Free wheeling

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After a few decades working on my ’35 I finally tried out the free wheeling for the first time. Around here with all the hills it seemed a very bad idea to even think about it, but around town most trips don’t involve extended grades and I had put in new brake linings. I must say its pretty nice, not having to dump the clutch taking corners and intersections unless a complete stop is necessary. Certainly provides an incentive to roll through stop signs!

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Hi Jim!

Beautiful car! Did you reline the Stewart-Warner Power Bake unit? That unit on the 1933 to 1935’s are like disc brakes when set up properly. I drive our 1247 EDL in freewheeling 99% of the time because the brakes can handle almost anything …and without no readily discernable fade.

The last Service Bulletin covered these quite well. After relining and adjustment by the Late Scott Stastny we did a tour in rural Wisconsin and a deer jumped out of the bushes while we were cruising at 60+. I touched the brake pedal (treadle) and Diana hit her head on the windshield and we missed the deer easily. Driving in the Pennsylvania hills I never took the car out of freewheeling.

The Annual Meet next year is in a beautiful quite hilly area of Arkansas that I have experienced in modern and our 1956 Imperial. I plan to take the 1247 rather than our 1601 because the brakes are so awesome. Experiment, be cautious, but enjoy the easy shifting!

Dave

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I didn’t have it relined. When I had it apart the original lining was in excellent condition with no apparent wear. Took a few tweaks to the wheel adjustment to keep it from going stage left or right but pretty close now. The big external brake shoe adjustment nut is much handier than the classic star ratchet tool on most old cars. I had always been curious about how the system would work per original and wanted to have original brake clutch lining and brake linings. Unfortunately the brake linings were too thin  and had to replace them, and of course can’t get original composition asbestos so not a true recreation. So far though they seem to work well.

I’m chasing a backfire problem riding compression on downhills and the  freewheeling also avoids alarming bangs.

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