SunTour Freewheel "Perfect" model

[Criminal]

Hello again folks,
I have been working on a bike and when cleaning the freewheel (6 speed) noticed that the spacer between the top 3 and bottom 3 cogs was wider than the other spacers. I had ridden the bike as received and noticed that the shifting seemed odd and thought it may have been due to the improper chain width. Bike was purchased from the original owner, but I highly doubt that she had dismantled and overhauled the FW unit. The wheels were not original, but the FW still might have been from the stock wheels since it would be of the correct period for the year of the bike ('80-'81 Colnago Super). I have no idea if the FW had been reworked (for maintenance or gear change), but inspecting the cogs shows that the teeth are not beveled as I believe all Suntour cogs were for this model. The teeth show little wear for it's age. Am I am correct in assuming that the unit was reassembled with replacement cogs? I also assume that the wide spacer is actually correct for the chain, the that the narrow spacers are actually the wrong ones and should be replace since the shifting problem was related the the chain "skating" across the cog and not settling into place (might also be attributed to the non-beveled teeth?). I will remove the FW and replace with another, as well as measure the chain to ascertain it's size. Are there markings on the cogs that would identify them as Sun Tour parts? I have another "Perfect" FW somewhere that I had dismantled decades ago, but I do not remember any specifics regarding markings or the teeth profile.

Thanks for any input!

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

It could be that the spacing was unique to the derailleur that came with the bike.

This would be an "integrity assurance" move by the company to keep interest in their components.

If it is truly a threaded freewheel, I would suggest replacing it with a SunRace model. They have a great road model for 7 Speed that runs a very rare 13-25 range.

[Criminal]

(05-27-2021, 12:16 AM)ReapThaWhirlwind Wrote:  It could be that the spacing was unique to the derailleur that came with the bike.

This would be an "integrity assurance" move by the company to keep interest in their components.

If it is truly a threaded freewheel, I would suggest replacing it with a SunRace model. They have a great road model for 7 Speed that runs a very rare 13-25 range.

Thanks, I may check that FW out, but I need to review what I have on hand as I just found a Regina Extra (CX/CX-S) 7 speed with bevelled teeth (also grooved like their earlier models) in a parts bin. I need to see what the gear range is on it. I just came back from vacation up north and rode the Colnago with that Sun Tour FW without any issues except the previously mentioned problem; but knowing now what caused the issue allowed me to better shift without any slippage. Only problem is that it is not ideal for hills/mountain climbing with the large FW cog only being 24T and my small front ring is 44T (bike is set-up for Florida flat land). I had to use my Lemond Alpe d'Huez bike to climb the mountain, and even though it has a 53T; its small ring is 38T and can climb really well with a road 7 spd (13-23) even with my out of shape climbing legs.