If a card says to do "X" free action can I then use my normal action to do the same action.
For example, BB-8 says to do a free barrel roll when I reveal a green maneuver. If I have BB-8 and I reveal a green maneuver and do a barrel roll can I then do a barrel roll as my normal action. I am guessing I can't do that because I think the rulebook says you can do the same action twice but I wanted to confirm.
Nope. Regardless of how you get an action, on a card, pilot's ability, etc you can only perform that action once per round.
I got excited when I read BB-8's card on a squad building site. They had omitted the word "action" from the card stating you could perform a free Barrel Roll. My joy was short lived when I had the card in hand.
No, you can't do that. The word "free" doesn't change the fact that it's still a barrel roll action. You still can't ever do the same action twice.
I didnt think so. Thanks for the responses.
Keep in mind that it is technically different than being assigned a token. Soontir Fel can Push the Limit to take the focus and evade actions, and he gets assigned a stress token. Each time he is assigned a Stress Token, he is assigned a Focus token, no matter how many focus tokens he already has, because it is not an action. Same thing if a ship is assigned or instructed to "Acquire a Target Lock." Then, they can perform their own target lock action to acquire another target lock and remove the first, assuming they have a way to perform that action.
Performing a "free" X Action is just the same as performing the X Action so you can only do it once per turn.
I guess I'll also mention that "free" actions usually have plenty of restrictions on their use as well. You may know that some people see "free Action" and think it means they can do it anytime they want.
Nope. Regardless of how you get an action, on a card, pilot's ability, etc you can only perform that action once per round.
I got excited when I read BB-8's card on a squad building site. They had omitted the word "action" from the card stating you could perform a free Barrel Roll. My joy was short lived when I had the card in hand.
But then you realized that due to the ACTION word and performing it before the move, you can perform all the PTL shenanigans 
A free action is also an action, and as such limited to both action limitations
1. no actions when stressed
2. no performing same actions in a turn.
free = anything outside the usual "perform action step" timing window.