4 speed Crash Gearbox Illustration

[Chris Garner]

Still have not managed to find out how to quote or reply. If I could I would be asking M. Requelesse whether the Pyrenees and Alps are in Lincolnshire. Or maybe he ascends them in third gear with the aid of a blower, or competition cam, or a tohc conversion. Wales and the Cotswolds quite often require second, and just very occasionally, premiere gear.

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Comme ça !

[David Stepney]

Bruce, I can't think of an prewar gearbox that was totally quiet. Even Royces emitted a subdued whine in the indirects, whilst that doyenne of engineering and artistic perfection, Bugattis are fiercely noisy. My box makes no worrying noises, athough I suspect it is not as quiet as yours, if the Big Beardy Bloke has heaped praise on it. Even preselector boxes whined, as I remember from the several Daimlers and the Riley 12/4 that I owned when I was younger an more foollish (and petrol was cheaper!) Incidentally, I still consider that the preselector Wilson box is the most civilised way of transmitting the power of the engine to the rear axle.

And Steve, yes I have to resort to the emergency low on occasions. However, this is usually confined to the times when the car is three adults up. Most of the time, it runs with either me alone (8 1/2 stone) or Leon and me (combined weight 16 stone) and bounds up hills with aplomb, even managing to breast hills in either top or third where the usual is to change down, if it is feeling in a particularly good mood. Of course, my car is lighter than your Ruby (which I think is really smart by the way - and I am not a fan of Rubies). My car tips the scales at about 10 1/2 cwt whereas, if memory serves me aright, a Ruby is getting on for 13 cwt and certainly with the ARQ cars, has only 1 1/2 hp more to compensate.

[Steve kay]

Actually the Ruby is pretty good at climbing. It is subjected to quite serious challenges as it is the recce car of choice for historic tour planning, partly because being a saloon allows maps to be read and notes to be made in any weather. Over the years a good many hills mentioned in Nicholson, Cowbourne and of course by our own distinguished historian Julian Hunt have been attempted. A few serious climbs have required first, but only one ever caused a failure, that is Bushcombe, climbing up to Cleeve Hill. This produces perhaps the most alarming Seven experience, having to reverse down a very steep bank. There are probably far more skilled drivers than myself, to whom it would seem very easy trying to see behind whilst attempting cadence braking with the brake lever and desperately hoping that the navvy/passenger has successfully diverted uphill traffic into field gates and farm entrances. It is perhaps on a descent when the Ruby's extra weight is mot noticeable!

[Hugh Barnes]

I always though a gearboxe described as 'Silent Third' was actually a ephemism for 'noisy second'...

[Reckless Rat]

Austin probably discontinued the 4 speed crash because of the cost of machining the constant mesh gears, but it is a sturdy unit and gas stood the test of time unlike many later syn boxes.

[Archivist]

At the risk of slight thread drift, I attach a drawing of a gearbox I am preparing for publication at the moment, a 4 speed 'silent third' gearbox (I also have a similar drawing showing a 3 speed 'silent second). I also have an image of the 'box from Commercial Motor, also attached. I have spoken to a number of people about these so far, but no one has come up with any form of explanation, plausible or otherwise....

I would value any thoughts....

   


  4speedbox commercial motor.jpg (Size: 83.22 KB / Downloads: 269)

[Archivist]

Does no one have any thoughts on this at all? I must admit that, when I was sent the two drawing, I was somewhat blown away in that the drawings are both clearly stated Austin 7 and are dated 1929 (though the copies I have were issued in November 1947). According to the (Austin branded) envelope they came in, they were sent to A Mr. John D Watt of Isleworth. This begs so many questions. What is the origin on the two drawings? How did Mr Watt know they existed? Why did he request them? Why did Austin let him have them?

So many questions...

[Tony Press]

Does no one have any thoughts on this at all? I must admit that, when I was sent the two drawing, I was somewhat blown away in that the drawings are both clearly stated Austin 7 and are dated 1929 (though the copies I have were issued in November 1947). According to the (Austin branded) envelope they came in, they were sent to A Mr. John D Watt of Isleworth. This begs so many questions. What is the origin on the two drawings? How did Mr Watt know they existed? Why did he request them? Why did Austin let him have them?

So many questions...

Maybe Mr Watt was a designer or draughtsman (I can't see any name on the blueprint) at Austin Motor Company who worked on the possible alternative gearboxes and knew of the existence of the drawings. 

Austins would have no need for these in 1947  

Isn't the blueprint lovely- takes me back to my days at Caulfield Institute of Technology where we still used blueprints (exposed in the sun if I remember correctly) sometime in the 1950s

[Old Dave]

Steve Kay said   -    " Still have not managed to find out how to quote or reply. If I could I would be asking M. Requelesse whether the Pyrenees and Alps are in Lincolnshire. Or maybe he ascends them in third gear with the aid of a blower, or competition cam, or a tohc conversion. Wales and the Cotswolds quite often require second, and just very occasionally, premiere gear. "

Well Steve I drove up Fish Hill near Broadway at midday on the Tuesday (hottest day) of last years Jamboree at Moreton. Alice went up mostly in third, but I did have to drop to second a couple of times to maintain momentum, though I was more worried about the car "boiling" really. I didn't loose a drop of coolant all week. If she didn't boil that day she never will.

[Reckless Rat]

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