Skip to main content

Freewheeling

  • balinwire
  • Offline
  • Premium Member
  • Registered
More
21 Mar 2004 03:10 #1465 by balinwire
Replied by balinwire on topic Auburn economy run
With today?s modern glass fiber body parts and aluminum flashlights and wonderful polished tools it is difficult to remember when there were few paved roads and no interstate high speed highways.

When Henry Ford?s wife saw his first car she asked him why the tires were so narrow. He replied, ? You have never seen a fat racehorse!?. What is forgotten is there was a time when economy was important. Before modern oil well drilling crude could bring 300 dollars a barrel. The first automobiles had small engines with no more than four cylinders.

Soon six?s appeared and economy was still on people?s minds. <Difficult to believe in today?s fuel guzzling economy. > The manufacturers had three speed transmissions and soon added overdrives for higher cruising speeds. The speeds traveled were very slow by today?s standards. It was something for a vehicle to do a mile a minute!

Lets say we put the family in the car and travel from Los Angles to Santa Barbara in 1938. The roads would be maybe a narrow two lane with some slight grades. The engine would work pulling the grade and when at the peak and rolling downhill, with freewheeling disengaging the entire drive train, the only resistance would be the tires and wheel-bearing load. Incredible economy could be achieved. You would have no engine braking but there would be nothing in your way and you could roll for miles.

Remember that there was no air conditioning, power steering, or many accessories to strain the small motor then. It is a little unnerving to drive one of these freewheeling jobs on today?s interstates and hoping there are no sudden traffic stops, but there were no power brakes and most fast stops were white knucklers anyway.

I have a Studebaker overdrive with freewheeling on a 1939GMC with a 220 six. I installed a Winfield carburetor that has no accelerator pump and if it had a little better wind resistance and less weight it would probably be one of the most efficient engine transmission I have owned. It has traveled 295 miles on a tank that only holds 10 gallons. Not bad for a carryall truck. Now I would not try that nowadays as it is at a speed of less than 50 miles per hour. With emission controls this would not be possible in today?s cars but an Auburn with freewheeling would be a wonderful thing, just what the factory ordered.

The Cord I have has very high gearing with the 1936 drive unit. They lowered the ratio for 1937 as it was to high. An owner of a high-powered Cord in those days would not be interested in economy I suppose, only going fast.

Freewheeling is an item that is not well remembered but a very nice option and I would recommend keeping it intact. Another option that you may remember is the ?hill holder? brake applier. This is an option you may want to defeat.

Thank the Lord for E.L. Cord!

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Mike Dube
  • Offline
  • Moderator
  • Registered
More
20 Mar 2004 01:08 #1455 by Mike Dube
Replied by Mike Dube on topic Freewheeling
I find that the freewheeling can be shifted in and out quite smoothly w/o clutching with a little practice. I don't use it too much either, but do like everything on my cars to work. With most things mechanical, if you don't exercise them a bit now and then, pretty soon they don't work.

Mike
8-100A

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • MICHAEL S SMITH
  • Offline
  • ACD Club Life Member
  • Registered
More
19 Mar 2004 21:19 #1452 by MICHAEL S SMITH
Replied by MICHAEL S SMITH on topic Freewheeling
LEE
JUST LOOKED ON EBAY AND SAW THAT YOU BOUGHT YOUR CAR ON IT.
LOOKED LIKE GREAT BUY. SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED BUYING/BIDDING MYSELF.
GOOD LUCK
MIKE

MICHAEL S SMITH ACD LIFE MEMBER #40
851 auburn phaeton
851 auburn sedan
810 cord westchester
812 cord phaeton(ex Tressler Swiss)
812 cord custom s/c beverly
812 cord s/c cabriolet
812 cord s/c beverly
80 866 speedster (pray factory built)

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • MICHAEL S SMITH
  • Offline
  • ACD Club Life Member
  • Registered
More
19 Mar 2004 21:10 #1451 by MICHAEL S SMITH
Replied by MICHAEL S SMITH on topic Freewheeling
LEE
FORGOT TO MENTION HOW TO OPERATE.
AS I RECALL BEST ACCOMPLISHED AT VERY LOW SPEED CLUTCH IN MOVE LEVER. WHEN FREEWHEELING IS ENGAGED YOU HAVE NO REVERSE GEAR,( ANOTHER THING THAT KEEPS MOST PEOPLE FROM USING)
YOURS
MIKE

MICHAEL S SMITH ACD LIFE MEMBER #40
851 auburn phaeton
851 auburn sedan
810 cord westchester
812 cord phaeton(ex Tressler Swiss)
812 cord custom s/c beverly
812 cord s/c cabriolet
812 cord s/c beverly
80 866 speedster (pray factory built)

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • MICHAEL S SMITH
  • Offline
  • ACD Club Life Member
  • Registered
More
19 Mar 2004 21:03 #1450 by MICHAEL S SMITH
Replied by MICHAEL S SMITH on topic Freewheeling
LEE
INFO IN OTHER POSTS IS CORRECT IN ADDITION A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FREE WHEELING IS GOOD BECAUSE CARS SO EQUIPPED HAD LARGER BRAKES TO COMPENSATE FOR LACK OF ENGINE BRAKING, ALSO GREAT FOR TOWING CAR BECAUSE DISENGAGING KEEPS BOTH TRANNY AND ENGINE FROM TURNING WITH DIRVE WHEELS. IN DIVING CAR IT IS NOT WORTH A DAMN, CAR JERKS EVERY TIME IT ENGAGES AND DISENGAGES, AND IT IS ANNOYING AT BEST. I HAD A 32 SPEEDSTER WITH FREE WHEELING AND AS I SAID THE BEST THING ABOUT IT WAS THAT YOU JUST DISENGAGED IT PUT CAR ON DOLLY TYPE HAULER AND IT TOWED WONDERFULLY.

YOURS
MIKEE

MICHAEL S SMITH ACD LIFE MEMBER #40
851 auburn phaeton
851 auburn sedan
810 cord westchester
812 cord phaeton(ex Tressler Swiss)
812 cord custom s/c beverly
812 cord s/c cabriolet
812 cord s/c beverly
80 866 speedster (pray factory built)

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Lee Davis
  • Topic Author
  • Visitor
  • Guest
19 Mar 2004 14:27 #1447 by Lee Davis
Replied by Lee Davis on topic Freewheeling
Well, I appreciate the information. There is a short lever just down in front of the seat (over the transmission), and I assume this is the lever that engages/disengages the feature. On my Hupmobile, there is a button on the top of the gear shift knob that actuates a metal rod running down the gear lever. I would assume that this is the same disengage linkage in the Hupmobile fashion. It is all a little clearer now. Thanks! Lee Davis

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Lycoming-8
  • Offline
  • Moderator
  • Registered
More
19 Mar 2004 07:03 #1444 by Lycoming-8
Replied by Lycoming-8 on topic Freewheeling
Can't speak for how the Hupp system worked, but the Auburn free-wheeling unit has a fairly large spring device that is coiled in such a way that if you are putting power to the wheels the spring tightens up around a hub that transmitts the power. If on the other hand you are coasting and the wheels are trying to drive the engine, the spring unwinds and looses contact with the internal hub. This prevents the wheels from driving the engine. Obviously this can be somewhat dangerous in certain conditions where engine braking is needed, so there is a lever that locks the free-wheeling feature out and a plunger that does the same when the main transmission is shifted to reverse. Primary reason for this feature on an Auburn was to ease the shifting of the 2-speed axles when the car is in motion. The 2-speed shift was accomplished with a dog clutch, so it was either in high or low range.

'31 Auburn Coupe

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Visitor
  • Guest
19 Mar 2004 01:53 #1439 by
Replied by on topic Free wheeling
The freeing aspect is when you are driving down the road and let your foot from the accelerator, the transmission disengages so that there is no back pressure from the engine, once you step back on the gas it engages and off you go. There should be some sort of lever to engage or disengage this option. I am not exactly sure ,but I think there is a one way clutch mechanisum. I have only driven a few cars with this option. The first time was interesting.
Ken Clark

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

  • Lee Davis
  • Topic Author
  • Visitor
  • Guest
19 Mar 2004 00:21 #1438 by Lee Davis
Freewheeling was created by Lee Davis
Well, I have a older restored 8-98 now, and my reading mentions the "freewheeling" transmission. I also have a 1931 Hupmobile 6 that is awaiting restoration, and has a freewheeling transmission. What is freewheeling? I think I know, but I am unsure, having never driven one before. Can anyone shed some light on it for me, and explain the operation? Thanks... Lee Davis

Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.

Powered by Kunena Forum