snowhoss said:
Not sure why the sarcastic response, but I posted the question because I am not a bike mechanic and I wouldn't know a damaged freehub from a brand new one. Maybe I should have asked what are the tell-tale signs of a freehub gone bad.
James
Well, James, it wasn't sarcasm, but if you're so sensitive that you read things into plain English maybe you shouldn't ask here and just take your bike to a shop.
It's hard enough to understand a noise description on the internet let alone tell you exactly what you should do because of a noise or what it means specifically. First, I'd try and isolate the noise more specifically (take the wheel out of the frame for example to get the other components out of the equation), spin the hub bearings and freehub by hand with your ears close up and see if you can narrow it down; turning the wheel in the bike doesn't necessarily mean much.
If it is indeed a freehub problem, it's either going to be the bearings being the problem or the pawls, and based on a noise alone you really won't know anything until it fails, or you take it apart, or replace it (for example, Shimano freehubs are such a pain to disassemble that replacement is the usual option if there's a problem with the freehub; Shimano doesn't even sell the basic tool you need to do it anymore). There may not be any overt signs of a problem until it fails, too (and that actually can be a serious problem if it locks up on you at the wrong time).
From the look I just had on the FSA website that's a similar type to the Shimano at least, but it doesn't explain how to take it apart. It might not be too difficult, though. I googled around a bit and found little on the FSA freehub at all let alone details and the FSA website doesn't seem to have any. They're somewhat obscure wheels which doesn't help (FSA doesn't even sell hubs apparently); you'll probably have a bit of trouble finding a replacement freehub if you need to go that route. With a Shimano freehub you can flush it with solvent and then lube with a Morningstar freehub buddy and often get good results without taking it completely apart. You might look at the loose bearing freehub service procedure on parktool.com.
I'm not a professional mechanic, although I am fairly competent with my own gear and do all my own work on the stuff I own. I was a part owner of a shop last year and did some work in the shop but limited to what I was comfortable with or learned from the more experienced guys. I've learned a lot over the many years I've been cycling by taking things apart, reading manuals, buying lots of special tools and listening to a lot of knowledgeable people here (mostly in reverse order but not always
).
Good luck!
