I’m not sure what got me to peruse these two excellent videos, but I admit that gearboxes are not my forte and I learned something or fortified my existing knowledge with these. If you’re not up to top gear on the subject, these two will take out the mystery.
The second one from 2015 is clearer and a bit more up to date, but the 1936 version, showcasing Chevy’s recently introduced “Synchro-Mesh” transmission is quite clear and concise too.
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All my students have to watch part of Spinning Levers.
This should be required viewing for everyone wanting a driver’s license. I have three future drivers who will be required to view this and understand what they saw. Thank you!
I agree. The Spinning Levers video explains a how a manual transmission works better than I ever could.
I’m hoping to teach my oldest daughter how to drive a manual later this year (on her grandparents’ Jeep). I hope it goes well, since it’s been quite a while since I’ve taught anyone to drive a stick. But I’ll definitely sit down with her and watch these videos.
Nice, I`d seen the 1936 video before but the recent one explains synchromesh well, I hadn`t found a good video for that previously.
Maybe required viewing for anyone struggling with learning to drive a stick, but I don’t think everyone needs (or could understand) this information.
I remember learning about how automatic transmissions work in school, I could understand how the subsystems worked but could not quite wrap my head around all of it at the same time. Maybe if we`d had one to take apart during our lab period?
I showed my daughter how clutches and gearboxes work because I happened to have some spares on the carport floor she still drives the manual turbo diesel hatchback I gave her but is now going to be given her aunts Corolla better condition newer less mileage but I had to talk her into accepting it because its automatic.
I once read an article about the introduction of the “safety bicycle” in the early 20th century that opined that the design was perfection, because since then there have been no significant changes to the design, only upgrades to materials and ancillary equipment.
Similarly with the manual transmission. Since the introduction of synchromesh, not much has changed aside from materials and additional gears.
For 2022, the manual transmission is all but dead. The EPA’s website lists 49 models, but many of those are variations of the same car, such as 5 flavors of the Porsche 718. The Chevrolet Spark/Spark Activ is dead for ’23, so get those stick shifts while you can!
Mitsubishi Mirage
Nissan Versa
VW Jetta and GTI/Golf R
Toyota Corolla, Tacoma and GR 86
Chevrolet Spark (soon to depart) and Camaro
Cadillac CTS-V and CT4-V
Subaru Impreza/Crosstrek/WRX
Ford Mustang and Bronco
Mini Cooper (3/5 door, Clubman and ragtop)
Kia Forte
Hyundai Elantra and Veloster N
Mazda Miata and 3
Various Porsches
Jeep Wrangler/Gladiator
Dodge Challenger V8
Most of the non-sports car models only have one version available with manual – sometimes a base model, sometimes a sporty trim.
Also 2022 Honda Civic Si- It appears other Civics and Accords no longer offer the 3rd pedal.
While Stellantis hasn’t commented on it, it appears that the Challenger Hellcat is no longer available with a manual transmission; it’s just the R/Ts and Scat Packs now.
Correction, the manual transmission is all but dead in the US. Go anywhere else and it is doing well. Many autos sold in the US as automatic only are available here with manual transmissions.
There have been some improvements on the manual trans if you don’t mind that the trans does its shifting on its own. The Koenigsegg 9 speed transmission, VW’s dual clutch transmission. Honda’s automated manual trans in the ’88 Civic.
Automated manual transmissions have also become very popular in trucks.
The fleet I worked for switched all plow trucks to automatics, easier to train drivers or find drivers without having to train them to drive manual transmissions.
Automatic transmissions are having their day in the sun now. Its too bad that it took the industry so long to give us some more gears. I have a 6 speed and a 10 speed, fabulous! The 10 speed in my F150 lets me keep the 3.5 V6 in the power band for climbing grades pulling my trailer. Then when I get to the flat runs I can let it putter along at 65mph running around 2000 rpm or less. 70mph in perfect conditions its running in 10th gear at about 1700 rpm.
The electric car is going to somewhat squash the transmissions day in the sun.
Still have the 6 speed manual in the Mustang when some fun is needed at the track.
The website https://www.howstuffworks.com/ had a good explanation of how manual transmissions work, so I always felt like I had a good basic understanding based on that. I haven’t watched the videos above yet; that will have to wait until my lunch break.
It’s the automatic transmission that’s a complete mystery to me. There are some planetary gears, and a torque converter, and uhhh… some stuff happens. That’s pretty much my knowledge of automatic transmissions. At least the modern dual clutch transmissions work basically like manuals, so I can wrap my head around those.
Good old Jam Handy Corporation. How many years did they do video for General Motors? I remember watching a lot of those videos when I was a kid.
It was Jam Handy that finally helped me to figure out how a differential worked, albeit only a high level understanding. With that said, to this day I get mixed up on gearing such as a 3.51 rear end or a 3.03. I know they’re both good for different uses, but I’m darned if I can ever remember what would be good for what use.
I enjoy learning about cars, but I guess there will always be things that are utterly confounding.
Paul, YouTube has “suggested” “Spinning Levers” to me several times, but I only now took in a full viewing. The (retired) teacher in me really enjoyed the step-by-step of it all—and lot of info imparted, demonstrated, and reinforced in not many minutes at all.
Makes me want to get hold of a good, solid 1935-1965 car with a stick and do some motoring. Thanks for the fun today!
I only own manual cars now Ive had automatics but nothing newer than mid 90s but that may change old age is kicking in and Im back in an automatic truck well automated manual not a slush type and most of the time dont mind it, Not a lot of choice in the fleet Im in only 3 manual trucks that are in current use and none of them are configured for the job I do.
I have a salesmans booklet for 36 Chevy cars and they praise the new syncromesh 3 speed no more double declutching, bonus.
Great stuff.
Never thought of gears as levers, not in that way, but yet, of course.
Alright, I’m a slow learner, but hey, the main game is to keep trying, always.
And I love the modern world of digital demonstrations, and the net. The olden days, one saw a Spinning Levers once, kinda got it, but couldn’t pause, or ever see it again.
That said, I’ll never really understand automatics, even with this modern help. At some point of explanation, my mind starts putting it all into a sort-of Religious Mystery category, wherein I believe the results, but have to act on faith as to how it actually happened.
Laudate dominum, and pass the new transmission.
I have managed to understand (I think so at least) what the principles of fluid coupling and a torque converter are. But the planetary gearset is something I haven’t been able to visualize, even with many videos. Perhaps a physical model would help. Then again, I live in Uruguay, a strange place where up to 5 years ago or so many cars were only available with manual transmissions. So, most mechanics really don’t know anything about automatics.
Gotta love these old training films, they used to show them in technical training classes .
You’d not be wnating to run a ’36 Chevy Babbitt Pounder at 60 MPH for very long .
-Nate