Yes I know if i change the freewheel to a larger range I will need a new rear mountain bike type derailler. I have no problem spending the $ for that.

Thank you for the links to the new widerange freewheels available. I did not know of their availability. Do you know if any of them are any good? Do you know if i could use the 8 9 or 10 speed freewheels? I am not familiar with new 8 9 or 10 speed freewheels, I assume if i used 9 or 10 i would need a front cranksest that is designed to work with modern 9 or 10 speed chains? That might not be a problem since i may use a modern crankset anyway.

What are these new 8 9 and 10 speed freewheels designed for? Are they designed to use on vintage bikes but to get more speeds and use modern cranksets? Or are they designed for electric bikes that have wider hubs than vintage bikes?

I am assuming if i got one of these new 8 or 9 or 10 speed freewheels to use on my Trek 760 I might have a problem with fit on the rear hub, it may not be wide enough. But I am guessing. I know that
the Suntour 7 speeds used cogs that were thinner to fit in the regular 6 speed freewheel space width.

I doubt that these new 8 9 and 10 freewheels are thinner to fit in the regular 6 freewheel space am I wrong?

My trek 760 has a 7 speed suntour freewheel.

I'd be surprised if the 8, 9, and 10 speed ones would fit on your wheel with your current axle length/spacing. I know that some people had some problems with the DNP 7 speed freewheels with regards to quality and precision of the teeth while others did not. Sounds like the quality was rather variable. That might have been what your lbs mechanic was referring to.

My mechanic and I were referring to new 7 speed freewheels which I think are sold by a company called IRD (interloc racing). I found them online and read some mixed reviews and then my mechanic told me he doesnt like them, not well made, noisy. I have also read bad reviews of the Sunrace freewheels that are linked to post on this discussion.

I'm bummed Shimano seems to have discontinued the Mega 7 freewheel that sheldon raved about here:
https://sheldonbrown.com/mega7/
I was so taken with his description that I have a new 11-28 in my parts bin waiting for the right wheels.
I checked ebay with a search on "Shimano freewheel 7" and there are plenty of 13-28 blocks out there.
Also several 12-21 dura ace described as "like new," and you know why.

Shimano makes a 6 speed megarange freewheel that is 14-34.
Shimano makes a 7 speed megarange freewheelthat is 13-34.
There's 2 diff ones which is why some of the posts in this discussion say 14-34 and some say 13-34.
I believe there are similar differences between the non-megarange shimano freewheels-- ie the 6 speed one is 14-28, there is probably a 7 speed one that is 13-28.
My 1983 Trek 760 has 7 speed but it was a special Suntour freewheel that had 7 cogs in the width of 6. So I do not think a standard new 7 speed freewheel will fit on the stock wheel/hub. I think I'd have to get a 6 speed one. But I could be wrong.

So when some people say here that they can get a new freewheel with 13-28 and someone else says they only sell a 14-28, I think it is because some of the freewheels are 6 speed and some are 7.

If anyone knows if i can use a new Shimano 7 speed freewheel on my stock 760 let me know, but i think i would have to get the 6 speed freewheel.

Interesting. Have done several low budget 6 to 7 speed freewheel conversions (with friction, indexed, or STI shifters). Often need to make space for that 7th cog. Use some cone wrenches and move a washer from the non-drive side of the axle to the drive side, re-center the bearings on the axle (getting the drive side very tight, then doing final bearing adjustments on the non-drive side), re-dish the wheel by adjusting the spokes a small amount (maybe 1/4 of a turn tighter on the drive side, loosen spokes by the same amount on the non-drive side).

But too much dish is a bad thing. And freewheels hubs have an built-in issue, the drive side bearings are close to the center of the axle = bent or broken axles (larger riders beware). If you like the frame, want to ride it allot, and would not mind spending money, you could load up on newer components: cassette hub for 8 9 or 10 speed gearing, new cranks/rings (triple or compact), new chain, new derailleurs, possibly "brifters". One of my rebuilt bikes retained only the original frame, fork, headset, and rear brake.

Keep your existing cranks:
Budget option parts costs about $25 for a chain and a 13t-32t 7 speed freewheel. Keep your existing cranks-rings & derailleur. If your derailleur can take up as much slack chain as a short cage Dura Ace or 105 racing derailleur it will work ok with a 13t-32t 7 speed freewheel on 52t/42t chainrings.
Mountain cage rear on a 52t/42t front? Not needed for a 13t-32t. Not much gained with a 13t-34t. Good option though if you change the crank to a triple or compact.

Had only known of the 11t Shimano freewheels. Just stumbled on those other brands of 11 speed freewheels with a quick google search. See some results with various terms, like "13-32 freewheel". Would rather have Shimano quality, but the cheap ones have worked for me, and the rudimentary shift ramps on the cogs make them shift better than old plain cogs, or twist tooth cogs.

Great info by last poster, but i am intent on using the original wheels. They are very high quality lightweight wheels. So that leaves me stuck with using freewheels, probably a 6 speed, maybe a 7 speed. Id rather not have to widen the spacing on the frame for a modern wheel.

Changing to a modern wheel would just incur considerable cost and not give me much in terms of gain. I dont care about indexed shifting/brifters. I am no expert on wheels but i think to get wheels as good as the stock wheels would cost over $300 new. I could just replace the rear wheel, but again Id like to use the orig. wheel. What i have considered is replacing the rear hub with a modern one and reusing the rim, but again i dont see the point of that expense. I am willing to throw in some money into the bike to get it useful but dont want to incur a lot more expense than necessary. So that means keeping rear wheel and using a new freewheel on it.

[QUOTE= Put a dual pivot front brake on all my old bikes. Save all of the parts I've pulled in a box.[/QUOTE]

Why on the front and not the back?

Right now i hvae 2 bikes with brakes that I find weak in terms of stopping power for unknown reasons. (I started a thread on it called weak Diacompe brakes) .
One is a 1987 Schwinn Voyageur touring bike with Diacompe center pull. The other is a 1982 Trek311 with Diacompe sidepull. On person advised to take the brakes apart, clean, regrease the pivot and put back togheter. Another person said new dual pivot brakes are much better.
(The current brakes were already adjusted, cables checked, brake pads replaced on the Trek, by a good mechanic.)

I think rear brake stopping power is more critical than front (no fun going over the handlebars on a short stop using only front) so wondering why you only replace the front brakes?

Because most people feel that the rear break is more for speed modulation and the front is where you should derive most of your stopping power. Part of that is due to no matter how you stop your weight will move forward when you hit the brakes. If you mainly use your rear, that forward shift in center of gravity can lead to partial unweighting of your rear wheel which could lead to a skid out and not so pleasant consequences. That same forward shift in center of gravity will put more weight on the front tire and lead to better stopping (assuming you do it right and don't go over your bars as you fear).

The front brake does most of the work anyway. Putting a stronger brake on the rear only makes it easier to skid the rear wheel and once that happens you've reached maximum braking regardless of what the caliper is capable of doing; i.e. it doesn't improve braking performance that much.