>Having worked for a Saab dealership in the 60's when the Ford V4 engines
>were being used, I can attest to how neat they were. But the real
>interesting innovation was the free-wheeling device that they used. It was
>a simple roller/ramp affair that allows the roller bearings to roll freely
>in one direction but have to climb a ramp in the other direction. That
>caused them to lock down when the ramp became too tight for free travel.
>
>One side was attached to the engine and the other side was attached to the
>transmission and when the thing was engaged, as long as the engine rpm was
>lower than the transmission rpm, the thing would free-wheel. It was a
>great
>fuel saving device. When the engine rpm rose above that of the gearbox,
>the
>engine power was then transferred to the drive train and normal operation
>was resumed. In free-wheeling mode, you could shift the entire gearbox
>through the entire range of gears without ever engaging the clutch.
>
>Disengaging the device would return the car to a normal arrangement.
>
>Joe C.
Sounds like the sprag clutch on a helicopter that lets the engine drive the
rotor but allows the rotor to autorotate when the engine quits.
Er... if.
John
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