Hi guys,
I just had my plastic freewheel repacked, that is cleaned and re-greased and it now runs quiet.
I already bought the aluminum one as a replacement but was happy with the result that I’m holding on to the plastic freewheel until the teeth has finally worn off.
It is handy to have a strong magnet to keep all the ball bearings and do separate them per side so that you don’t have to count the bearings when trying to put them back.
The mechanic used a aerosol degreaser to to clean the parts then re-greased on the runners and glued back each ball bearing in place.
Do not pack it full of grease as it will just ooze out. I have read that the ideal amount of lube is about 2/3 of the bearing.