How Does it Work?

- No 1 - The Gearbox
Tool Chest

The classic answer to "What is the Gearbox for?" is "To keep the oil in",
which is fair enough unless you want to know how it works! In this
series we will dip into the tool chest to see if there is anything to help
us understand some of the fundamentals of the motor car's innards.
After all, if we have a problem, we stand a much better chance of
working out what has gone wrong, and what to do about it, if we know
how the thing should work. So what, basically, is inside this particular
oil can?

The following diagrams show the simplest form of sliding mesh gear box
with three forward speeds and reverse, the function of which is to change the
speed of the transmission shaft relative to the primary/input power shaft
from the engine. Diagram 1 shows the gears in Neutral. The sliding Gear can
be moved along the Splined Mainshaft by the gear Lever. The Primary shaft
is in 'constant mesh' with the Lay Shaft, which has a larger gear so that it
turns slower. In Neutral the layshaft turns freely and is not connected to the
transmission shaft.
To engage 1st Speed, the sliding gear is moved to the rear until its larger gear meshes
with the smaller,1st Speed gear on the layshaft. The connection to the transmission shaft
is now through two sets of reduction gears as shown in Diagram 2, so the transmission
shaft turns at its lowest speed.

To engage 2nd Speed, the sliding gear is moved forward until its smaller gear meshes
with the 2nd Speed gear on the layshaft as in Diagram 3. These gears are normally the
same size, so the drive path is now though only one set of reduction gears and the
transmission shaft turns faster.

To engage Top Speed, the sliding gear is moved further forward until the dog clutch
engages, as in Diagram 4, the drive path now being straight through to the transmission
shaft, which is now driven at the same speed as the input shaft from the engine. To
engage Reverse, the sliding gear is moved fully rearwards until it meshes with the reverse
idler pinion as in Diagram 5, the idler having the effect of making the transmission shaft
turn in the opposite direction, ie, the car will go backwards. To make room for the idler,
the reverse gear was often smaller than the 1st speed gear, so the overall reverse ratio was
lower than 1st speed. This is why some old cars could go up hills backwards that they
couldn't climb in bottom gear going forwards!
In later gearboxes, the sliding gear was made up of two separate gears, the front gear for
top and second, the rear for first and reverse, each moved by its own gear selector fork.
The forks are controlled by a gate and interlock mechanism which prevents two gears
being engaged at the same time. Diagram 6 shows an early type of selector and 'H' gate
mechanism. A latch prevents inadvertent engagement of reverse gear.

Driving with these sliding gears requires great skill and is often very noisy, with double
de-clutching being an absolute must! For Connie's benefit, double de-clutching brings the
two gears to the same speed so that they can be easily and quietly slid into engagement.
The sequence is:

1. Depress clutch and move gear selector to neutral. (The mainshaft gear is rotating
relative to road speed.)

2. Release clutch and adjust, engine revs to bring layshaft gear to a speed appropriate to
the road speed and mainshaft gear to be selected. (Higher revs when changing down,
iower when changing up.)

3. Engage next gear, simultaneously depressing clutch slightly to allow slippage in case
gear speeds were not fully synchronised. (Nobody said it was easy!)