VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 32 "Free Wheeling"

A friend has asked me to help him with his '32 Phaeton. He asked about the knob marked "Free Wheeling" I showed him what it did but having never seen or used one before I still have a couple of questions. 1) Can you shift it while moving? I assume one might be able to shift it while under load but not while it is actually free wheeling. 2) I could just try this, but I have it up on blocks doing a brake job. Will it back up while in free wheeling? I am guessing it will only back up in reverse while the free wheeling feature is disengaged. Thanks

First of all, don't drive the car in Free Wheeling...it is too dangerous! That is why Free Wheeling was discontinued after 1933.

1. Yes, you can shift the car while in Free Wheeling.
2. The Free Wheeling is automatically disengaged when the car is shifted into reverse.

Having owned my 33 Master since 1979 with the Freewheeling disconnected, I actually still never found out why they are so dangerous and I had no interest in trying it out. Can somebody provide a description of what it was SUPPOSED to do as well as a description of what was/is so dangerous about using it? Again, I have no interest in trying, just real curious to know. Thanks.

Jeff

Hello JD,
If you were Free Wheeling down a hill while in third or fourth gear, going 90 MPH, could you disengage the Free Wheeling and slow down under compression? If you were stopped at a stoplight while going up hill in low gear, and a curious passenger engages Free Wheeling without your knowledge, when the light turns green and you go to accelerate and move ahead, would you roll backwards into the motorcycle behind you? Just curious thanks.

Freewheeling merely disengages the transmission from the rear end when power is not being applied from the engine. There is no compression braking. The engine returns to idle when ever the throttle is released. There may or may not be a connection when stopped at a traffic light. Depends on if a little power is being applied or not. The hazard is the lack of engine braking. Also there is often a jerk when engine goes from idle to actually powering the drive shaft. You can get the same action by pushing in the clutch.

I have my freewheeling locked out but took a ride with another member with a 32 and he demonstrated the freewheeling feature. We went up a slight hill with the freewheeling locked out and then turned around and went down. At about 30 MPH he put it into freewheeling and we coasted downhill until reaching approximately 35 MPH. When we reached the point where our motel entrance was coming up he disengaged the freewheeling and it went right into direct drive with no problems. The main reason freewheeling was considered dangerous was if on a steep hill and excessive speed you lose the ability to get it back into direct gear thus lack engine compression for slowing down and unless the mechanical brakes are in top notch condition slowing the car to a safe speed may be impossible.

All of the above are true.

Many people were getting killed with runaway vehicles that were engaged in the Free Wheeling mode while going down hill.

Free wheeling is probably the dumbest idea you will ever find on a Chevrolet. Mine is permanently locked out.

My 32' Olds DCR has freewheeling. It has a safety interlock linkage on the clutch pedal. The car cannot be shifted into free wheeling without first depressing the clutch pedal. The early production cars did not come with the interlock linkage originally and it was dealer added later on in the production year to those early cars.
My own free wheeling unit drum has been welding together to prevent usage. I am currently looking for parts to restore it to operational condition just for sake of originality.

While on one of the early six cylinder tours I was helping one of the other participants under his car. I do not remember who it was. The free-wheeling unit was sealed in the locked out position and had a tag on it from the state patrol. Seems some states were pretty serious about not having them used.