2.2.

The Gearbox
2.2.1. How Does The Engine Turn The Wheels?

The drive train transmits power from the engine to the wheels that move the car. In a
conventional auto, with its engine in front and drive wheels in the rear, the engine turns
shafts in the transmission, which transmits power through a drive shaft to the rear axle.
When a car turns, differential gears inside the axle housing permit the outside wheel to make
more revolutions than the inside wheel, which has a shorter distance to travel. Universal
joints (U-joints) in the drive shaft allow the rear axle to move up and down.

In a front-wheel-drive car or a rear-engine car, there is no drive shaft. The engine

drives a combined transmission and differential called a transaxle, which turns the two axle
shafts that drive the wheels. U-joints in these axle shafts let the suspension move up and
down and allow the front wheels to steer a front-wheel-drive car.

Figure 2.5: Power Transfer Parts of Front-wheel Drive

A car engine develops useful power at relatively high revolutions per minute (rpm). A
typical engine produces its motive power between 1.500 and 3.500 to 5.000 rpm. If the
wheels turn once for every crank shaft revolution, the car can travel only between 50 and 270
mph (80 and 435 km/h). Thus, engine speed must be geared down for road use.

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 Differential gears allow the drive shaft to run two to four times faster than the wheels.
Additional gears in the transmission further reduce the speed of the drive wheels while
allowing the engine to run in its useful power range. The faster the engine turns in relation to
the wheels, the more torque (twisting power) it develops; so the transmission acts as a torque
multiplier. Maximum torque is developed in the transmission's lowest gears (First and
second) but they lower the car's speed. Three to five forward gears match engine speeds to
driving requirements at any given moment. The gears may be shifted manually or
automatically, depending on the type of transmission in the car.

2.2.1.1. Manual Transmission

Manual transmission allows the driver to change the ratio between engine speed and
road speed. Moving the shift lever slides a collar that engages a set of gears. Most manual
transmissions have three, four or five forward speeds plus Neutral and Reverse. Neutral
disengages all drive gears so that the engine can idle while the clutch is engaged and the car
is stationary.

2.2.1.2. Automatic Transmission

Automatic transmission uses a hydraulic system to shift the gears and transmit power
automatically. It shifts into higher gears as the car's speed increases and shifts into lower
gears for climbing hills or passing. Simply pushing down on the accelerator pedal controls
the speed of the car. The advantage is easier driving but with most automatics there is a loss
in fuel economy.

2.2.1.3. U-Joint

Universal joints hinge in two planes, like a human wrist. The rear suspension must
move up and down on its springs when the car travels over bumps. Universal joints,
sometimes called U-joints, allow the drive shaft to flex when the axle is moving. Cars with
rear engines must have U-joints in the axle shafts. Cars with front-wheel drive use special U-
joints called constant velocity joints.

2.2.2. What Does The Transmission Do?

The transmission makes it possible to match the engine's power-producing speeds to

the speed of the drive wheels. An engine produces little torque, or twisting power, at low
engine rpm. A transmission's lower gears allow the engine to turn very fast in comparison to
the drive wheels, thereby providing maximum torque in order to start the car from rest. High
gear keeps engine rpm low for maximum fuel economy at cruising speeds. When the car
encounters a hill, the engine will falter and stall unless an intermediate gear is selected. The
gears between First and High bridge the gap between the torque required to start a fully
loaded car from rest and that required to keep a car rolling along at highway speeds. In the
days when engines were big and produced lots of torque, only three forward speeds were
needed. Today's smaller engines produce less torque at higher rpm and often require four or
five gears.

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 The clutch disc slides on splines cut into the transmission input shaft, turning the
shaft I whenever the clutch is engaged and the engine is running. Splines are matching
parallel grooves in a hub and shaft that allow the hub to slide back and forth on the shaft but
force the two parts to turn as one.

A lever enables a small force moving over a great distance to lift a large weight a
lesser distance (top). Gears are toothed wheels that act like a series of levers (bottom).
Torque transmitted through a small gear turns a larger gear a lesser amount, multiplying the
torque but reducing the original speed.

Figure 2.6: A lever gear

A spur gear has straight teeth cut parallel to its axis of rotation. Spur gears tend to be
noisy in operation, but they are cheaper to machine and require slightly less power to turn
than helical gears do. Spur gears are used only for Reverse on modern transmissions.

A helical gear has curved teeth cut at an angle to the axis of rotation. The curve forms
a spiral (called a helix) similar to a screw thread. The overlap between adjoining teeth is
greater in helical gears than in spur gears, so that power is transferred more smoothly and
quietly.

2.2.3. How Does A Manual Transmission Work?

A manual transmission allows the driver to select the gears he needs to cope with
varying road conditions. To shift gears, a driver must depress the clutch pedal to disconnect
the engine from the transmission then move the shift lever. The lever moves collars inside
the transmission to engage various sets of gears.

Gear ratios are determined by the number of teeth on the driven gear compared to the
driving gear. If the driven gear has 20 teeth and the driving gear has 10, the gear ratio is 2:1.
The driven gear will rotate at half the speed of the driving gear, but it will pass on twice the
torque. The lowest gear in the transmission must multiply engine torque enough to start a
fully loaded car moving up a steep hill. On a small car with a four-speed transmission, First
gear might have a ratio of 3.5:1. Other typical ratios would be 2:1 in Second, 1.5:1 in Third,
and 1:1 in Fourth. If the rear-axle ratio is 3:1, the overall ratios between crankshaft speed and
wheel speed are found by multiplying the two ratios 10.5:1 in First, 6:1 in Second, 4.5:1 in
Third and 3:1 in Fourth.
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 A car with a bigger engine would not need so much torque multiplication and might
use a three-speed transmission with ratios of 2.8:1, 1.5:1, and 1:1, and a rear-axle ratio of
2.75:1.

2.2.3.1. Neutral
All the gear sets except those needed for reverse are constantly in mesh, the tan gears
are fixed to their shafts; those shown in gray revolve on freewheeling hubs, In Neutral all the
gears on the output shaft are allowed to freewheel, and no power is transmitted.

Figure 2.7: Neutral position

2.2.3.2. First Gear

When first gear is engaged, a collar splined to the output shaft slides into contact with
the largest gear and locks it to the shaft so that the power is transmitted. The output shaft
may rotate once for every three revolutions of the input shaft, providing maximum torque.

Figure 2.8: First gear position

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2.2.3.3. Second Gear

When the transmission is shifted into Second, a selector fork (not shown here) slides
the collar forward, out of contact with First gear, to engage and drive the second-largest
output gear. This gear provides enough torque for brisk acceleration or for climbing steep
hills.

Figure 29: Second gear position

2.2.3.4. Third Gear

To shift into Third, the rear collar is disengaged from First and second gears, and the
forward collar slides into engagement with the smallest gear. With its ratio of about 1.5:1,
Third gear provides enough torque or high-speed passing or for climbing moderately steep
hills.

Figure 2.10: Third gear position

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