Scotch Free Roller free wheeling device

[pkhammer]

I picked up a trailer load of Model A parts from an estate today and among the parts was this Banjo/torque tube/driveshaft assembly. The tag says "Scotch Free Roller -Trojan Auto Products Co."
Anyone know anything about this setup? I assume it's an aftermarket free-wheeling device from back in the day.

[nkaminar]

I am going to guess. With the lever in one position it is locked out. With the lever in the other position it allows the car to free wheel when letting off the gas. Try turning the output at the banjo with the lever in both positions. It may be a little stiff from not being used so you may need a pair of pliers and have the input at the transmission side locked from moving.

Remember that song about heading down the California side of the Rockys and "commenced to coasting"? I seem to remember something about spilling everything on the side of the mountain. This is probably something for the flats.

[LeonardS]

Great conversation piece even if you never install it.

[CWPASADENA]

I have never seen one but it is listed in "Those Wonderful Unauthorized Accessories".

Chris W.

[RB]

My father had a 33 Chevy with factory free wheeling, don't recall if it was optional or standard equipped.

[Ray in La Mesa]

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I had one in a '30 coupe in 1968, it is a simple in/out box. When I restored the coupe I pulled it out & sold it to a fellow in Arizona.

[rotorwrench]

It would allow a vehicle to be flat towed without turning the forward portion of the drive system such as the drive shaft, u-joint, and main shaft. The mainshaft is better lubricated when the transmission is being driven so it doesn't receive as much lube when the gears aren't turning.

Folks don't flat tow their collector cars too much. With roll back wreckers, no car has to be flat towed any more.

[gdmn852]

Hello ,I think some early 30,s GM and Studebakers had that as factory equipment, didn’t last long imagine trying to stop a 3 ton Buick with no engine compression and drum brakes , probably fade quickly.Supposed to help save gas was it’s purpose.Also I think my Hudson with overdrive had that feature but could lock it out .

[CWPASADENA]

I once owned a '32 Chevy with factory Free Wheeling. You had to be careful going down a steep hill or it could get away from you.

Chris W.

[ETAModel]

Almost 30 years ago I was in the local Police Academy. An old Salt who'd done 30 years in blue then retired to teach was going over the Transportation Code. There in black and white was a prohibition of coasting or free-wheeling a motor vehicle on State maintained highways. Us pups looked at each other as the old Salt told us that cars used to come with free-wheeling devices. We thought he'd hit the bottle before coming to class. I guess I owe him an apology.

[w.michael]

Now, it’s true my memory gets a little squirrelly, but here goes.

My grandfather had a 1954 Ford with a three speed manual transmission and overdrive. That car always free wheeled, unless you locked it out of overdrive by pulling the cable handle under the dash. If you wanted to push start the car, or use engine breaking, you had to lock it out of overdrive.

Didn’t all of those Fords from the fifties with overdrive free wheel? (And I think Studebaker used the same overdrive.)

W. Michael

[40 Deluxe]

Those cars with overdrive only freewheeled under about 27 MPH which was when the overdrive governor deactivated the overdrive solenoid. Above that speed, overdrive would automatically engage when you briefly let up the gas pedal. Most OD equipped cars had 4.11 ratio rear gears. Shifting into overdrive gave an effective gear ratio of 2.96 which which gave a big drop in RPM and eliminated freewheeling.
So if your grandfather's '54 Ford "always freewheeled", something was definitely wrong with the overdrive (usually electrical).

[daveymc29]

Borg Warner overdrives will free wheel if not set up correctly and some modified to work on the torque tube of the Model A have a switch that must be used to prevent freewheeling. If it fails you get no help from engine braking on slowing the vehicle. If all works correctly there will be no free wheeling when the vehicle is traveling more than 27 MPH hour in the overdrive mode. Out of overdrive there should be zero free wheeling.

[w.michael]

“Only freewheeled under about 27MPH.” Ah, that makes sense. I was about 10 years old so I only drove on farm roads, and never got over 27 MPH!

Also, you could upshift without using the clutch when it was freewheeling.

W. Michael