Free wheel problems

[babybazzer]

Hi Rod, thank you for taking the time to reply. The lever and solderless nipple I refer to are at the gearbox end of the cable, on top of the freewheel unit and perfectly accesible when the car was in bits.I did purchase a workshop manual and adjusted the cable as instructed, from the dashboard end. However, the problem as outlined still persists, working sometimes, not always taking up after a gearchange, and sometimes refusing to engage drive completely from standstill. I am becoming resigned to simply not using it as I fear one day the drive may refuse to take up from standstill completely. This intermittent action puzzles me though, why does it work sometimes and not others. Something is obviously sticking somewhere, which comes back to oil again. Can I flush the gearbox in any way in an attempt to free things off ? Got to say I am reluctant now to strip everything down again.
Thanks for the hint about the clutch cable, but after 35 years of dabbling with classic cars, even I'm not that stupid
Advice still gratefully received.

[Phil - Nottingham]

Dain and redfil with parafin and run in gear with back wheel up. Drain and repeat but leaver overnight and then drain and refil with cheap 25/50 and run and drain again and then reill with chepa 20/50. If Ok put in suitable EP90.

Paraffin has anti-lube properties so do not load box - if you not dare use this method try engine flushing oil in place of parafin

[babybazzer]

Thanks Phil, I will give that a go. I presume you think it is the mechanism sticking , because of the intermittent operation?
Cheers, David.

[Phil - Nottingham]

Possible - you have nothing much to loose by trying it otherwise a strip down is indicated

[babybazzer]

Thanks Phil,
At last after the icy blasts we will all have felt, I'm finally going to have a go at the freewheel. Just a couple more questions if you don't mind. How long should I run the car for, firstly with the parrafin and then the oil in the gearbox ? does it need the freewheel to be engaged or not, or do a bit of both, and also does it matter what gear the car is in, as long of course as the wheels are up. Finally I'm sure I have picked up somewhere the gear oil should be a straight EP90, not Hypoy, or have I just imagined this !!
Thank you again for your time, I will report back on my results
Best wishes, David.

[Phil - Nottingham]

I would not actually drive it with parafin - just jackup one wheel and start run for 30 secs stop and do this several times to slosh it around. Parafin is an antilubricant. So I would fill gear box with flushing oil or even better 1 pint of Meths, drain before filling with EP90 or 20/50 engine oil

[babybazzer]

Thanks Phil,
I can now report that I have a fully functioning freewhweel !! The only task that now remains is for me to get used to it !
The oil that came out of the box at first was not too bad, but after the first flush with Paraffin the stuff that drained out was pretty grotty. Maybe this is me more than the car, but occasionally the drive does not take up immediately after changing gear, sometimes I have to let the revs die down for several seconds before it will re - engage. This is probably my technique rather than the device itself, and would I be correct in thinking that the more use it gets the operation of it will improve ?

Thank you again for taking the time to reply,

Regards, David.

[Phil - Nottingham]

Glad you got it sorted - might be technique or its still a bit sticky - may well improve after more use and when gearbox oil warms up. Use it more!

[SundayForever]

If the freewheel is OK following the reverse test the best way to adjust it, in my experience is to take off the gearbox cover, eliminate the adjustment in the inline adjuster behind the freewheel knob and then loosen the cable clamp on the end of the freewheel cable. This is inside the screw-on cover at the back of the gearbox, look at where the freewheel cable enters the gearbox at the front for a reference. It is also worth checking at this point that the outer of the freewheel cable is correctly seated at the front of the gearbox into the reverse selector rod. With the car in a forward gear and the freewheel knob fully rotated to engage, reposition the cable clamp so there is some movement in the cable before it actuates the freeewheel rod.