Broken Freewheel?
 

I just bought a Raleigh Record (not the best bike I know) and I can pedal it and the rear wheel doesn't move. Sometimes it'll catch, but most of the time it just clicks. I don't know the exact year, but I'm guessing mid-eighties. I have all the right tools so I'm wondering if this is something I can fix or if it just needs to be replaced. Thanks in advance for any help.

The internal pawls maybe broken but they are more likely just gummed up with dried lube or grease.

The quickest fix is to remove the freewheel, soak it in mineral spirits or kerosene for a while while spinning it to get the solvent down into the bearings and pawls. Drain it thoroughly, then drip a lot of light oil into the gap where the stationary core and rotating outer barrel meet. Rotate it to distribute the oil and see if that solves the problem.

In theory these things can be dismantled and cleaned but it's akin to watchmaking. There are those who do it but it's a lot more time efficient to buy a new one. Freewheels are cheap. Also, if there are broken parts, you can't get replacements so all the work will be for nothing.

I've had pretty good luck by just spraying lots of WD40 into a freewheel that does this. Let it sit for a while to give it a chance to penetrate completely.