I'm in an automatic transmission course right now and, man, once you understand how these things actually function its pretty amazing. Engineers can do some awesome things.
This is amazing. Thanks for posting. Amazing how complex these transmissions are. I am sure you will agree that transmissions are some of the most complex things made by humans. The number of components that must be precision-made and interconnected are awe-inspiring.
Many people think the engine is the most complex item in a car. Not even close. When you think of all the hydraulics and gear sets, clutches, solenoids, and all the other components that must work in perfect harmony...the transmission is the king of complexity, hands down. Like the coasting clutch. It allows the car to coast at low speeds, and brakes you at higher speeds. How? I have no idea, but I do know that it must work perfectly of the car will be undrivable. Amazing.
For anyone who is interested this unit is a 4t80e. It comes behind the northstar in cadillacs. It is a very hd unit but still has problems with the torque converter clutch wearing out.
It's simple in concept. You have gears to set a gear ratio. (Planetary gears) You have a clutch, not so different from a manual clutch. You have a torque converter. And you have synchronizers on the gear assemblies. In an auto, you simply have MORE gear assemblies, controlled by hydraulics. There are some really good online animations showing how it works. Nothing is complicated, it's just that there's a lot in the case. But only some of it is active at any given time.
It consists of magic and friction and a lot of clutches, I shall join too of not fully understanding how it works. I still prefer having a regular gear box and 1 clutch, manual gear shifting isn't to hard when you learn how to do it effectively. Then again America has to be different than the rest of the world.
EFLCModder It's actually pretty simple, but there are various ways of transfering power from the crankshaft to the wheels. Older systems uses brake bands, the newer ones use cluthes. The shift control is the same hydraulic system. If you think of the auto transmission as a 5 speed manual gearbox with a clutch for each gear acting as the gear lever in a manual and the hydraulic system as the driver shifting, you are not far off how it works.
Stefan Asmussen Thanks Stefan. I have to say that this is the best explanation I have ever heard that's describes the principles of an automatic gearbox. I shall be remembering this for a long time. Did you know that cars with auto boxes in the UK tend to one or two brackets higher road fund licence than the same car with a manual box due to their inefficiensy as UK road fund fees are based on emissions.
These transmissions are a lot simpler than they used to be because of computer control. They used to have an extraordinarily complex hydraulic servo system which controlled everything.
DjRjSolarStar I thought the same thing. Not only are these things hard to fix, they're hard to explain, period, without some passing knowledge of engineering.
What about the third option?: I just got a kit from TCI for 500 bucks, and rebuilt my 4L80-E into what they call a "streetfighter", which they sell for over 3 grand. Funny, this vid is about a transverse engine, front wheel drive car... but all the pieces are recognizable and comparable to my trans in my truck. If you are a trans tech, you are a wizard !
They forgot to add the most crucial pert of all... the Kanuten Valve, which, in conjunction with the Turbo Encabulator, allows the car to operate properly. Next, we discuss the importance of checking the Blinker Hydraulic Fluid... and the other critical components, including the Tire Pressure Compensator Relay...
I found an old automatic transmission under the house as a teenager, gee I had fun pulling it all apart, but putting it all back together well.......took 5 times longer, but I learned heaps. The narrator refers allot to electronics in this clip, but electronics still need mechanical interfaces, like how does the electronics ascertain the hydraulic pressure in each segment of the transmission?
Bring on the electric car revolution. One motor, one planetary reduction gearbox, and one battery pack. No gear changes, no clutches, no stick shifting :)
@0123Brock It's because the more splines (the notches and grooves) you have, the less pressure is on each groove. It's divided up between them. Up until a point that is. And by the way, most can't handle 300+ WHP without upgrades. They're generally designed to barely handle what the engine puts out from the factory.
True. One thing i've noticed from watching "how it's made" on the Science channel. Is that they actually TRY to make it sound as complicated as possible. That, and the fact that they only have a few mins. to explain the topic at hand. So almost definitely something is going to get left out. This is one of those things thats easy to understand, but hard to master. I have a college degree in Automotive.
@tayedrummer14 You will only find a fly wheel on a stick shift (manual transmission). As Tayedrummer14 said, it smooths out engine pulses and is used to retain kinetic energy. But it is also used to start the car. Along the edge of the fly wheel, are spokes, alot like a cog, which is connected to the starter motor. When the starter motor receives electricity from the generator or battery, a little cog in the starter moter turns, which in turn turns the fly wheel, starting the engine.
Nice Demonstration !! I feel lot of effort and work is done in order to bring our car in running condition....Nice Job all Engine & Car Manufacturers.......
And in regards to drag racing, you are absolutely right, in a straight line, when simply accelerating, a computer can shift much faster then a person. But track cars, such as grand prix, touring, and F1, are usually in someway manual. very few still use the classic "H" pattern shifter, but most have gone the route of the sequential manual (gear up/gear down) because it allows them to enter a turn in the correct gear. Automatics are "reactive" and Manuals are "proactive"
What's really crazy is how little difference there really is in these modern units, and the GM hydramatics produced in the 40's. Obviously the electronics, but the fundamentals are the same.
Just know not all automatic transmissions function the same. Honda automatics work more like manual transmissions that are controlled automatically. The internals favor a Honda manual transmission. 5 minutes isn't long enough to really explain how they work, but the video did a good job focusing on the main point. Hyrdraulics that are controlled electronically. Without fluid it is a hunk of metal.
it is easy to understand once you have worked on one! automatic transmissions are very different and hard to understand I am an agricultural mechanic too!!
@dotcombatgames I would say go for it, the more knowledge you have the better off you are. Transmissions by themselves are as complex as the engine itself. They aren't all that complex in the grand scheme of things, but it would be good to know and understand how things work with each other. You may never work on a transmission, but it helps so much to at least understand both the engine and transmission and what they're doing together. It will help you understand why certain things are so.
That's actually the same 6 speed automatic transmission used in the Ford Escape, Ford Fusion, and a number of other vehicles. It was jointly developed by GM/Ford.
On an unrelated note, why not use a single, tapered gear? A non-tapered gear could slide along the tapered one, which would change the gear ratio without the need to release power from the engine, and would provide a theoretical infinite number of gears... The only issue I can see with this is that you would need a rod that can adjust in length so one gear can slide back and forth, but that shouldn't be an issue...
@radoslavnikolic Yea lots of stuff but the basics is the hydralics fluid sent by the computer is what tells those clutches what to do. And those clutches in turn control there set of gears and that tells that the car what to do! Automatic transmissions are more complicated and therefore more expensive but they make driving a lot easier!
I don't think ANY year was a good year for the Ford Taurus. I have three friends that took their Tauruses to the scrap yard, and a fourth that just plane abandoned it in a small town gas station. Best of luck to you. Times must be tough if your trying to keep a '97 Ford Taurus alive. Godspeed, brave soldier.
This is a Canadian show. taken from wiki "a different voice-over track is recorded for U.S. audiences by Brooks T. Moore (Seasons 1-8, 2001-2007, 2008-present) or Zac Fine (2007-2008)." and " In the UK, rest of Europe and S.E. Asia, the series is narrated by Tony Hirst " So I am assuming this is the Canadian version and not one of the other English versions.
This is another reason why I prefer manual transmissions. I actually understand how they work. Whenever I set out to learn how an automatic works, it's all a bunch of gibberish. The fact that they managed to figure out how to do this shit in the '50s with the old Torqueflite (the first automatic transmission that was worth a damn) still amazes me.
nice video though kind of looking for a more detailed video showing the complete production line and how many people are used in the assembly line to build a complete transmission.... by the looks of it ... it seems a group of people are being used that do specific tasks of building components of the transmission... such as a person to put in the plantery gear assembly , a person for the washer, clutch rings,... so on so forth
@reddot44 some had vacuum, like the zf 4hp`4, or was it 3hp14, while my current 4hp18 just uses ATF pressure and rotation speed of a govenor on spring weights, throttle position is sensed by a variable pressure feed
@TheGrahamDillon Same here. I get engines, manual transmissions, and even some continuously variable transmissions, but automatics are a mystery to me.
A 4L60E is one of the best automatic transmissions there is. They are used for drag racing all the time. It's an extremely durable medium-duty transmission. There is a reason GM has been building them for over three decades.
@ineurodreams i didnt see the original comment but today Lamborguini and Bugatti are both owned by VW and the cars are designed in Germany. they may be assembled in France and Italy but thats about it. so although Bugatti and lamborghini arent German, you could argue that the Gallardo and the Veyron are in fact both German cars. Cheers.
That wobbly screw is a TapTite Screw. It is a self tapping screw going into a hole that it not tapped. The wobble is just the way it goes in and taps its own hole. It was new technology back in 1993 when the 4T40-E was designed and is now standard procedure now. There were many innovative things on the 4T40-E and was GM's World Class transmission till it stopped production as the 4 speeds were phased out in 2010. I worked there for 31 years and started when we built the TH-350 then the 3T40.
really a manual is quite simple. you have the input shaft driving the cluster shaft. the cluster shaft has many gears on it those gears always contact gears on the main shaft. when you push the shifter into first you move a synchro which was resting on a gear locked to the mainshaft. now the synchro is half on the gear locked to mainshaft and half on the 1st gear. 1st is now enguaged. its the same for the rest except 4th. 4th just locks the input shaft and mainshaft togeather 4th is direct drive
I used to work for a company that teated me like a dog, so in revenge, when I took the delivery car out, I used to treat it like shit. I loved to rev it up to red line in neutral and then drop it into gear; it would make wickedest sounding burnout and the front of the car would bounce. But after seeing this clip and realizing how complex an auto transmission is, I feel a bit guilty for treating that poor car like that.
im guessing this is a newer style CVT (continuously variable transmission)?? in witch instead of "shifting gears" you actually shift to different clutch packs that have different gearing in the planetary gears. hydraulic seamless "shifting" with no "shift shock" it drive like it has one long gear like a moped scooter or a snowmobile. even though they show a chevy HHR at the end of the clip im pretty sure this gearbox is not from a GM. honda toyota nissan and subaru use them.
Well, that is true but, if you can handle a manual transmission (I didn't say you can't) it usually is the driver who shortens the life of the components. With an automatic transmission you are more at the mercy of the electronics, solenoids, speed sensors, etc. Of course, components can fail, nothing lasts forever.
@joelanderson000 Good point...it seems as though the cars themselves are more a mix from different countries than a lot of the people that drive them. It doesn't seem like a single car really lays claim to a single country or heritage. In the end some amazing examples have been created.
I rebuilt 2 auto transmissions last year, one from a 2004 ford focus and a chevy front wheel drive one like shown here, i understand how it works because i had hands on experence with all the plates and how each one is aligned and the planetary gears are pain in the ass to put in, but manual is much easier to work with and fewer parts than automatic
You could always do that too.but most customers just want thier car to run like it did when they got it. I like B&M shift kits for performence aplications but perfer not to build automatic transmissions myself. Im not a trans tech but ive got that Cert just for the extra 2.50 an hour! I just wind up swaping out parts all day like an installer but its a fast way to make money working flat rate
it's a matter of perspective, manual is better for low torque (for towing) and if driven properly, gas milage but auto's are better on the dragstrip and slow creeping. it all depends what you do with it, and how you do it.
@DrSurprise manual transmissions used to be the cheaper buy, but now that people like manuals it tends to be the more expensive, only because of supply/demand, however, the pricing is barely more expensive, and when it comes to older cars, there is no difference. however, i dont agree with him, but manuals are something that takes time, and in the long run, potentially more money.
i believe on some cars with Automatic transmission have idle higher than manual so they may have less efficient MPG... and it all depends on the driver mostly on the highway...my car has 37 mpg and if its automatic it will have around 33...
@ubuntunoobz not anymore, automatics used to be more expensive because of research and development, but now, all the parts are mass produced and simply laid into place, just like a manual, and manuals have become more expensive because its the thing most people want, and its viewed as an option. automatic is now the base transmission, as well as autostick, where you can use paddles, or left right/up down, stick control of your gears, however that is not as satisfying as a real manual tranny
Nothing wrong with the Chevy logo in a transmission video. After all, GM makes automatic transmissions for several high end European luxury cars, specifically BMW Z3s and others.
