Hello all
It appears that the 3 speed gate change gear lever changed sometime between 28 and 29 from part number BH20 to BH90. Was this a change of length (which was longer?) and what was the purpose of the change.
Many thanks.
Adrian.

Location: The New Forest

The three speed gate change lever was modified in the summer of 1927, becoming longer and lying at a lower angle. This made gear changing easier (you didn't have to grovel under the petrol tank to get out of 2nd gear) by putting the lever in a more convenient position. There was some controversy with this change and the modification to the ball change lever in 1929, caused by the fact that the drivers hand came perilously close to his lady passengers skirts!

Location: North Wiltshire

I was told many years ago that the definition of a gentleman was someone who could change gear in an Austin Seven without getting his face slapped...

Alastair

Location: Port Isaac

There were three lengths of gate change levers with the aluminium ball and nickel reverse catch on standard cars, the longest of these ended when the ball change became standard at chassis 99000.
I think you can check the changes on the index cards recently put on the Association web site.
I can give the lengths of the mid length and longest but do not have the early short one to measure. Ian M

Location: Bristol

Hello Ian
I would be very interested to see the measurements and a photo if possible to show the shapes.
Many thanks.
Adrian.

Location: The New Forest

Adrian, the shortest lever I think ended when the AD was introduced in late 26 and then changed to the second length which was 12 1/4" from the top of the ball down to the bottom of the reverse catch little box.I think this changed around October 28 to one that was 15 7/8" and lasted until late 29 when the ball change with the plastic ball and no reverse catch came in.
I can send pics but will need to wait until tomorrow to take them. Hope this helps Ian M

Location: Bristol

I'm not sure I should admit to this, but mine is only 9" 1/4 long....it came from a 1926 mag engine and box I have in stock.

Been studying the index cards to refresh my memory the only gate change levers called up are the short one and what I call the medium one which is part no. BH90 1A 3064 and is the 12 1/4" one ( this one is on my Chummy 1928 C63712)
My May 29 Fabric Saloon has the longest one, and is not the only car I have seen with this long gate change lever.The part number on it is 1A 308* It could be 3088 if so is called up for the Doctors Coupe as part no. BH107 looks possible the Fabrics shared the same lever. Would be interesting to know what other Fabric owners have on their cars. Ian M

Location: Bristol

My B-Type coupe had a gate-change lever that was longer than that on my contemporary RK saloon; from memory it was also more angled (maybe it was curved, I can't remember) and was almost as long as a ball-change lever.

Here are three types I have in the workshop.





I think the very early cars had an even shorter stick.

I think Mike is correct about the B Coupe ones being longer, as were the ones made for GE Brooklands (a lovely curved affair, I would like one of these for my Cup!).

The lever in my 27 chummy is a butchered ball change round shaft grafted onto the original gate bottom section, hence why I was trying to find out what is correct.
The lever on our 28 Mulliner is the 12 1/4" type but there seems to be more room below the tank than there is on the chummy. If fitted to the chummy changing gear would be very difficult. One with more angle would be best.
Adrian.

Location: The New Forest

Hi Ruairidh, is it a trick of the pic or is the middle ones gate casting more upright? If it is, is it for the very short lever BH 20? If I take some pics of my two in the morning could you please post them for me? Cheers Ian

Location: Bristol

The casting is identical Ian - this came off the top of a beet cutter on a Borders Farm, it is seized solid! I have better examples but these were the ones on the top of the pile today!

Send your pictures, always happy to help.

Thanks Ruairidh, shame it's the same as two different gate castings are called up pre car 41030 is BH15 1A3017 and post 41030 is BH89 1A3065 all the ones I have had or noticed are the later and I would like to know what the deference is! Will send pics tomorrow Ian

Location: Bristol

I hope this doesn't confuse - but my notebook says:
1923 lever from top of gate to top of knob = 10"
1928 lever from top of gate to top of knob = 12 1/4"
1929 lever from top of box to top of knob = 16"
Ruby lever from chrome plate to top of knob = 19 1/16"
Nippy lever from chrome plate to top of knob = 17 1/16"
Type 65 factory drawing of ditto = 15 7/8" ? (Would think it should be longer than a Ruby one as you're sitting further back?).
First two - knobs aluminium 1 1/4" diam
Later ones plastic 1 3/16" diam.

Hope this helps. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Ruairidh just emailed pics thanks in advance Ian M

Location: Bristol

Ian writes:

Hi Ruairidh this is the standard lever called up on the index cards for cars from C41030: BH90 1A3064 and has a pencilled note 'except Coupe' this is the 12 1/4" length and in neutral the centre of the ball is 8 1/2" above the top of the transmission tunnel.Is shown on my Chummy C63712.



Ruairidh this is the longer lever 15 7/8" long and is BH107 1A3088 which is called up for the Coupe. This is on my Fabric Saloon C86470 ( owned by me since 1970) when in neutral this one is 11" from the ball centre to the tunnel.
I wonder why you would need a longer lever in a Coupe? I have seen this lever on other 1929 cars.




I feel that I must make some sort of apology for those of you with tender eyes. Ian's cars are a bit of a heap and were quite literally thrown together in the space of week or so in the 1970's - notice the 1970's wallpaper that he has used to line the doors on the Fabric. He is a bit of local embarrassment around Bristol but is tolerated.

I think I can confidently say that those are the two levers I had on my RK saloon and B-type coupe (both late 1929).
The coupe lever was longer because the seats were set lower and further back.

Edit: Thinking about it, was the coupe dashboard set further back too (it was certainly lower, with a curve above the gear-lever), in which case this may be the main reason - with the standard lever one's hand might hit the dash in second and reverse.

Hi Ruairidh, When I read that I immediately had this image of your devious bearded face ( 'Oh No' getting a flashback to that pic of you wearing your Dads jacket again!) reflected by the light of your computer screen, and your long skinny finger hovering above the send key, pressing it and falling back in fits of laughter 🙊 Make sure you check your wheel nuts next time you are in Bristol!
Good to talk last night Ian. ps thanks for posting the pics

Location: Bristol

Hello Mike, that's interesting about the Coupe seats being lower, does that mean there were no tool boxes underneath as in the standard cars? Also odd that the ball would sit 2 1/2" higher than standard with this longer lever. It would have made more sense to have missed out the 12 1/4" one on standard cars because you still need to lean forward to reach it for second gear, the longer one is far more comfortable, falling nicely to hand. Cheers Ian

Location: Bristol

From early drawings the 10" gear lever is vertical above the gate which must have been very difficult to operate. As Tim notes the later 12 1/4" lever is angled.

In the pictures shown above from Ian's saloon, in 1929 there was another longer aluminium knobbed gate change gear lever introduced which was apparently similar in length to the plastic knobbed ball change lever at 15 7/8" (as Ian notes this would be easier to reach than the angled 12 1/4" lever)

I don't ever remember seeing this longer gate change lever here.

My 1929 fabric saloon has the 12 1/4" angled lever which is not surprising as it was build by Holden Motor Body Works on a Chummy chassis, although it seems to be set slightly higher than the similar lever on my 1828 Chummy .

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.

Duh! 1928 Chummy .

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.

This is the remains of the B Coupe I had many years ago, it is now fully restored and looks fabulous.

The gearstick looks to the ball type rather than the gate unfortunately...

Given the amount of banter between you over the years (and the amazing similarity in surnames) I am surprised that anyone could not take it in the right way...

Please don't let it put you off though!

Here's the first, 10" lever, on the right. It gives so little leverage/control that unless you ease it carefully out of the gear it will shoot straight across and crunch against the gear opposite. The answer, keeping the original lever, is an extention. That shown appears to have been made from a 12" A7 lever and certainly works. But its weight drops the lever out of gear, which I hope the rebuilt 'box ready to be fitted will cure. The gate casting is also rather worn where the locating pin of the lever ball rests. Any ideas about that?

Location: Looking across to Longbridge

That is very similar to the 'Stadium' lever extension Robin.

Hi Robin I had the same problem on my Chummy making the lever float all over the place.
My fix was a bit fiddly but the improvement was worth the effort.
I made up two 3/8" hemispheres from aluminium each with a hole in the centre to fit on the pin each side of the lever ball, then ground hemispherical shapes into the gate casting and the gearbox top using a dentists 5/32" ball grinder.The shape needs to be somewhat eliptical to get the full range of movements,a lot of trial and error.
The one thing I must remember not to do is to remove the gate casting and let the hemispheres drop into the gearbox! Rainy day job I think.
Looking back on it welding up and grooving it out to fit a new pin would have been easier, and that is what I suggest you do.Ian M

Location: Bristol

Thanks Ian. To weld up and regrind the casting would be easier with the lever removed, do you think, but how do you remove the aluminium ball at the driver's end? And then I might be able to replace the casting with a less worn one instead.

Location: Looking across to Longbridge

Hi Robin, I have never removed the ball as I fear the end of the lever is peened over after it was fitted, the handbrake appears to have the same method for attaching the handle.
Finding a better gate casting will be difficult as most seem to suffer the same issues.
I think hand finishing the weld will be the only way to do it, unless you want to do yours the same as mine. Cheers Ian M

Location: Bristol

Robin's picture has confirmed another difference I had noticed on the levers I have here.
The angle at which the lever comes out of the gate is different on the early lever than it was on the later levers.
My old butchered lever comes out straight as the early one and is then cranked after the spring loaded plunger to get the hand ball away from the bottom of the tank.
Next job is to try and make one of the triggers!
Adrian.

Location: The New Forest

It might be worth noting that the original "trigger" is made from german silver and is not plated.

Location: Stretham, just south of Ely.

Hello Lance
What exactly is German silver, I assume not actually silver?
Adrian.

Location: The New Forest

Also known as nickel silver: a copper, nickel, zinc alloy. Look at most Vintage cars (not Austins!) with integral radiator shell - that's nickel or german silver.

Thank you Mike, beat me to it.

Location: Stretham, just south of Ely.