The Joy of Clutches: A Deep Dive into the World of Transmission Mechanics

So, where do we let all that spinning energy go? The answer lies in the clutch. The clutch is a critical component of any vehicle's transmission system, and understanding how it works is essential for anyone who loves to tinker with their ride.

The clutch looks like this - a simple disc with a high friction material on both sides. But don't let its simplicity fool you. The engine is actually driving the flywheel, which is connected to the input shaft of the transmission through a system of gears and bearings. And at the heart of it all is the clutch.

Most clutches use three springs to keep the connection between the disc and the flywheel strong and effective in high-torque applications like racing. But did you know that some performance clutches can have more than three? That's because they need to be able to handle the intense forces generated by high-performance engines.

So, how does it all work together? Well, when you hit the clutch pedal, it presses the center of a diaphragm spring, which pulls up on the springs and lifts the friction plate off the flywheel. But that's not the end of the story - attached to the friction plate are other plates with coil springs in them. These springs absorb the shock of re-engaging the friction plate, taking some of the stress off the rest of the transmission.

Now, you might be thinking, "But what about double-clutching?" Ah, double-clutching is a rare and beautiful thing - rarely used, but always impressive. It's not actually two clutches, but rather clutching twice once when you shift into neutral to hit the gas and match the engine revs to the gear you want to go into, and again when you hit the clutch a second time to shift into that gear.

I always use double-clutching when I'm racing, driving big rigs, and dunking (yes, really!). It's like a little dance - shifting gears smoothly and seamlessly, without ever leaving the gas pedal. And it's not just for show - double-clutching can actually improve your performance by allowing you to make more precise gear shifts and avoid wear on your transmission.

But what about when things go wrong? What happens when the clutch gets worn out or burns out from excessive use? Well, that's a story for another time. Let's just say it's not pretty - and it often requires some costly repairs.

Speaking of which, have you ever wondered how to fix a burnt-out clutch? It's not easy, folks - but with the right tools and knowledge, you can get your ride back on the road in no time.

So, there you have it - a deep dive into the world of transmission mechanics. From clutches to gear shifts, we've covered it all. And if you're anything like me, you'll be excited to learn more about the intricacies of car maintenance and repair. After all, as any car enthusiast will tell you, knowing how your ride works is half the fun!

Thanks to Honey for sponsoring this video - they're a browser extension that automatically searches the internet for coupon codes to help you save money on your next purchase. And the best part? It's free! Just click the link below and add Honey to your browser today.

But wait, there's more! If you want to learn more about clutches and gear shifts, check out this video on turbos - it's got some amazing insights into the world of high-performance engines. And if you're feeling adventurous, be sure to follow me @bidsbarto and Donut @donutmedia for all your science and car geek goodness.

And finally, if you want to see more videos like this one, be sure to subscribe to Science Garage - we'll be back with more fun and informative content soon!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- First gear, second gear, fourth gear,sixth, eighth, twelfth gear.(engine revving)We're talking about manual transmission.You probably know the basic idea.The transmission changes the gear ratioto make sure you'regetting the optimum powerfrom your engine to the wheels.When two gears are in mesh,an almost losslesstransfer of power occurs.In this case, a force isapplied to the gear on the left,which is in turn movingthe gear on the right.For every revolutionthe left gear completes,the right gear completes onein the opposite directionand with equal force.Pretty straightforward.What makes gears truly useful thoughis when they aren't the same size.Let's shrink that drivinggear down by half.Now it has to complete two rotationsto move the right gear once.Well, that sucks.But wait a sec, the total amount of energyrequired to move thesecond gear one revolutionhasn't changed.But now the driving gear deliversthe same amount of energyover twice as many revolutions,meaning it requireshalf the amount of forceat any given moment.It's like climbing stairs.Make the steps smallerand each step's easier,but you gotta take twice as many.We've all ridden bikes,so you know what it does.But how does it work?A standard manual transmissionis made up of an engineshaft or input shaft,and that's the side thatcomes from the engine.A drive shaft or output shaft,that's the side thatgoes to the drive wheels,and here, underneath both of those,is the counter shaft.And on these shafts are the gears.- How familiar are youwith the gear wars exactly?- All of this has to dowith getting the right amountof torque to the wheel.If you like learning about torque,check out our Science Garageon torque and horsepower.If you want to know abouttoque and hose powder,ask a Canadian.(speaking in foreign language)But let's get back to the gears.- Okay, it was about 754 years ago.- If I turn the input shaft,the gear on that turns this counter shaft,and that turns all of thegears on the output shaft.But all these gears aremoving at different speeds.When the gears aren't engaged,they spin freely from the output shaftbecause they're not anchored to it.Only one gear at a time isspinning the output shaft,and that's because of what isanchored to the output shaft,these hubs.Around these hubs are sleeves.These sleeves slide overthe teeth on the gearand anchor them to the hubto drive the output shaft.But wait, there's more.Look at those tiny little teeth.Matching up those tiny teethat the edge of our gearwith the sleeves' tiny teeth.Well, that's almost impossible.So between them are these synchronizers.We cut the power to the counter shaft,let the wheels drive theoutput shaft for a change,and when we push the synchronizer ring,it gets squeezed against our gearand locks it to the hub,so it's anchored to the output shaft.That's why when you're shifting,you get that uh-uh.(engine revving)Now the wheels in the driveshaft and the counter shaftare all spinning in mesh.Voila, we've shifted gears.Some manual five-speed transmissionsmay have minor differences here or there.This is pretty standard for the most part.The big gear here, which is enmeshedwith the smallest gear in thecounter shaft is first gear.First gear is always gonna bethe largest gear in the transmission,producing more torque for the back wheel.It's taking a lot of fast turning forceand making one big slow turning force.The slightly smaller gearnext to that's second.Then goes third and smallest one's fourth.On most four- andfive-speed transmissions,fourth gear is what's called direct drive,or a one-to-one gear ratio,meaning the input and outputare turning at the same rate of speed.Okay, let's pop the shiftfork into first gearand engage that big ol'gear here in the front.In first, this particular transmission'sgot a gear ratio of 3.83 to one,so I can turn the input, one, two, threein exactly 0.8 times,and you can see theoutput has turned once.That's torque, baby.Pop it into second,and the gear ratio onthis guy's 2.062 to one.Third gear is 1.4 to one.You know the drill.One and .4 turns turns it one time.And then as we mentionedearlier, fourth, one to one.They're turning at the same speed.That's gear ratios.Guys, we did it.(children cheering)Now a lot of you are probably sayingwhat about fifth gear?We're getting there.Fifth gear is kindahidden in the back here,and we call it overdrive.Remember how first or thirdgear were high gear ratios?Well, get ready for a lowgear ratio, buddy boy.In fifth gear, I only needto turn this shaft .8 timesto get a full turn on the output.That's overdrive, which getsmucho better fuel economy.At this point, you're getting powerfrom the forward momentum of your vehicleand don't need as much powergoing to your engine or your wheels.Some six- and seven-speedcars can have double overdrivefor even better fuel economyat those high, high speeds.Oh, reverse is over here.Boop, boop, boop.It hits this gear, itmakes your drive shaftspin the same directionas your counter shaft.Now here's the rub.The drive shaft's attachedto the wheels, remember?When we shift gears, thewheels are gonna want tospin the counter shaftat a different speedthan the engine's trying to spin it.We have to take that power off somewhere,or it'll make a grinding sound,like when your brother's robot hamsterwon't stop body shaming youso you throw it in the blenderwith all the bad forks and spoonsand press puree to teach it a lesson.So where do we let allthat spinning energy go?The clutch.The clutch looks like this.The clutch has a discwith a high frictionmaterial on both sides.The engine is actuallydriving the flywheel.And the input shaft to the transmissionis mounted to the disc.When the disc is pressedfirmly against the flywheel,it catches and can drive the shaft.In the case of this clutch,it's squeezed by these springsand attached to a pressure discand anchored by this pressure plate,which gets bolted to the flywheel.Most clutches use three springs,but in performanceclutches you can have more.And that makes theconnection between the discand the flywheel evenstronger and more effectivein high torque application.Like racing.And this is where thingsget a little tricky.A diaphragm spring isconnected to the pressure discunder the pressure plate.When you hit the clutchit pushes the centerof that diaphragm spring andthat pulls up on the springs,which lifts the frictionplate off the flywheel.Awesome.Now we've disengaged thepower from the shaft,but we let off the clutch pedaland re-engage the friction disc,you're gonna bang, pop right into action.We don't want that.We want to ease into the movement.So attached to the friction platethere's these other plateswith coil springs in them.These springs are attached to a huband that plate is the onethat anchors the shaft,and that goes to the transmission.Those springs absorbthe jolt of re-engagingthe friction plate to take a little stressoff the other parts of your drive train.You want to try to get onand off your clutch pretty quickly,or you might burn it out.(engine revving)That happens when the flywheeland the friction platerub together too much.It happens.Usually waiting on a hillto get into a Dodgers game.(engine revving)So what is a double clutch?- Rarely shifting, not doubleclutching like you should.- Well, it's not really two clutches.Double clutch is clutching twice.Once when you shift into neutralto hit the gas and match the engine revsto the gear you want to go into.Then you hit the clutch a second timeto shift into that gear.I always use the doubleclutch when I'm racing,drivin' big rigs, and dunking.♪ I believe I can fly, whoo ♪- Pretty cool.Thanks to honey for sponsoring this video.Honey is a browser extensionthat automatically scours theinter webs for coupon codesto make sure you're gettin'the best possible deal.Ya know how you always get to the checkoutand it's like, do youhave a discount code?And you're like, uh, no?Well, say no no more. 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