Campag Freehub now quiet???

[Nigel182]

I've a pair of Campagnolo Khasmin wheels 10spd on my Ribble have done just over 2,000 miles on them.
The freewheel was nice and clicky when coasting but while out yesterday it has gone silent also occasionally when starting to pedal after coasting the chain seems to jump.
Couple of questions
Have I killed it ?
Is it in need of a new Freehub ?
Or do I need a new rear wheel ?

Thanks in advance as I've never done this many miles on a bike

 

[Hacienda71]

I am no expert but it sounds like the pawls may be a bit sticky. Might be worth taking the freehub off and giving all a good clean and see if everything is OK inside.

 

[Eribiste]

As per Hacienda's advice, the non-return pawls inside have got gummed up. I would take the wheel off the bike, remove the cassette, then dribble in 3 in 1 oil to the freehub. Keep dribbling and turning until normal service is resumed. If water has got into the hub inthe past you will probably see some rusty looking stuff coming out; use some wipes to keep cleaning this away.

 

[gbb]

Assuming the hub is similar to Fulcrum 5s, which I think it is...dis-assembly and inspection is easy, the pawls are fully visible etc. Wouldnt hurt to give them a little clean and lube anyway. Be aware, if you do, I find my hubs a lot less clicky after lubing so you may not get the clickiness back as loud as it was for a while.

 

[berty bassett]

there is a bit in there holding pawls - i had it break on me so i had no freewheel so when i stopped peddling the chain sort of bunched up then jump all of a sudden - a pack of 3 springy bits cost were cheap enough and solved problem ( you only need 1 ) - but sorry i cant tell you the correct term for them- springy pawl retaining clips should cover it though

 

[Mobytek]

I agree wih the above that it's probably not faital, but please dont just pouri in a tin of 3-in-1.

You've said the free wheel, but you have a casette? it's either a free wheel, or a free hub. decide which it is then proceed.

If you are mecahnicall competenet, then wheel off, casette off, axle out and strip the hib a down to the pawles. they are probs gmmed up with old grease / oil, mud, eater contamination etc. Posability of corrosion, but slim.

De gunge and re build.

Is L'boro shirt for Loughborough per chance?

 

[accountantpete]

I think the Khamsin's have one circular spring which slots into the three pawls.

The spring is very hard wearing but does lose some of it's power through use.

A new spring costs £2 and will restore your clickity hub to its original volume - this entails taking the freehub off which is a bit fiddly when you first try it but soon gets really easy.

 

[Nigel182]

Thanks for the comments will look into it next week work permitting
Let you all know how it goes

 

[berty bassett]

I agree wih the above that it's probably not faital, but please dont just pouri in a tin of 3-in-1.

You've said the free wheel, but you have a casette? it's either a free wheel, or a free hub. decide which it is then proceed.

If you are mecahnicall competenet, then wheel off, casette off, axle out and strip the hib a down to the pawles. they are probs gmmed up with old grease / oil, mud, eater contamination etc. Posability of corrosion, but slim.

De gunge and re build.

Is L'boro shirt for Loughborough per chance?

Irthlingborough ! in the middle bit

 

[MichaelW2]

Some styles of freehub need a light oil, others need a light grease. According to this, campy fall into the grease class.

 

[Sittingduck]

Pete is right - Khamsin freehub has a single pawl 'spring' that warps around all pawls and clips them in place.

 

[ColinJ]

I had a very similar problem with my Khamsins a few weeks ago. I found the pawls were sometimes not engaging after I changed between chainrings. (They never slipped while the tension was on the chain but the momentary reduction in tension was enough to let it happen.)

I found a pack of 5 springs on eBay for about £7. As mentioned above, the same spring is used in Fulcrum hubs.

I have had the problem reoccur only once since cleaning the freehub, replacing the spring, and applying a small amount of light grease as suggested by the Campagnolo service instructions.

 

[Graeme_FK]

The likely problem is failure of the pawl spring as noted above, part # FH-RE114

They are generally sold to retailers in a box of 5 - part # 5-FH-RE114, though 5 pcs is possibly a bit excessive for an end-user, they are generally pretty reliable - the system has been in use by Campagnolo since 2000.

Current hubs are actualy a little quieter than older ones as the pawl spring was changed slightly in 2013 for a heavier, stronger one - to allow greasing to be increased in the drive ring (the grease kills the noise slightly and helps protect the assembly from corrosion). This was also done to help prevent the occasional failures that Campagnolo saw up to that time due to wear and tear or errors in assembly / maintenance.

Agree with post above - don't pour a load of 3 in 1 or any other thin oil in, it can and often does work it's way past the seals in both the cassette and hub bearings and will run the grease out of them - not a great plan. Also on that note, avoid spray or strong detergent-based, or surfactant-based degreasers, they'll do the same.

Fit the new spring (if you feel comfortable doing so, if not, reference a Campag ProShop to do it for you) but in re-introducing the cassette body into the hub, be careful to depress all three pawls to allow the cassette body to just drop in - twisting it anticlockwise whilst pressing as many mechanics do is not a good way to do it (definitely *not* the recommended method) as this can put a kink or nick in the spring at the point where it crosses through the pawl, leading to subsequent failure.

HTH
Graeme

 

[ColinJ]

I have had the problem reoccur only once since cleaning the freehub, replacing the spring, and applying a small amount of light grease as suggested by the Campagnolo service instructions.

So, naturally it happened again on my very next ride after posting that!

I have had the problem reoccur only once TWICE since cleaning the freehub, replacing the spring, and applying a small amount of light grease as suggested by the Campagnolo service instructions.

 

[fossyant]

PS you'll need ear plugs on order when you fix it.

I love the silence of my Dura Ace hubs .