Date: Thu, 22 Nov 2001 00:00:43 -0000 From: "Matti Lamprhey" <matti-nospamnopsamlly-official.com> Subject: Re: Freewheeling
<davehinznopsamcop.net> wrote... > Matti Lamprhey <matti-nospamnopsamlly-official.com> produced: > > > I would be interested to know why Saabs had this freewheeling feature. > > Was there perhaps a problem with 2-stroke engine braking, for instance? > > Was the freewheel removed when the engine changed to 4-stroke? Your > > answer implies that it survived that change for a while. > > Hi, Matti. > > Yes, it was specific to the 2-strokers, originally. The deal is this - > the 2-stroke, as you probably know, was originally lubricated by mixing > the engine oil into the gasoline. If you take your foot off the gas on > that engine, the butterfly on the carb(s) closes, and you get very little oil. > > Without a freewheel, you're then moving the engine fast, but with little > oil. Bad thing. > > The freewheel lets the engine drop to idle, the car basically coasts as > if you were out of gear, and the engine gets the lubrication that it > needs based on the engine speed, metered through the carb at idle as it > needs it. > > The carryover to the V4's was simple - same transmission, and it's more > work to take it out than leave it in. I like the feature, and I suspect > others did at the time as well. > > As far as putting it in the 99's, well, no technical reason at all, so I > can only say it must have been what folks expected to be there. > > Hope this helps? Certainly does -- thanks a lot, Dave. Matti