VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 1933 Free Wheeling

This is a continuation of the "RE 1948 MPG" thread that branched off to a discussion of the 1932/33 free wheeling transmission.

Quite a few years ago, I had a really nice, low-mileage 33 Master Sport Coupe that had had an amateur restoration. It was a solid car and a great driver. We were living in Durango, Colorado in the southwest corner of the state at the time. One fine Sunday afternoon in the early autumn, my sister and her family stopped in for a visit and we decided to make a day trip to Mesa Verde National Park, about 60 miles away, to see the very impressive indian ruins there. My wife and my sister and her two kids drove the family car, while my brother-in-law and I drove my 33 Chev.

When we got to the first stop sign leaving home, I noticed that the transmission was free wheeling even though the control knob was in the locked out position. Moving the knob had no effect so I could not lock out the free wheeling feature. An alarm bell went off in the back of my mind, as I remembered there being a pretty steep climb to get to the park (and therefore, a steep decent to get back out), but I ignored it, not wanting to delay the trip.

Once you turn off Highway 160 onto the road into the park, it's about 25 miles to the main part of the park, the first several miles climbing at probably 6% or more, and the final several miles descending at a similar rate into the park.

The climb presented no problem for the 33, but as we began the long decent into the park, I realized that we were in a potentially dangerous situation with the transmission free wheeling. I kept the speed way down, and was on the brakes way more than I wanted to be. They continued to function OK, but I knew it was not good for them, and worse, I felt it would be totally unsafe to try to go back over the top and down the long decent back to the main highway going home.

We made it into the park OK, and while all the others went on the hiking trails to see the ruins, I stayed behind to see if I could see anything obvious wrong with the transmission that was preventing me from locking out the free wheeling. After removing the floor mat and floor board, I operated the free wheeling knob while watching the actuating arm on the transmission and immediately saw what the problem was. The actuating pull wire was slipping in the clamp lug on the end of the actuating arm so that even though the pull wire was moving as it should, the actuating arm was not moving. All that was required was to tighten the screw on the clamp lug. I tightened the clamp, then took a quick turn around the parking lot, breathing a sigh of relief as the free wheeling was now locked out.

The trip back over the hill was uneventful, and now, with the aid of engine compression, I barely needed to use the brakes at all going down the steep grades.

It's easy to see why the free wheeling feature was discontinued after only two years of production. I suppose it'd be OK on a modern car with hydraulic disc brakes, but on a car with mechanical drum brakes, it was a recipe for disaster.

Mark

Mark,
I know the Mesa Verde grades very well. Have been on two VCCA tours in that area with mechanical brake Chevys. It is an adventure!

Most of us put a clamp or bolt or strong wire wrap around the freewheeling arm to permanently lock it out. Can leave the cable hooked up but it is non-functional. If you want to coast down a hill you still can use the clutch pedal.

I had a similar problem with my 33.I was sitting at a red light and when it changed I let the clutch out and started moving.When I went to shift into second gear,I had no trans at all!After coasting off the road,I inspected my car as you did.I found the same problem,but,mine was in between engaging the trans and the free wheeling unit.I engaged the lever back to the trans,tightened the cable and off we went.

But Chipper, when you disable the free wheeling, you miss out on that roller coaster-like thrill of topping out over a steep climb and starting down the other side. When you let off the gas, expecting the car to decelerate, all goes quiet as the motor comes to an idle, and the car actually accelerates. It's almost like flying...until you realize you could be in deep doo doo if the bottom of the hill isn't right around the next bend.

Mark

Now Mark, if you really miss that feeling just push in the clutch as you top the hill and start down. Besides you will need to brace your body if the downgrade doesn't stop (or the car for that matter) at the bottom.

Or you can do what the guy that owns the Gold King Mine in Jerome, AZ did. Rub off speed against the guard rail. That is if there is a guard rail. The mountain side is a little rougher but can be better than tryin' to turn it into a glider.

To get this thread closer to being on theme, most freewheeling units have one or both springs broken so don't work as intended. If you lock it out you don't have to deal with that problem.

Mine is still working but I keep it locked out most of the time. About once a year I use it just to keep things freed up. I do kind of like being able to shift without using the clutch but I live in flat land. I wouldn't even consider using it in mountains or hilly country.