Lecture – 03

Automotive
Transmission System

Prepared By
Mustafizur Rahman
Senior Lecturer, Dept. of MTE
World University of Bangladesh
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 Transmission System
A car transmission, also known as the transmission system, is the mechanism by which power created by the
engine is transferred to the driving wheels. This part of the vehicle is the most important in determining the
power and functionality of your engine systems.

• Transmission is a device that is connected to the back of the engine and send the power from the engine
to the drive wheels.
• An engine runs at its best at a certain RPM range and it is the transmission’s job to make sure that the
power is delivered to the wheels while keeping the engine within that range.
• The whole power transmission process is done through various gear combinations.
• In addition to the various forward gears, a transmission also has a neutral position which disconnects the
engine from the drive wheels and reverse, which causes the drive wheels to turn in the opposite direction
allowing you to reverse the vehicle.
• What a transmission actually does is that ,it enables the gear ratio between the vehicle’s engine and drive
wheels to adjust as the vehicle speeds up or slows down.

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 Why a Transmission System is Required?

The transmission system should fulfil the following requirements:

1. Enable the engine to keep disconnected from the road wheels. These should be connected only
‘when desired.’
2. Enable the engine, when running, to be connected smoothly and gradually without jerking to the
road wheels.
3. Provide varied leverage between the engine and the drive wheels.
4. Provide means to drive the driving wheels at different speeds when Required.
5. Enable diversion of power flow at right angles.
6. Enable power transmission at varied angles and varied lengths.
7. It should provide the relative motion between the engine and the road wheels when they move up
and down due to the uneven road surface.
8. Provide means to transfer power in the opposite direction.

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Types of Transmission System

Transmission

Manual Transmission

Automatic Transmission

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 Components of a Manual Transmission
Narrowing down the various parts and components of the gearbox will help you understand the complex
way a manual transmission works. Some significant features of a manual gearbox include:

1. The clutch and clutch pedal: Consisting of various small parts, the clutch transfers the engine
torque to the transmission. The clutch pedal is a piece of gear that is hydraulically controlled. When you
depress, it disengages the clutch.
2. Flywheel: Normally circular in shape and used to send the engine torque to the clutch disc,
which interacts with the smooth surface of the flywheel.
3. Collar and selector fork: An arm-like-looking piece of gear that aids in moving the collars
through the output shaft. By locking the collar to a specific gear, you can always select different other gears.
This results in the transmission of torque from the layshaft to the output shaft.
4. Synchronizers: Helps the collar and the gear engage with each other and importantly matches
their speed if there is a difference.
5. Output shaft and Layshaft: The output shaft’s gears mesh with the lay shaft’s gears when one
receives the engine power first.
6. Gears: Gear often comes in different sizes in a manual gearbox. Large gearwheels contain more
teeth and offer more torque to reduce the car’s speed, whereas small gears provide less torque to your car so
that it can run at a higher speed.
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 How a manual transmission works
• Before switching the vehicle’s key on, the clutch pedal should be pressed down to disengage the clutch.
This cuts the power between the engine’s input shaft and the transmission and ensures that the engine is
alive before powering the vehicle.

• Shift the gearshift to the first gear so that the gear shift can move towards the latter one. The first gear
has a connection to the layshaft, which is connected to the engine input file via another gear.

• The synchronizer collar connected to the shifting fork helps the driving gear in the transportation of
power to the output shaft and matches their speed if there is any difference.

• Apply slight pressure on the gas pedal and then take your foot off the clutch. This reconnects the gearbox
and the engine making your vehicle start moving.

• Repeat the same process of changing the gear so that you can speed up or slow down the car.

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 Clutch
A clutch is the mechanical device that transfers all power from the engine into the transmission of a vehicle.
Without a properly operating clutch, power transfer and gear shifting would be very difficult. The clutch is
located between the engine flywheel and the transmission. It is often housed within the bellhousing to
protect it from external contaminants.

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 Clutch Components
1. Pressure Plate: The pressure plate assembly is secured to the
flywheel via bolts connecting the cover stamping to the flywheel.
During engagement, the pressure plate assembly clamps the disc
assembly against the flywheel, transmitting engine power to the
transmission. During disengagement, power flow is interrupted when
the pressure plate no longer clamps the disc against the flywheel.
Instead, the pressure plate lifts away from the flywheel, creating a gap
large enough for the disc to disengage from the flywheel, enabling the
driver to shift gears.

2. Clutch Disc: The disc assembly is mounted to the input shaft,

between the pressure plate assembly and the flywheel. During
engagement, the disc slides forward on the input shaft and becomes
solidly clamped, or “engaged”, between the flywheel and the pressure
plate assembly. During disengagement, the disc is no longer engaged.
Although the pressure plate assembly and flywheel continue rotating,
the input shaft and disc are no longer being rotated by the engine.
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 Clutch Components
3. Pilot Bushings: Pilot bearings and bushings serve as a guide and seat for the transmission input shaft
during engagement and disengagement when the flywheel and pressure plate assembly turn at speeds
different than the input shaft and disc assembly, the pilot bearing rotates.

4. Throw-out Bearing: Release bearings are designed to pivot forward and compress the pressure plate
levers, which disengages the clutch system. Although release bearings are all designed for the same basic
function, they come in many shapes and sizes because they must work in conjunction with a variety of
actuation systems.

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 Functions of a Clutch
The clutch system has four major functions for perform:

• It can be disengaged to allow engine cranking and to permit the engine to run freely without
delivering power to the transmission.

• While disengaged, it permits the driver to shift the transmission into various gears.

• While engaging, the clutch slips momentarily to allow smooth engagement and lessens shock on
gears, shafts and other drivetrain parts.

• When engaged, the clutch transmits power from the engine to the transmission.

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 Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) System
A DCT works by using two clutches instead of one, and both are computer controlled, so there’s no need for
a clutch pedal.

The dual clutch transmission operates via several in-built computers. These computers eliminate the need for
the driver to manually change gears and the entire process is automated. In this respect, a DCT can be
looked upon as being similar to an automatic transmission. The main difference is that the DCT operates the
odd and even gear numbers separately, which prevents the engine from being disengaged from interrupted
power flow when the gears are changed.

The DCT system is mainly used for;

1. Improve acceleration.
2. Smoother gear change.
3. Higher power and efficiency.

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 Manual Gearbox
The gearbox is one of the building blocks of the modern car. Not surprisingly, it's also one of the most
complex bits of hardware inside any vehicle.

A car's engine connects to its crankshaft, which rotates thousands of times per minute. This is too fast for
the wheels, so gears convert the power to speeds the wheels can handle. Gears use interlocking teeth,
connecting small, fast-moving cogs to a larger gears with more teeth, and that larger cog rotates at a reduced
speed.

• Lower gears have larger cogs and enable the engine to deliver high levels of force without the car
moving quickly, which is ideal when you're driving slowly or uphill.

• Higher gears deliver more speed rather than torque, which is great for smooth driving on the freeway.

• Lower gears deliver more power, while higher gears supply more speed — but you've got to shift your
way up through the gears to reach those high speeds. Most cars have at least five gears, which gives
drivers finer control over power and

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 Parts of a Manual Gearbox
1. Clutch Shaft: A clutch shaft is a shaft that takes power from the
engine to supply another shaft. The clutch shaft or driving shaft is
connected through the clutch and when the clutch is engaged, the
driving shaft also rotates. Only one gear is fixed on the clutch shaft
and this engine rotates with the same speed as the crankshaft. In
addition, the driving shaft and main shaft are in the same line.

2. Counter Shaft / Layshaft: The counter shaft is a shaft that

connects directly to the clutch shaft. It has gear which connects it
to the clutch shaft as well as the main shaft. It can be run at engine
speed or below engine speed according to gear ratio.

3. Main Shaft / Output Shaft: The main shaft or output shaft that
rotates at different speeds and also provides the necessary torque
to the vehicle. The output shaft is a splined shaft, so that the gear
or synchronizer can be moved to engage or disengage.

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 Parts of a Manual Gearbox

4. Bearings: The bearings are required to support the rotating part and reduce friction. The gear box has
both a counter and main shaft which is supported by the bearing.

5. Gears: Gears are used to transmitting the power from one shaft to another shaft. The amount of torque
transmitted through the gears depends on the number of teeth and the size of the gears. Higher the gear ratio,
higher the torque / acceleration and lower the speed. All gears except those on the main shaft are fixed to
their respective shafts; They can slide in any of the directions along the shaft.

6. Gear Selector Fork: Gear selectors are simple devices that use a lever that selects gears to engage in
disengage mechanisms. The motion of the lever slides the engaging part on the shaft. It depends on the type
of gearbox whether the lever slides the gear or synchronizer that are already forged along the main shaft.

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 Gear Ratio
The gear ratio is the ratio between the input and output gears. The input gears get the engine’s drive and
rotate the output gears, which drive the wheels. The ratio of the number of rotations of output gear to the
number of rotations of input gear is called the Gear Ratio.
The following formula Can Also obtain the Gear Ratio:

If, no. of gears on input (driving) gear = 30,

no. of gears on output (driven) gear = 105
Then, the Gear ratio = 105/30
= 3.5:1
which means to rotate the output (driven) gear by 1 rotation, you need to turn the input (driving) gear by 3.5
rotations.

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 Gear Ratio
Following table is a chart of gear ratio found in a MUV’s gearbox:

Gear Ratio
1st Gear 3.78:1
2nd Gear 2.20:1
3rd Gear 1.42:1
4th Gear 1:1
5th Gear 0.83:1

However, the gear ratios vary from vehicle to vehicle. For example, the gear ratios are typically higher than
cars in trucks as they carry a heavy load.

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 Types of Manual Gearbox
There are 3 types of manual gearboxes used since the introduction of the
transmission that are-

1. Sliding Mesh Gearbox: Sliding Mesh Gearbox is the oldest type of gear
box used. In this type of gearbox shifting occurs by the sliding of gears over
the splined main-shaft. This gearbox requires special technique for the
shifting that is usually known as double-declutching and also the meshing
was so noisy and harsh ,that gives rise to the development of new gearbox
system.

2. Constant Mesh Gearbox: In this type all the gears on the main-shaft, lay-
shaft and clutch-shaft are in constant mesh with each other and the selection
of the appropriate gear is done by the special meshing devices known as dog
clutches which slides over the splined main-shaft in order to select the
appropriate gear as need by the drive. The drive is less noisy as the spur
gears of the sliding mesh is replaced with the helical or bevel gears , but the
shifting of gear is still not smooth and also there is a lot of wear and tear of
the dog clutches due to the different rotational speed of the shafts while
meshing, which leads to the high maintenance. 21
 Types of Manual Gearbox
3. Synchromesh Gearbox : This is the latest type of gearbox
used from decades as this system overcomes all the limitations
provided by the constant mesh gearbox or sliding mesh
gearbox and also improves the output capabilities of the manual
transmission system. Here, the dog clutches from the constant
mesh gearbox is replaced by the synchromesh devices which
first bring the main-shaft and lay-shaft at same speed by the
frictional contact, then meshing of the appropriate gear occurs
which makes the system smooth and also decreases the
maintenance of the gearbox, today this system usually comes
with 5-speed 1-reverse manual transmission configuration.

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 Drive Shaft
The drive shaft (also called propeller shaft or prop shaft) is a component of the drive train in a vehicle, with
the purpose of delivering torque from the transmission to the differential, which then transmits this torque to
the wheels in order to move the vehicle. A front-engine rear-wheel drive car must have a long drive shaft
connecting the rear axle to the transmission since these parts are on opposite sides of the car.

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 Universal Joint (U-Joint)
A universal joint (also called a universal coupling or U-joint) is a joint or
coupling connecting rigid shafts whose axes are inclined to each other. It is
commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion. It consists of a pair of
hinges located close together, oriented at 90° to each other, connected by a
cross shaft.

What is a universal joint used for?

Universal joints allow drive shafts to move up and down with the suspension
while the shaft is moving so power can be transmitted when the drive shaft
isn’t in a straight line between the transmission and drive wheels. Rear-
wheel-drive vehicles have universal joints (or U-joints) at both ends of the
drive shaft.
There are two types of universal joints, defined by their number of bending
joints:
1. Single joint: has only one bending aspect and is capable of operating at
up to a 45-degree angle.
2. Double joint: utilizes two bending joints, the double u-joint can operate
at angles up to 90 degrees.
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 Universal Joint (U-Joint)
Advantages Of Universal Joint:
• Universal coupling is more flexible than knuckle joint.
• It facilitates torque transmission between shafts which have angular misalignment.
• It is cheap and cost-effective.
• It is simple to be assembled and dismantled.
• Torque transmission efficiency is high.
• The joint permits angular displacements.

Disadvantages Of Universal Joint:

• Wear may occur if the joint is not properly lubricated.
• Maintenance is often necessary to avoid wear.
• Universal joint produces fluctuating motion
• It does not support axial misalignment.

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 Differential
The differential is a set of gears that transmits engine power to the wheels, while allowing them to turn at
different speeds whenever the vehicle needs to turn.
With front-wheel-drive (FWD), the differential is alongside the transmission inside a housing, and the unit is
called a transaxle. With rear-wheel-drive (RWD), the differential is between the rear wheels, connected to
the transmission by a driveshaft. All-wheel-drive (AWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles add a center
differential or transfer case to distribute power front and rear.

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 Differential
The differential has three jobs:

• To aim the engine power at the wheels

• To act as the final gear reduction in the vehicle, slowing the rotational speed of the transmission one
final time before it hits the wheels
• To transmit the power to the wheels while allowing them to rotate at different speeds.

There are three main types of differentials:

• Open differential: splits torque into different speed outputs (the most common type)
• Locking differential: allows the wheels to spin at he same speed when locked (mostly in trucks)
• Limited-slip differential: locks once a wheel slip occurs (in some sports cars)

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 Advantages and Disadvantages of Manual Transmission
Advantages Of Manual Transmission:
• The vehicle is more attractive to the driver.
• The driver has complete control over the gears and when to shift the gears.
• The cost of a manual vehicle is lower than that of an automatic vehicle.
• Transmission cost is less for repair.
• It provides better mileage.

Disadvantages Of Manual Transmission:

• Manual transmission can be annoying in heavy traffic.
• There may be some problems in learning the new driver.
• Precise control over hills is necessary to avoid stalling or rolling back.
• Hands and feet can hurt when using gears and clutch.

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 Automatic Transmission

With an automatic transmission, things are simplified as compared to a manual transmission. There is
neither a clutch pedal nor a gear shift in an automatic transmission vehicle. Once the transmission is put into
drive, all other things are automatic.

Components of an automatic transmission

To help understand what happens in an automatic transmission, let us look at the specific parts of an
automatic transmission.

• Transmission casing: Houses all parts of the transmission.

• Torque Converter: Transmits to the transmission input shaft from the engine. It also helps in the
multiplication of engine torque output
• Planetary gears: This allows automatic increase and decrease of the gear ratios.

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 How Automatic Transmission Works
• The engine dispatches power to the torque converter’s pump

• The pump receives the power and, through the transmission fluid, sends it to the torque converter’s
turbine

• Through the stator, the transmission fluid is sent back to the pump

• The stator multiplies power and sends it back to the turbine

• The turbine is normally connected to the central shaft, which is also connected to the transmission.

• The turbine then spins the shaft spins dispatching power to the first planetary gear

• The planetary gear arrangements determine of power transmitted to the rest of the drive

• Power from the torque converter will either make the ring gear, the sun gear, or the planetary carrier of
the planetary gear system stay stationary or move.

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 Stages of Automatic Transmission

• Park(P): Locks the transmission, restricting the vehicle from

moving

• Reverse(R): Puts the car in reverse gear, making the car move
backward

• Neutral(N): disconnects the transmission from the wheel

• Drive(D): allows the vehicle to move and can accelerate through

a range of gears

• Low(L): allows you to lower your speed and move on middy or

hilly areas

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 Operation of an Automatic Transmission
Various speeds are obtained automatically in gearboxes known as automatic gearboxes. Generally, the driver
selects the car condition such as neutral, forward or reverse. The gear selection, timing, and engagement of
gear for the required gear speed select automatically when the accelerator press or depress.. The Automatic
gearbox ( Gear box ) does not require a gear change lever and a clutch pedal. Since, both clutch and
transmission are a combined unit which works automatically.

The automatic gearbox operates in three ways:

1. Hydramantic transmission.

2. Torque converter transmission.

3. Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) System.

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 Operation of an Automatic Transmission
1. Hydramatic Transmission System:
• The hydramatic transmissions are termed fully automatic transmissions.
• They have essentially three or four-speed and reverse epicyclic gearboxes with brakes and clutches
operated by oil pressure.
• These are controlled by the joint action of a governor, whose speed is proportional to that of the car.
• The hydramatic drive does not have a clutch pedal to engage and disengage the transmission system
from the engine.
• The motion of the vehicle is controlled entirely by the accelerator and brake.

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 Operation of an Automatic Transmission
2. Torque Converter Transmission System:
• A torque converter is a type of fluid coupling that
transmits rotational power from a prime mover, such
as an internal combustion engine, to a rotating driven
load.
• In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, the
torque converter connects to the power source to the
load.
• It is usually located between the engine’s flex plate
and transmission.
• The main feature of a torque converter is its ability to
increase torque when the output rotational speed is so
low.
• Torque converter transmission system uses fluid
coupling, torque converter and epicyclic gear
arrangement.

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 Operation of an Automatic Transmission
3. Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) System:
• While a traditional transmission uses a wide variety of intricate
parts to shift between a range of preset gears, CVT systems works
through a pulley system.
• This system consists of cones at each pulley connected via a chain
belt.
• The cones can move to increase or decrease the belt diameter to
change gear ratios, allow for quick shifting into the needed ratio
for increased power, and boost fuel economy.
• One pulley in the CVT is connected to the engine and the other
directs power to the wheels.
• The width of these pulleys changes based on the needed power; as
one gets larger, the other gets smaller. This allows a CVT to
deliver strong and seamless acceleration.
• The shiftless nature of a CVT offers unparalleled flexibility that
maintains constant angular velocity regardless of output speed.
• CVT transmission systems are also known as single-speed,
shiftless, and stepless transmissions.
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 Advantages and Disadvantages of Automatic Transmission
Advantages Of Automatic Transmission:
• It is easy to drive in stop-and-go traffic.
• This transmission is fast and smooth.
• Current automated vehicles offer the same mileage as manual transmission.
• The automatic transmission is very comfortable for the driver when driving.
• No shocks or jerky driving.
• Noiseless gear shifting.
• Longer life.

Disadvantages Of Automatic Transmission:

• Buying an automatic transmission vehicle is more expensive than a manual transmission vehicle.
• There are more moving parts in the automatic transmission, which increases the cost of repair.
• The gear change takes a little time and the gear shifting detects, and at times a slight shock is also
failing.
• You cannot make the automatic gear more or less at your own will, suddenly there is a problem in
overtaking the car.

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End of Lecture – 03
Thank You

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