First road bike . . . a few problems
 

This is my first road bike, 1985 Schwinn Sprint, and the first time i have worked on bikes. I like to think that i am fairly mechanicaly inclined so working on them hasnt been to hard so far. I have adjusted the brakes and put on a new chain and tires.

First problem is that when ever i stop pedaling my chain goes limp because the back gears keep spinning. Is something wrong or do i just need to oil them.

Second problem may be related to the first.. My rear gears like to shift by themselves i think for the same reasons as listed above

3rd problem is that when I want to shift up to my last gear (10) form the previous gear (9) it doesnt like to **** but when i drop dow to rh gear before theat (7) and shift to the top gear (10) it will go right away. Im also having trouble shifting my front gears from the smaller one to the lower one. do my cables just need to be adjusted?

Any info would be great.

All three of those problems sound like your rear derailleur needs an adjustment. Surf around on Sheldon Brown's site or pay a shop mechanic to adjust it for you.

Freewheel likely needs oiling. You should get the alignment of the rear derailleur hanger checked by a mechanic to make sure it's straight. Other than that, it sounds like you just need a simple gear adjust.

+1 to oiling the freewheel to at least get it working right, but that does sound like it would have a bit to do with prob #2. once you do that, you may want to just get new shift cables and housings if your may be suspect. install and adjust them and make sure your deraillur isn't bent or otherwise damaged and everthing is working and moving ok. also check the travel limiter screws on both derailleurs to ensure you are getting enogh travel

if your as mechanically inclined as you say, it'll be easy.

i loosened the limiter screw and i think that has helped where do i oil the free wheel and what type of oil/grease should i use

Most penetrating lubricants will do fine in a medium weight oil. At the LBS you'll find Phil Wood tenacious oil or Speed Skate oil. At auto shops you can ask for bearing oils. Folks are mixed on using greases, but a lighter greases will work if you go light. It's usually a 10mm hex to get the freehub body off for a thorough oiling...

If there's no chain protector on the rear wheel, with the wheel off the bike and the drive side of the wheel facing the ground, just turn the freewheel by hand and drip oil into the crack between the part that turns and the part that doesn't turn.

Even better is to take the freewheel off of the wheel, when you get the tool for removal. I use light lube in my freewheel - Triflow.

I've heard of people doing crazy things like bathing their entire freewheel in one lube or another, then wiping it down before putting it back on the wheel. Sounds nuts to me.

Up Date

I oiled the freewheel and fixed getting into the last gear. Im still having a problem with the automatic shifting. Any ideas?

"Automatic shiftin" probably means that your derailleur is still not adjusted, or if you don't have indexed gears, then it means you might not be shifting far enough, or you are shifting too far on each gear. If you have indexed gears, you said that you set the limit stops, but did you adjust the cable tension? You also said that you replaced the chain, did you make sure to get the same chain as the old one? That can also cause problems

Did anyone read the OP? Its an '85 vintage bike. If it is self shifting from larger cogs to the smaller ones then tighten the screw that holds the shifter onto the downtube.

+100000000 to steev. Thats all that needed to be done. I am kind of ashamed of myself haha

Same here. It's been so long since I've touched a vintage bike.

Everything seems to be working fine now except for the front derailleur getting into the higher gear sprocket from the lower one