Category

Transmission & Clutch

Clutches, manual and automatic gearboxes, gear ratios and torque multiplication.

0 of 4 lessons done

Start here: The Clutch

Learn it from the surface down 4 lessons

1
Surface
Get the idea0/1 done
What it is and why it exists, in plain language, with the whole system in view.
- The ClutchUp nextHow a friction clutch connects and disconnects the engine and gearbox: a disc clamped between the flywheel and a spring-loaded pressure plate, released by the pedal. Covers the bite point, controlled slip and why slipping makes heat.Not started. 12 minutes. Includes an interactive lab.
2
Mechanism
See it work0/1 done
How the parts move and interact, usually with a live 3D laboratory.
- The Manual GearboxHow a five-speed manual gearbox gives the engine a choice of ratios: gears that are always in mesh, a layshaft that drives them all, and synchronisers that pick which one drives the output — plus direct drive, overdrive and reverse.Not started. 18 minutes. Includes an interactive lab.
3
Engineering
Go deeper0/2 done
The numbers, trade-offs and variants engineers design with.
- Automatic TransmissionA conventional automatic replaces the clutch pedal with a fluid torque converter and swaps gears by clamping parts of planetary gearsets with hydraulic clutches. See how it pulls away smoothly, multiplies torque and shifts without interrupting drive.Not started. 15 minutes.
- Gear Ratios and Torque MultiplicationWhy a car needs several ratios, how to work them out from tooth counts, and how a gearbox trades rotational speed for torque while keeping power almost unchanged, from 1st gear's leverage to overdrive.Not started. 15 minutes. Includes an interactive lab.