most of cars have a manual transmission. Even if modern technologies are heading towards automatics due to efficiency and comfort reasons, I strongly believe that manuals will continue to coexist with automatics.
A manual transmission uses a 3rd pedal which is pressed by the driver to disengage the gearbox from the engine. To do that, we need:
- a release bearing
- a pressure plate
- a friction disc
- and the flywheel
I have been recently invited to an event in Romania organised by Autonet, and I've seen lots of car parts and brands. There was a stand from Schaeffler in which we could observe how a clutch works. We can press the clutch pedal with our hand and observe the operation in detail.
The flywheel is attached to the crankshaft and they rotate together all the time. The flywheel also has a crown which helps us start the engine.
The friction disc stays in contact with the flywheel and with pressure plate. When we press the clutch pedal, we actually press on the release bearing which acts on the pressure plate. The pressure plate has a diaphragm spring. When it's pressed, it temporarily disconnects the gearbox along with the friction disc from the flywheel. That's the moment when we shift gears or when we start from standstill.
The friction disc uses ceramic materials to ensure the proper friction forces. Performance clutches use different materials, basically they're copper ceramics and they work better at higher temperatures.
Also, the friction discs have a few couple of springs to reduce shocks.
Depending on the type of the engine, clutch kits are slightly different. For example, modern Diesel engines equipped with manual transmissions have double mass flywheels and they're 3 to 5 times more expensive than single mass ones.
Double mass flywheels were designed to reduce shocks to the crankshaft and to the gearbox. They also help you start easier from standstill, and you also get a much smoother driving experience. You can have a single mass flywheel on a Diesel, or if you don't have you can convert from double to single, but it's not recommended. The most common problem is that you will add extra wear to the gearbox.
Single mass clutch kits are cheap. In my Audi A3 with a 1.6 gasoline engine, the clutch kit replacement costs $200. If I had a 2.0 turbodiesel engine, the clutch kit replacement with a double mass would cost me around $700.
In terms of costs, manual transmission are way cheaper compared to automatic transmissions. You don't necessarily need to change the gearbox oil, but it's recommended to change it at around 125,000km or at least when you replace the clutch.
most of cars have a manual transmission. Even if modern technologies are heading towards automatics due to efficiency and comfort reasons, I strongly believe that manuals will continue to coexist with automatics.
A manual transmission uses a 3rd pedal which is pressed by the driver to disengage the gearbox from the engine. To do that, we need:
- a release bearing
- a pressure plate
- a friction disc
- and the flywheel
I have been recently invited to an event in Romania organised by Autonet, and I've seen lots of car parts and brands. There was a stand from Schaeffler in which we could observe how a clutch works. We can press the clutch pedal with our hand and observe the operation in detail.
The flywheel is attached to the crankshaft and they rotate together all the time. The flywheel also has a crown which helps us start the engine.
The friction disc stays in contact with the flywheel and with pressure plate. When we press the clutch pedal, we actually press on the release bearing which acts on the pressure plate. The pressure plate has a diaphragm spring. When it's pressed, it temporarily disconnects the gearbox along with the friction disc from the flywheel. That's the moment when we shift gears or when we start from standstill.
The friction disc uses ceramic materials to ensure the proper friction forces. Performance clutches use different materials, basically they're copper ceramics and they work better at higher temperatures.
Also, the friction discs have a few couple of springs to reduce shocks.
Depending on the type of the engine, clutch kits are slightly different. For example, modern Diesel engines equipped with manual transmissions have double mass flywheels and they're 3 to 5 times more expensive than single mass ones.
Double mass flywheels were designed to reduce shocks to the crankshaft and to the gearbox. They also help you start easier from standstill, and you also get a much smoother driving experience. You can have a single mass flywheel on a Diesel, or if you don't have you can convert from double to single, but it's not recommended. The most common problem is that you will add extra wear to the gearbox.
Single mass clutch kits are cheap. In my Audi A3 with a 1.6 gasoline engine, the clutch kit replacement costs $200. If I had a 2.0 turbodiesel engine, the clutch kit replacement with a double mass would cost me around $700.
In terms of costs, manual transmission are way cheaper compared to automatic transmissions. You don't necessarily need to change the gearbox oil, but it's recommended to change it at around 125,000km or at least when you replace the clutch.
No comments:
Post a Comment