I just bought a Formula Mazda to do track days and to learn how to work on these types of cars. Your video does a good job of explaining the gearbox of an open wheeler.
Steve, you should approach a TV producer and ask if you can create a tv show based on your videos. A lot of people would watch your TV show. I would as well as many others. I am serious. Kind regards from a fan in Australia!
Your films are great and you explain a lot but I agree with some of the other commenters here. You're confusing torque with power. I can understand why you want to simplify it but getting those muddled will confuse people in the long run. You're easily able to explain it properly! Maybe a simple film then an 'advanced' one. Another one good to do that people struggle to understand is why you need to double declutch on non synchro boxes. Race boxes are very similar to 'old' gearboxes like in pre war cars with straight cut gears. When people talk about crunching gears in old cars they don't realise it's probably the dogs crunching and the gears are always in mesh. At least in all the GBs I know which isn't many I must admit!
OK, let me try to explain. This video is about ratio's and yes you are all right that gears convert torque to newton meters . However I referred to power in the general sense, as it does not matter if that power or torque at the end power creates torque. But yes , it is maybe not that accurate by stating it that way and people might get confused. I might make a correction in my next video to explain this.. Thank you. As for double clutch, both shifting up and down with extra throttle inbetween the double clutch action for shifting down is only get to get those gears on the primary shaft spinning near to the others so the theet will not rub as much when getting into that gear... far less crunching..
Good sir, I cannot tell you of the joy when I found this video. You have just saved my, and my class mates degree, with hours to spare. One day, I will buy you your favourite local beer and shake your hand.
My vintage Formula Ford with a Hewland Mk8 came with 13 sets of gears. I used a spreadsheet to try and figure out what ratios to use. It has most of the Hewland ratios in a table. You enter ring and pinion ratio, rear tire diameter, target max rpm than select 4 gear ratios and it would create a table and graph of speed vs rpm for each gear. This would help me select the gear sets for different tracks with hopefully optimized 4th gear top speed and rpm changes between gears.
Nice video! But... At 12:30 The power stays the same. The bigger wheel turns at half the speed but the torque is double the torque on the input shaft. Because the speed is reduced with a factor of 2, the energy per second (power) stays the same. I guess you are using the term "power" a bit loosely here, causing confusion. Edit: Sorry, I didn't see it was already mentioned in another comment.
Hey Steve! Greetings from Ecuador! We are always following your tutorials and videos! I currently own a Van Diemen Vauxhall Jr, could you possibly help me to repair its fuel bladder, its leaking. Thank you for your attention!
Thank you , I know what you are saying , But to keep it simple we just talk RPM and Power...at the end it does not matter ratios devide or multiply .Of course you are right that a large ratio ( small coghwheel to drive a large cogwheel) provides a lot of torque... I just called it power....
I can not get any gear chart, can you be so kind to direct me where I can get them. ( can not find it on the web) supervee 1.6L. Rf 85 with a VW Bertil engine...thxs in advance
