Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ray White]

http://www.wgvormgevers.nl/isettablog/images/pdf/smiths_selectroshift.pdf

Never heard of this until today. Thought it might be of interest.

[peter scott]

Sounds good. Until I read on to the description I imagined a centrifugal clutch a bit like those used on the little Honda 50 although I did wonder how they could claim that it never wears out.

I guess it wasn't quite as good as they describe it or it would be in common use in other vehicles.

Interesting find though.

Peter.
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[Ray White]

I think my Dad would have been interested. After WW2 he made a prototype automatic clutch on the centrifugal principle which he intended for servicemen who, like his friend, has suffered the loss of a leg. His clutch was fitted to a Morris 8 and worked quite well ...but someone had already patented a similar idea so it never came to anything.

I wonder how well the Smiths device works in this Isetta ?

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1513110

[Penman]

I wonder if the clutch part of the Standrive system was of a similar mechanism, though that was of course operated by a switch in the gear lever knob..
The auto clutch for the early Hillman autos was built by Smiths and I think that was elctromagnetic.
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Bristols should always come in pairs.

Any 2 from:-
Straight 6
V8 V10

[Ray White]

[peter scott]

Smiths Easidrive: http://www.andymurkin.net/Hillman/Hillinfo/Easidrive.html

Looking at the Rootes offering in the workshop manual it certainly looks quite complex both mechanically and electrically and occupies 55 large pages. It also only has 3 forward gears and reverse.

Peter
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http://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[V8 Nutter]

The Hillman Easydrive was so unreliable, by the early sixties dealers would only take them in part exchange offering a very low price. Common practice was swop the Easydrive badge for a De Luxe and send it through the auctions hoping no one would notice.
I always found clutchless transmissions horrible to drive. Proper automatics great, manuals no problem, but clutchless just didn't seem right.

[BigJohn]

On my Advanced Police Vehicle Examiners course, part of our final exam asked us to describe two forms of transmission. I had just been reading the Smiths EasyDrive manual for Rootes vehicles the weekend before, I couldn’t resist. The next day one of the instructors told me the examiners had never heard of it and had to look it up. I passed. I have always been awkward.
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1974 Mk1 Escort.

[alanb]

The main problem with the Hillman system was caused by people trying to pull away in too higher gear
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old tourer


Morris 8 two seater