Wilson pe-selector gearbox

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China Shenzhen ZHAOWEI Machinery & Electronics Co. Ltd engages in designing, manufacturing and marketing all kinds of electric motors. They are mainly suitable for the following applications: smart home application used in smart kitchen and laundry, medical instrument for personal care, smart E-transmission applied in automobile, industry automation applied in telecommunication and a great variety of plastic/metal planetary gearbox in different sizes.
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[Robert Mulain]

Hi folks
My dad is planning to build a model of a Wilson pre-selector gearbox,
and asked me to look on the net for information about them. I tried
Google, which returned enough sites for me to reckon this newsgroup
might be relevant, but didn't seem to have any sites about the actual
gearbox and its technicalities.
Not sure what kind of help I'm looking for, but all contributions
gratefully received.
--
Jill

I once had a 1948 Daimler DE27 Hearse, which used a 4 speed preselect gearbox, with fluid flywheel. She was quite a beast, and luckily for me, the transmission worked perfectly, without so much as an oil change since she was effectively 'dumped' back in the 1960's - couldn't get the right oil anyway without difficulty (engine ran on straight 30 grade - 20/50 would not do, no matter how much STP!).
She was a beauty to drive, once the steering box was replaced (same as a mil float oddly enough?), and the hydraulic brakes were working (front wheels only, back was mechanical - driving without front brakes NOT recommended with a four ton motor!). She pulled away smooth as silk, changed up and down beautifully, and reached 75 MPH with ease on the A1/A41, though not for the nervous! Only 4 to 5 MPG unfortunately, but a 30 gallon tank to compensate.
Good luck with the gearbox - I was told by an old boy (from Coventry) to be very careful tinkering with it... I asked where the oil drain plug was, and he said:
"Don't go undoing any nuts or bolts, there's one that IF you undo it by accident, 48 ball bearings and springs on this big shaft will spring out of their sockets... and you won't get 'em back...". This I believed, so I never dared touch the thing! All I can say it was incredibly complicated, but very robust, reliable and durable - and I never could find a workshop manual, or anything about it. Just as well it was never required!
I wish him the best of luck with this project, it sounds very ambitious... much respect!
I also wish I had her back... sigh... armoured glass, 1/4 inch thick, chassis built like a Tiger Tank, comfortably accomodated eight people (six sitting, two lying down), hand throttle (disconnected following alarming sleeve snag incident one day - shudder!), and massive 'proper' 17 inch split rims with 1944 tyres that were so thick, you could cut new treads on them (as a 'limited HGV' quite legal, and no MOT required, which was just as well!).
A wonderful machine... sniffle...!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Post by Robert Mulain

Not sure what kind of help I'm looking for, but all contributions
gratefully received.
--
Jill

I once had a 1948 Daimler DE27 Hearse

And the post you're replying to is almost as old.

[Indy Jess John]

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by Robert Mulain

Not sure what kind of help I'm looking for, but all contributions
gratefully received.
--
Jill

I once had a 1948 Daimler DE27 Hearse

And the post you're replying to is almost as old.

Interesting tale of a hearse though :-)

In the unlikely event that Jill reads this and is still interested, it
occurs to me that the London Transport RT series buses had a 3-speed
pre-selector gearbox. Whether it was a Wilson, I don't know but I don't
imagine many other companies made them. The London Transport museum
might be able to help, if it is. The RT buses must have been maintained
and there are probably maintenance manuals in the museum.

Jim

[Robert Mulain]

Post by Indy Jess John

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by Robert Mulain

Not sure what kind of help I'm looking for, but all contributions
gratefully received.
--
Jill

I once had a 1948 Daimler DE27 Hearse

And the post you're replying to is almost as old.

Interesting tale of a hearse though :-)
In the unlikely event that Jill reads this and is still interested, it
occurs to me that the London Transport RT series buses had a 3-speed
pre-selector gearbox. Whether it was a Wilson, I don't know but I don't
imagine many other companies made them. The London Transport museum
might be able to help, if it is. The RT buses must have been maintained
and there are probably maintenance manuals in the museum.

Thanks Jim! She had a four speed box, and it was enormous, intimidating and very complicated looking - just like the rest of the car. Hooper bodied, I believe she was the very last of her kind... a beauty to me, but of course that's in the eye of the beholder... the neighbours and Police had other opinions...

[Robert Mulain]

Post by Dave Plowman (News)

Post by Robert Mulain

Not sure what kind of help I'm looking for, but all contributions
gratefully received.
--
Jill

I once had a 1948 Daimler DE27 Hearse

And the post you're replying to is almost as old.

Oh well, old isn't always bad, surely? Um... 'hopefully' even...

I wonder if he ever managed it? Quite a feat...