, that's what i thought. I guess they're just stuck really hard.

Bill Kapaun

And a note on the Uni Glide hub.
All but the smallest cog can be flipped over to double their life.
HG cogs can be used (except the smallest) by widening the narrow spline with a file or ??

gearbasher

For the shifters, grab them by the tip and wiggle in and out. They usually come loose that way. Is that a celeste Bianchi in the background of the last pic?

Zizkov

Thanks, that worked perfectly. And yes, it's a Bianchi Rekord 841 Special, not the fanciest Bianchi but it's in good nick.

I still can't loosen the smallest sprocket on the freehub. So if someone's got any tricks to share I'd be happy to try them.

sovende

As mentioned above, 2 chain whips are required! One chain whip is wrapped around the large cog the other is wrapped around the small cog (one that you’re removing). The threading on the freehub body is “normal” i.e. righty-tighty, lefty-loosey. The chain whips need to be applied in a way that keeps the cluster from turning counter-clockwise while turning the small cog counter-clockwise to remove it. Applying some penetrating oil (PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench, etc.) to the threading between the small cog and the freehub body may be necessary.

gearbasher

Just like sovende said. I try to get the chain whips as close together as possible. So, one on the smallest cog that you're removing and the other on the next one up if it'll fit. If not, then on the third one. I also try to position them so they look like an opened scissor and I can just grip them in both hands and squeeze them together. I hope you can picture this. My literary talents are limited. There was only one time this method didn't work for me and I broke one of the chain whips in the attempt.

SpedFast

In a pinch that will destroy things you can always borrow a couple of large pipe wrenches. But be forewarned that you will probably destroy cogs doing it this way. If you have a LBS nearby you might take the wheel in and see what they would charge just to pull it off for you, Good luck

Zizkov

It took quite a while but the freewheel is now dismantled and degreased, thanks for all the advice.

It's in a bit if a state though. Are there any copies on the market? The original Shimano Uniglide freewheels on Ebay are a bit to pricey for this bike.

sovende

Ya, using pipe wrenches is likely to be destructive! Chain wrenches are relatively inexpensive tools to buy and IMHO, diy bike mechanics should have 2 of them. For someone that doesn’t have them, a trip to the LBS is the next best choice. For someone that makes frequent purchases, the LBS may not even charge to remove the lock ring/cog. It prolly takes less than 30 seconds to do the job.

Zizkov

I have two chain whips, it was just really tight, probably been sitting there for 30 years

sovende

Did you get it to break free? If not, might I suggest a different method? While gearbasher’s method may work in most cases, for those really stuck cogs, I place the chain whips so that they form a wide “V” with the holding whip on the largest cog (more mechanical advantage) and the loosening whip on the smallest cog. With the wheel standing vertically you can apply significant downward force to the arms of each whip. Even the tightest cog should come loose. Wear gloves, safety glasses and save the beer for when the job is done .

Zizkov

Yes, I finally got it loose. And I actually did just like you suggest, but with wrapped hands 😀