Car Gears - Explained

[@Skynexstar]

It's nice to see how far this channel has come

[@rahulsemailbox]

Totally agree! What didn't change though is how good the content he puts out through each video.

[@thomasontiveros]

@@rahulsemailbox it's still great

[@landongocraxy798]

Nah fr and he still has the same exact videos and with the same board

[@simonvutov7575]

@@landongocraxy798 lmao yeah

[@louisfredgagnon]

Ye

[@FortSasquatch]

“Teaching is the highest form of understanding.” Good job!

[@legioner9]

So true.

[@antoncooks1255]

Jan 3rd 2024 checking in. This video is amazing ,and to see where it all started to where you are now (just saw your video with Camissa in the 911 ST) is an amazing journey! keep up the good work!

[@adamyusuf1805]

Bro singlehandedly made me understand what tens of videos couldn’t😭🙏

[@deerocknroll]

Even years later with the lower production value, I’ve never come across a channel with more/better laid out info. I diagnosed a transmission error in my Jetta thanks to these videos 🙌 (thought I needed a whole new torque converter, thankfully just needed a flush and refill of the fluid 👍)

[@snazz1363]

Metal flakes? Flushing the fluid will get rid of them but it is just a temporary fix

[@EngineeringExplained]

Thanks for watching! (This is my 18,000th comment)

[@jasona8845]

It’s 7 years later and I’ve learned a really great amount in this video!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yep it's great stuff to apply to Gran Turismo and Forza, for those of us who can't afford to build supercars in our garage. :)

[@EngineeringExplained]

The three sets are for (likely) 6 gears. Each set I believe has 2 different ratios, allowing you to have multiple gears depending on how many planetary gear sets you have. Yes, this is something I need to eventually make a video on. Kinda like differentials, it's just super difficult to draw/explain. But I did differentials, and I shall eventually get to automatic gears.

[@pelvismen5510]

ok

[@RealityCheck6T9]

Wow you put a lot of work into this one. Glad to know you're getting paid for it.

[@firstimpressions79]

that amazing feeling when, as someone who isnt strong in math, i can understand the relationships and concepts being explained. massive props to EE for always explaining things so clearly. ive been watching almost every video about how cars work and it is fascinating!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Larger tires have greater rotational inertia (I have a few videos, if you're interested), and they also alter your gear ratio thus making it more difficult to accelerate (this can be compensated for by altering the gearing).

[@TimpBizkit]

Eco driving seems to be "use the highest gear that comfortably does the job" where as racing driving is "use the lowest gear that does not exceed the red line (apart from on a long bend where you may as well change up)"

[@EngineeringExplained]

Correct, I've got a video on CVTs if you haven't yet watched!

[@EngineeringExplained]

@davidle24 Yes, 6000 was an arbitrary number that I picked for the redline. It will be different for every vehicle. This is the speed at which the engine will no longer be able to handle the forces and heat created, and is determined based on the strength of the components in use, the valvetrain, the size of the cylinders, and many other factors.

[@EngineeringExplained]

The video is almost 2 years old. I've since started filming with a new camera and better lighting. Thanks for the tips!

[@EngineeringExplained]

The tires are essentially part of the gearing, as the video demonstrates. The gear ratio of the driveline (diff and trans) does not change, but you go a further distance with the same rotation. This does affect the torque delivered to the ground. I have multiple videos explaining rotational inertia if you're curious about it. Simply search my channel. :)

[@ayush_stha]

I remember watching all these explanations in 2012 when I hadn't started my engineering, and getting inspired by all the mechanics inside a car. Later, studied Computer engineering (partly & mainly) inspired by these sort of videos. So glad to come back here today and enjoy these videos once again, with the same passion and energy of learning how things work.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Revolutions per minute = Revolutions divided by Minutes. Converted to hours, you would divide the minutes by 60. RPM = R/M -> RPH = R/(M/60) = 60*R/M

[@terrancebrown7149]

It's time to remake this video. You have gotten soooo much better since then.

[@EngineeringExplained]

You're welcome! I have a whole playlist on transmissions if you're not yet satisfied. Thanks for watching!

[@Cerbyt821]

absolutely INSANE video even all these years later, thank you so much for this!

[@EngineeringExplained]

@jy0408 Yes, this applies to rotaries. And the shaft of the rotary rotates 3 times for every one rotation of the rotor. Regardless, this shaft will have a certain rpm, and will manipulate the wheel speed through gearing in the same manner. The "transmission" I've shown is very simplified, but its principles apply to all transmissions.

[@EngineeringExplained]

@HawaiiJackJr Thanks for the idea. Check out my video on automatics vs. manuals. For manuals, I explain in detail how this process works. Automatics use a system of clutches to transfer between planetary gears, which are fairly more complicated. I will add planetary gears to the pending list of videos to make!

[@KaiserVonLaframboise]

I'm studying heavy machinery mechanics in school (Not mechanical engineer. Here in Canada, they call it "professional school") and your videos are really helping me out. Thanks a lot and keep up the good work!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yes, it can also be referred to as the final drive ratio. If you're revving higher you're going to use more fuel.

[@jhowe67]

This is how math class should have been!!! i could have actually learned something and passed the damn class!

[@hadi8561]

Then we would never know when car A and car B ever met when one started driving from one side of the city using streets and another driving from the other side of the city using the highway.

[@professionalprocrastinator8103]

That is not maths though. That is engineering. Maths is part of the prerequisites to learn engineering and it provides the tools and the analytical thinking that are necessary to learn other subjects. You need maths, physics and computer science (to a smaller extent) to learn engineering. Maths need to stay abstract because they teach you how to think logically and formulate demonstrations. What is usually used in engineering are the less abstract and more intuitive aspects of maths, namely computational skills (counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, euclidian arithmetics), very basic algebra and a bit of calculus.

[@tsrorst2792]

​@@professionalprocrastinator8103 what I and many of my friends struggled with was understanding math and its uses in our daily lives. For us, initially, it was simply an exercise of menial tasks and an unending test of our patience as we were taught math- but never so much how to use math. You are right in your definition regarding math- it never did become part of my daily life until my job and hobbies required it. School taught me that math was an unending list of equations, problems, and riddles. This guy taught me how to use specific equations to better understand my vehicle... Well, I did see through the smoke when I took physics. I enjoy viewing and understanding math formulas as a tool to be used as opposed to the brainrot that is word problems. This video was great though. My brain needed a stretch after so long.

[@EngineeringExplained]

You're welcome! I've got plenty of videos so feel free to take your time and learn as much as you desire!

[@danieldaniels1172]

My goodness this video is magical. It is like a whole world of understanding just unfolded. Thank you so much. I have watched many of your videos with a vague understanding so I decided to start at video #1 and work up my knowledge from there instead of starting in the middle. Great job.

[@WILSON.1]

Engineering Explained, I love you. (In a completely straight way).

[@EngineeringExplained]

A differential is used to split rotational speeds between the driven tires. A CV joint is the connection between the differential and the drive shaft, which keeps the given velocity from the diff the same speed as when it reaches the wheel.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Basically you want to shift when the force your putting down at the tires is equal to the force if you were to upshift. This means either when your engine becomes too inefficient due to high revs, or a rev limit. And the latter is usually the case, so for speed shifting at late as possible is generally the quickest.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Thanks, glad you enjoy them!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Some have an extra gear, and use a different gear ratio with the extra gear. It's all done for optimizing fuel economy at the final gear.

[@SashiR1]

Brilliantly explained. That goes for all your videos. Thanks for helping me rediscover my love of engineering and cars, something that I lost along the way. Keep up the great work and I look forward to more.

[@EngineeringExplained]

There are currently 7 speed manuals (Porsche and the 2014 Vette come to mind), and there are plenty of 8 speed autos out there. Yes, it comes down to cost, and are the extra ratios really necessary? Savings in fuel economy may be quite minimal, and at a high cost. CVTs may end this is they can make them a bit more durable.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Great to hear, thanks for watching!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Depends what gear you are in. The whole transmission does not rotate, just the gears. If the gear ratio is 3:1 (like 1st, for example), then for every 3 rotation of the crankshaft, the first gear will rotate once.

[@UnknownFounder]

I feel proud understanding this completely. Learning manual transmission, and this just helped me out a ton

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yes, except for the 1:1 part. Most differentials are somewhere in the range of reducing speed (and thus increasing torque) by about 3:1 to 4:1.

[@davidmwakima3027]

This is the best explanation of how gears work I have ever seen or heard! Thank you so much!

[@corvettefever360]

Wow he has been doing this for almost 10 years now, got to give him credit! That's a hard gig making videos for that long & still have a large following. He knows & puts out alot of accurate information, unlike many others. Probably why he is still relevant!

[@EngineeringExplained]

You're very welcome, thanks for subscribing!

[@xtracoolconcepts]

haha its great to hear back from you! im personally not old enough to drive yet but i love learning about cars because of their amazing engineering. i must say that you are very underrated for your very helpful explanations and keep doing what youre doing!

[@LolDarrellLol]

I am seriously understanding cars so much better thanks to your videos. Great job man.

[@EngineeringExplained]

In first gear you'll have more transmission torque, due to gearing. Yes, you have to rotate the gear more times, but it's much easier for the engine to do. Hence I used the example on a bicycle. When you're pedaling on your bike, if you put it in first gear, it's very easy to get the bike moving, you don't have to put much in, and you're rotating the wheel.

[@EngineeringExplained]

@EngineeringExplained Flooring it in a high gear at a low rpm will end up being less efficient, and put lots of strain on the engine, when a gear with a better torque advantage could be selected, use less gas, and get the job done easily.

[@EngineeringExplained]

They are on bearings so that they can rotate at different speeds, but it depends which shaft. One shaft with have fixed gears, which all rotate together, the other will have gears on bearings. Check out my video "automatic vs manual" which should help clear things up.

[@alexiatr]

you are great at explaining this. I had never understood the gear system. all I hear was you have to change gears. Thanks

[@EngineeringExplained]

Because engines have narrow power bands where they are useful, so gears are used to keep the revs within a certain RPM. Motors on the other hand, are capable of revving to much higher RPM, and thus the gears are not needed.

[@EngineeringExplained]

This video really wasn't meant to explain the workings of a transmission, but rather the importance of car gears and their function. I think by watching my video entitled "Automatic vs Manual Transmission" you will be able to visualize better how the gearbox is set up.

[@maximumzen3254]

You make the material so easy to digest man. Greatly appreciate the lesson!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Because that's what gears do, and that's the purpose of gear ratios. By using lower gear ratios, you can have the engine rev at lower RPM for higher speeds. The video should illustrate this fairly well.

[@EngineeringExplained]

It can be accurate depending on the engine. I wouldn't start relating brands to gearing though. Different engines will use different gearing. But yes, if one has much greater torque, then it can use higher gearing, and typically these will be higher displacement.

[@EngineeringExplained]

You are correct, any ratio under a 1:1.

[@shrihari5631]

Thanking you after 12 years !!

[@25TonyVerindra12]

I don't know who would dislike this video, because that was a brilliant explanation. Thank You

[@EngineeringExplained]

Alright, let me know if you have any questions and I can try to elaborate for ya. Hopefully things will click on round 2!

[@steadfastjack277]

What is overdrive and is it good or bad for the transmission? Thanks in advance 🙏 🙂

[@SadisticOutcast]

You could become a good teacher because you have a gift of being able to explain things well! Thank you for your vids!

[@EngineeringExplained]

@EngineeringExplained The air resistance a Bugatti Veyron experiences at 250 mph is the equivalent of you trying to drive your car through water, nearly impossible. So at those speeds it's difficult to accelerate, and you have to be in a high gear to obtain these speeds.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Might help to share units. Also, there are quite a few assumptions, but I get what you're saying. Not many cars (if any) could reach the theoretical maximum speed based on gearing. And just a quick tip make it 3.14*D (tire diameter) rather than t since D is easier to measure than the circumference.

[@EngineeringExplained]

@EngineeringExplained Try putting it in a higher gear, and accelerating at the same rate. It's nearly impossible. Cars operate in the same manner. Another huge impact is wind resistance. When you're in forth gear, traveling at say 80 mph, you have to not only push your car with the same force that air is pushing back, but also push the car so it can keep accelerating. Air resistance is the main reason cars have top speeds.

[@EngineeringExplained]

First question: Both, but many times calculations. Direct drive means less losses through something like a transmission. But if you want to get to your max speed with a single gear ratio, it could take some time. Try driving your car around in 4th gear only. And yes, I prefer metric, but since every speed limit sign in America is in English units, I did the math in English units.

[@foreverwood1963]

This has been the best explanation of this I've seen and I believe your illustration may be key. Excellent!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Well there are probably multiple ways of doing it, but one example is a little pin is used ,which interacts with the output shaft of the transmission, preventing it from rotating. This means your car can't move.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Higher gear ratio means more torque, but reduces the maximum speed you can supply that torque at. You'll be at higher RPMs at the same travel speed than a lower gear ratio.

[@SuperStarCustoms]

This vid is badass. you have increased the replay value of all my old racing games!

[@darksim_000]

I love how you slam all the math on the table, very well explained [although I already knew all about this I enjoy your explanations]. You should do a follow-up on this, regarding the last 30 seconds of the video, addressing "why lower RPM gives you better gas mileage" ....... but also explaining the "sweet spots" in the RPM that get peak MPG. On a 4L 1991/2 dodge minivan, I was able to get 42 MPG once overdrive fully kicked in / no longer "clutching it" at 38 mph @ 1200 RPM. On my paper delivery route, I have an OBD2 app I always use, and I've constantly seen that my MPG is better from 2500 - 3000 RPM than 2000 - 2500 at the same engine load and/or throttle [testing back and forth] so I'm interested in how these "sweet spots" in the RPM band give MPG boosts. I've confirmed these boosts by the car's alleged MPG, the app, and the pump, in identical conditions / temps / same pump every time etc

[@DrifterD]

I've always had a passion for cars, but never understood how they work. As I watch more of your videos, I'm learning more and more about cars. Thank you! But then.. By the way, about the video. There's just one thing I don't understand. The first gear has 30 teeth (the gear with most teeth). Why would this make the car have more torque?

[@mattgray6662]

+DrifterX2J you have a passion for cars... and then theres your profile picture lol

[@DrifterD]

Matt Gray I collect Hot Wheels. Lol

[@mattgray6662]

lol

[@LuisSoto-fk6yb]

+DrifterX2J last I recall it's because its the BIGGEST gear which explains the amount of teeth and more torque the rest start getting smaller which helps you get that higher top speed since the gears rotate faster helping them to send that higher rotation speed to the axle/wheels.

[@DrifterD]

Luis Soto ""rest start getting smaller which helps you get that higher top speed since the gears rotate faster helping them to send that higher rotation speed to the axle/wheels." Dude, by reading this it all makes sense to me now. Thanks!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yes, I do. Try searching my channel, or check out my "transmissions" playlist. Thanks!

[@youwantthetruth2506]

this video is exactly what i've been looking for as far as wanting to change my transmission and rearend gear. i now know what to expect before i even do the swap. much appreciated !!!

[@EngineeringExplained]

As sinister C6 has described below, you have a torque advantage. Check out my video "first gear torque" for a more detailed explanation.

[@EngineeringExplained]

I guess it just depends on what torque characteristics you want for each gear, what speed you want each gear to top out at, and fuel economy for final gears.

[@EngineeringExplained]

You may lose torque from the RPM drop, but the biggest reason is the different gear ratio. Check out my video "first gear torque" which should help you understand what I mean.

[@balanguy]

Fun to see that you've answered two drastically different questions with videos a decade apart: 1st, what is dirtfish like? and 2nd my question about gear ration as I try to understand what I'm looking for when swapping a T5 for the AOD in my 1989 Laforza. Thanks!!!

[@EngineeringExplained]

The flywheel; I have a video on it!

[@max19731978]

one more thing, i dont quite beleive in "pedagogy" as the science of teaching skills, generally speaking. If things are clear in your head, you are easily able to explain them! THAT is what makes your vids so clear. thanks

[@EngineeringExplained]

Horsepower is a function of torque and RPM. The greater your torque or RPM, the greater your hp, when strictly using the conversion equation.

[@deathman113]

Really, I can't tell you how much this video helped me understand how gear ratios and a transmission works. Thanks so much!!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Correct. Obviously if everyone waited till redline to shift while just driving around town engines would fail much sooner, and efficiency would be way down.

[@EngineeringExplained]

I'm happy you did too!

[@murtuzah]

This is possibly the best video and channel on KZbin!

[@SkyZi9]

This is the first video I've seen on your channel and I thought this was some decent guy doing some explanations with meh quality...But your recent videos shows that you've come REALLL FARR...damn well done! This video helped me today for my report so thank you. From 2021!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Weight really doesn't play much of a role as far as top speed. Weight will certainly affect how long it takes to reach top speed, but ultimately it comes down to the aerodynamics and horsepower.

[@Brian.ivander]

Wow you're brilliant. Now I can understand how car gears work. The way you teach is really clear. I'm at a high school and am going to go to engineering at university, it will help me a lot. Thank you there. :)

[@cz3222]

So many years past this is still awesome work!

[@EngineeringExplained]

The harder you press the gas pedal, the more strain/friction your engine will undergo. The engine was made to do this, so it's fine every now and then, but if you do this constantly you can expect the engine to not last quite as long if you were to press on the throttle more lightly.

[@Guitarfollower22]

After you started talking about driving in 1st gear and broke it down for us, I gave up lol. I suck at math, but I got the general idea of it. I don't know how you know all of that so well. Good job

[@EngineeringExplained]

Yes, but at the expense of acceleration (car will be slow). Check out my video "first gear torque" for a better understanding.

[@siddharthupadhyay4246]

This ks so uncluttered. One segment at a time. Thanks sir 💙

[@kjelly9059]

you've come a long way, Engineering Explained!

[@findingnismoz]

Another great video, i like how your videos are succinct. There is just enough information to get the explanation across but not so much information that people start to lose interest.

[@agenttatsu]

I'm creating a video game in which i want to pseudo-simulate a car's engine, and this video helped me go from zero knowledge to having a good understanding of how transmissions work. I know this video is 8 years old, but thank you so much!

[@imagummybearx669]

you are an amazing teacher man! you are the single smartest person I've ever come across. thank you for you're videos.

[@alihash6615]

Excellent video! To see how far you have come with your videos is amazing! Keep up the good work

[@SwissGear213]

Wow. You’ve come a long way.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Check out my video "how horsepower affects acceleration" and "how weight affects acceleration." Should help!

[@EngineeringExplained]

Absolutely.

[@peters6591]

Thank you. You got to the point of crankshaft rpm limit limits top speed down the road in lowers gears very succinctly.

[@EngineeringExplained]

Great to hear!

[@abdulrahmanhany3383]

You are so good in simplifying this topic this way Hope you have a good day