How Does a Manual Transmission Work? -EricTheCarGuy

Paul Cangialosi came by the shop to help me rebuild the T5 Transmission that's going into my 1979 Ford Fairmont Project. While we were doing the rebuild, I asked if Paul wouldn't mind talking about the operation of a manual transmission since we had the gear set out of the case anyway. He agreed, and you get this awesome video talking about how manual transmissions work from the master himself.
You're welcome.
Camera: Brian Kast
Thanks for watching!
The best place for answers to your automotive questions: www.ericthecarg...
Visit www.5speeds.com for more helpful information from Paul Cangialosi.
Pauls book on rebuilding manual transmissions: www.5speeds.com...
Electronic version of Paul's book: books.google.c...
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Gear Ratios Explained: www.5speeds.com...
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[@skwerlee]

It absolutely amazes me just how complicated and ingenious "old school" automotive technology is. I never realized a manual transmission was so complicated. Things like the automotive rear end differential gear...that is amazingly complex and the modern automotive differential gear was was patented in 1827...unbelievable.

[@klc317]

Transmissions have always amazed me......somewhat simple in principle but a lot of thought and engineering goes into them.

[@aDIYCarGuy]

One of the best explanations I've seen.

[@Threelives229]

Paul has so much technical knowledge it's pretty amazing... but, and no disrespect to him, he seems like one of those people who is almost a little too smart to teach. He understands it so intuitively and naturally well so he does not really see the nuances that some people other people might not understand. Eric does actually understand the parts that people get hung up on, so he was making an attempt to try to explain those things and how he relates to the overall drivetrain design. I know Eric's on a break but if they ever do more videos like this I think they should make a way so they can communicate with one another so they can best inform viewers. Combining the technical knowledge of Paul with the teaching ability of Eric.

[@taylorwhiting1211]

This is a good critique

[@mpa1931]

It feels like this was more of a supplemental video to people who know the basics of how it works and want to build off the basics, but I get what your saying.

[@smexybox2286]

Just wanted to quickly say thank you for the video, as a current learner driver in a manual this was really informative. Cheers.

[@KingCobra1968]

Eric, it's ok to admit you were blown away by this guy's knowledge....I was.

[@GearBoxVideo]

+gsantander100 I'm humbled... thanks

[@davidroddick5465]

Another great video. I'm sure some pros know all this stuff. But for backyard mechanics this is really great info. Thanks.

[@judges69]

Eric, you are the best Mechanic on you tube by far working with Paul the best Trans guy period. Great video like always.

[@Johny40Se7en]

I did a two year mechanic course in college and in the 2nd year it was really in depth with stuff like this, you didn't need to fix a transmission just have a basic understanding of it. I'm very thankful that I didn't need to understand it to pass the course because I failed big time, it went way over my head. This video explains a lot and so simple, the yellow math looking thing that came up didn't help though, gotta say, just when you were showing going through the gears, very cool stuff.

[@jarrod8914]

Paul Cangiolsi needs his own you tube channel. Very Informational video. Thanks

[@GearBoxVideo]

I have one. short link is www.gearboxvideo.com

[@jarrod8914]

+GearBoxVideo Subscibed. My self adjusting clutch went out, and still had plenty material left on the clutch, but would not engage in any gear. watching this video helped me determine that the it was the clutch that was just wore out and the transmission was fine since when in fourth gear it should bypass all other gears and turn the rear differential. I guess it was something to do with the self adjusting pressure plate or maybe it's just designed to save the flywheel from damage.

[@madolmabor9665]

Thank you indeed for training us online and kindly please keep doing it for us. I would like to learn more about the gear box of Toyota Car & it's other systems...

[@19wullie9]

definitely learn something new every time I watch any of these videos

[@rileywatson5489]

I can see myself watching this video many times before it is cemented in my head. great explanation by the way.

[@rosen9425]

Great stuff! A lot more intricate than I could imagine. Engineering is awesome. Mechanics are even awesomer.

[@suj1945]

Wow, this guy knows his stuff !

[@El91637]

Nicely done. I;ll be watching this again.

[@davidolivares6421]

YESS! Thank you. Ive been debating on rebuilding my synchros when i replace my clutch. i just purchased an 88' 300zx 2+2 NA last month and i was surprised to see how stock everything is. Factory catalytic converter even haha. Almost everything still works but a few minor things as expected. This is definitely motivating me to just do it once i have the funds. Love the videos man! Keep it up!

[@humidbeing]

AWESOME. Been wanting this crossover to happen for a while.

[@0num4]

Outstanding video. Thanks Eric and Paul.

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Onuma Your welcome

[@snells-window]

Great video. Amazing that all the engine power is actually transmitted through those small teeth on the side of the main gears

[@Geforcefly]

I had a 1989 Mustang with 2.3 and T5 (shown as T50D in the manual). The transmission was bulletproof, but the rest of the car wasn't. Had a bad example. What intrigued me was that the trans used ATF instead of 75W90 like in most other manuals (like my 2012 Fusion I recently traded in)

[@humidbeing]

+geforcefly1982 T5 world class takes regular old DEX/Merc. Many RWD manual transmissions also take auto fluid, or syncromesh. The reason why your fusion was designed for gear oil is because it's FWD and the differential is in the same case and uses same oil.

[@Geforcefly]

Well explained :)

[@christophermiller5041]

eric, i never fail to learn something from one of your videos.

[@benwalker997]

Thanks so much. I've been curious for a long time. Jason from EE gave a good theoretical, but somehow I missed that the non-drive shaft simply transmits different final ratios back to the drive shaft...I expect that I missed something. Excellent presentation.

[@keithgardner3865]

Thanks Eric and Paul. Paul definitely knows his stuff, but Eric, you can explain things to the masses much better. That's why i love watching your videos. Stay Dirty!

[@sipock97]

Great video. It's nice to actually see in action how it works.

[@sc0tte1-416]

I watched a video trying to understand this and I never understood. But now I do, I think I was totally over-analysing this because it's actually pretty simple.

[@mtnmotoadv]

Really interesting video.. the motor powers the car but the transmission's what really brings it to life.

[@DENicholsAutoBravado]

+the7mad9cap7laughs Right. The power of the engine is nothing without delivery. :)

[@tsimms561]

Thanks Paul and Eric. Very good explanation!

[@KingCobra1968]

Eric, he is a guru!!!

[@shanehildebrand8255]

been watching your videos for awhile now. from that I want ur shop. Lol ur really smart I enjoy holding the couch down while learning some things from u. keep it up

[@spelunkerd]

Thanks, Paul. You've got a funny website intro, ha ha. Good idea, Eric.

[@Recovering_Californian]

Transmission have always confused me but I think I get it now. All those gears are always meshed together and spinning and only when a synchronizer locks a specific gear does the power flow through it.

[@348frank348]

Recovering_Californian you have it exactly wrong

[@fifteenbyfive]

So in principle you have to go from drive to driven to driven to drive, and on this transmission when in fourth gear the drive is the driven. I have brass synchros in my manual transmission too which is why I couldn't use the GL-5+ and had to stick with the GL-4 manual transmission fluid instead.

[@chris14091975]

great video. but the killer question? which cars have great manual transmissions? he mentionned the mustang's was not that good

[@wyattoneable]

Thanks guys.

[@MrDiabolicmuffin]

Great video! Very informative for an auto repair amateur like me...

[@thelegacyofdan]

Great explanation, brothers! what about a Non-synchronous transmission? i know they are old school but it would be great to see your guys explanation of it.

[@mcmurm11]

Awesome video full of knowledge.

[@SuperDave21]

Awesome video.. .loved it! thanks Eric and Paul!

[@airoh11]

Great video Eric. Very cool !

[@petej222]

id like to see a video on a 18 speed Eaton fuller gear box.

[@patw52pb1]

+petej222 The operation is very similar to this transmission. Think of it as a 5 speed + reverse transmission connected to the engine where it's output is connected to the input of a 3 speed transmission. Oh, and much larger. ;)

[@petej222]

still would make a good video

[@jtbhire]

+petej222 no syncros in that one lol.

[@petej222]

James Bankes hear some good crunches when the truck has driver under instruction on it.

[@jtbhire]

yeah, got to learn some how.

[@doobsnack]

Excellent .. just excellent !

[@Manzie1000]

Thank you for this and all your helpful videos geared towards beginner enthusiasts ; )

[@tiehut]

another thing to note is the reverse gear does not have a synchro because the car is stopped when shifting into reverse

[@jaredmaloney6572]

This was actually super helpful, thank you

[@FatalSinsations]

absolutely awesome video thanks for the great information.

[@skitch3000]

clear as mud!! haha thanks @ericthecarguy

[@pablobasstb]

what are your thought on downshifting from 5th to 3rd for quick overtaking? or for keeping momentum in steep hills? cheers.

[@drumnbass8]

Great video really well explained!

[@freddiemartinez2746]

these videos are great keep them up

[@samjohnson466]

Paul looks a little bit like Paul Simon. I f you'll be my bodyguard I will be your long lost pal. Sorry I did just go there. Good explanation on manual transmission function, thanks.

[@jtbhire]

+Sam Johnson I can call you Betty

[@samjohnson466]

whatever you get the gist

[@jtbhire]

I do Betty

[@samjohnson466]

Me thinks you do yourself, haha.

[@MarkfromNewYork]

+Sam Johnson sus

[@BrenticusMaximus1]

Cool video. Great video quality 👌

[@DnosSFS]

Have a question, the transmission on my Suzuki Vitara locked up while driving. Only gear I had access to after stopping was 5th gear. Bought a second hand transmission, put it in and it drove perfectly for 40minutes heard a screaming noise (like the old transmission) when I stopped I lost access to all gears but 3rd and neutral. Even with engine off I am locked out of other gears, What could the problem be?

[@buca9696]

If I understand correctly, the synchros are what keep the gears locked together, right? So if they are worn then the car will jump out of gear, right?

[@motothumper5598]

So all of those gears are spinning (on both shafts) and the sincros move to lock in certain gears to the shaft providing drive??

[@rominhawk3949]

Super Duper, Awesome explanations; thanks

[@Bakanelli]

How is input shaft exactly connected to the gears since all of them are on free flow? Not in depth explantion of grear ratios -.-

[@GhettoWagon]

I bet Paul is from NY, great explanation!

[@GearBoxVideo]

Ya think?

[@GhettoWagon]

GearBoxVideo Only someone from NY can say that. :) Ever build any T56 transmissions?

[@GearBoxVideo]

Built many T56 units.

[@CrashRebootL3]

cool, thanks 4 sharing.

[@MrHeatscore94]

How long can you go with a input shaft bearing that's making all sorts of noise in gears 1 2 and 3 (2004 honda civic coupe dx)

[@toyotatech2jz814]

Great video as always Eric. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this video so for the 7 people that disliked you must be douce bags.

[@mpgomatic]

Awesome stuff!

[@thomasboy9088]

I have a 2003 Dodge neon SXT with a manual trans. I was leaving work yesterday and i was going into 3 rd from second and when i let the clutch pedal out it felt like it was in neutral. The whole way home i tried to go into 3rd with the same result. I have had no grinding or any problems at all before that. I checked all the linkage and it all seems to be working fine. Any ideas?

[@jacobm2625]

Care to explain what a "dogbox" is? Not a dogleg shifter, but the kind of transmission that basically lets you flat shift for quicker changes etc. I'm pretty sure they're unsynchronized

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Jacob McRoberts Look at other videos on my channel. Especially the PRI show one.

[@opie7afe]

hey eric, whats your record time for removing a manual trans from a FWD car? just wondering if im getting excited over nothing as i removed one from a 05 corolla in 1 hr 15 mins and ive only done it once before on my own(yes i work in a garage but i usually do the "light jobs" like replacing pumps,starters,fluids,suspension stuff ect)..

[@taylorhumes7567]

Does anyone know where Eric's video on the replacement of the synchros that won't let the car shift into 5th is? I am having the same issue.

[@jamezpiri2747]

How do the gearstick effect the engine? That's the one thing I don't understand about cars

[@jawojnicki]

they didn't say how reverse works and also why does one output shaft collar have a gear attached to it but the other one doesn't?

[@jamessullivan9992]

which is the best common 5 speed transmission ? If say you wanted to adapt it replace an old 3 speed .

[@cristianpaniagua4832]

hey +EricTheCarGuy ... i have a 1972 chevelle with a muncie 4 speed transmission and when i put it in gear it wont run , how can i fix it?

[@cefb8923]

Good video

[@johnblack4636]

Nice video bro

[@k_escobar917]

Hey so if I get my clutch replaced the actual gears wouldn't be replaced also?

[@ImClippy]

is there any reasoning to why some of the gears are different style than the others like 1st gear pattern is different from 2nd to 5th gear, is there any reason for it ?

[@Gameplayery]

wow the 60FPS is real !

[@CodeWaka]

This guy is like the automotive version of JayZTwoCents.

[@sebastianmalmstrom3547]

Good stuff

[@SirDeanosity]

Makes me miss my Ford Ranger with the 5 speed manual. :(

[@jason-ge5nr]

fascinating

[@justinohsbeats]

wow great vid

[@Thunderroad8517]

hey great vid! Got a 95 honda Civic de sol manual trans . Put it in any gear and you can push the car easily. will a separated clutch hub cause this or is it something else. Also the familiar clutch smell. fiber on the fork arm. Care to bite???

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Michael Nicholson Sounds like your clutch came apart. If the maindrive was broken in the transmission you would hear knocking banging noises.

[@ramicool4234]

my car is mazda6 2005 hold light car just chang1 and 2 i cant chang3in tranmison car is automatic help me ...

[@VishalParmar-gb3qv]

excellent!!

[@najiajones1380]

My car needs transmission work. I need a good mechanic. Any suggestions?

[@davidvasquez3564]

I like the way the Flintstones do it just use your legs.

[@jadimranthe1]

thanks man, great stuff.

[@anthonymurphy34]

How often should you change your manual transmission fluid if it's a vehicle that only gets out every once in a while.Say for example a classic car or RV?

[@GearBoxVideo]

By mileage. Typically 10K

[@antonnym214]

It's clear to me this is how they had to do it in the 1800s when these things were invented, but NOW it seems it would be more efficient to select, sync, and engage the desired gear with a computer and servos. I wonder if anyone has tinkered with that idea.

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Anton Nym Look any current DCT ( Dual Clutch Transmission) such as the Ford Powershift or VW DSG. Basically, the design you speak of has been around for quite some time. DCT units give you better efficiency than a typical torque converter based automatic and faster shifting and better efficiency than a manual shift transmission. Although, the one in my Ford Focus shudders and shifts horrible. The problem with computers and hydraulic servos is that the programming is just not there yet. The Ford situation is a real mess.

[@SamnissArandeen]

+GearBoxVideo I hear the Ford DCTs have terrible clutch chatter after the first few miles, like the engineers forgot they were working with dry clutches instead of a torque converter. Does yours have that chatter, or is it just terrible shifting? Try out a BMW with a dual clutch box sometime. The last generation M3 had a solid seven-speed DCT in it; they're great little boxes, though obviously not with the six-speed fun factor.

[@GearBoxVideo]

Mine chatters

[@Mickeyboybold]

Nice one :). Got a question for you, I recall some older cars having a push button for over drive how does that feature work?

[@Mickeyboybold]

Ah, I've just learned that sometimes there's a separate unit for that added on

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Michael Farmer Actually the early Borg Warner R10 was one. The button actuated a solenoid that locked a planetary gear to create an overdrive. Later corvettes from 1984 to 1988 used a similar setup using wet clutches to lock a planetary behind a Super T10 4 speed called a 4+3. These were also actuated by a solenoid that blocked a valve body passage pressurizing the OD clutch pack.

[@UberAlphaSirus]

oic, thanks

[@allancarcone4114]

loved the info great stuff

[@Effay513]

Paul needs safety glasses on. I'm putting this on the news. lol

[@monster1176]

so every gear in my transmission works except for reverse. when I shift it into reverse it acts like it's in 5th and will actually pull fwd as I let out on the clutch. any one know?

[@Joshua_Hammer.777]

My tranny went out but still has 4th only about to try to rebuild it I do have a extra one from salvage yard but want to try to rebuild mine

[@guest9136]

#EricTheCarGuy I would like some info on 1999 Saturn SL2 manual 5 speed transmission. I am looking for a sleeve or fix for a pin inside of the transmission in these cars. With the snow and ice here, wheels spin most of the winter, and this trans does not like that. Our car had 180k on it. My wife was driving one winter and the "pin" they talk about, shot through the transmission and destroyed it. I dont remember what it looked like or anything. Anyone know of a fix for this that would be great. My nephew is planning to restore an SL2 to as new as possible. I know the pistons and drilling inside of the "land" of the oil return. We want to make an old SL2 run 500k from restore point to that mark. Maybe more.

[@delonthomas2772]

Thyx

[@harleyandbuddy]

So it's bad for the synchros if I'm in say 3rd or 4th gear and I put the clutch in and, while holding the clutch in, I immediately put the shifter in 1st?

[@harleyandbuddy]

+gsilva220 Thanks for the info...I've always wondered that

[@ThrottleJerk]

Hey Eric! Are you gonna change that faulty synchro? I would be glad to know how you do that

[@GearBoxVideo]

+Gabriel Thériault All the rings get changed.

[@chrispappas3750]

Where are the input and output shafts separated?

[@carleynorthcoast1915]

i want to know the same thing, might slide against each other on a bearing

[@waseemsells5378]

Whose Acura in the background?