Understanding and Analyzing Manual-Transmission Failures
The most-abused components in a vehicle are the clutch and the manual transmission, as these components are completely at the mercy of the driver. Most of this discussion will be tilted to performance vehicles, because they make up the vast majority of domestic cars that are still available with “stick transmissions.” The same parameters of this discussion also apply to foreign cars and, of course, the few pickup trucks and SUVs that are still optioned with a manual transmission.
Jeep Gets a Six-Speed – the NSG370 Manual Transmission
The Jeep brand is one of the iconic names in automotive history. Created as a personnel carrier for the military during World War II, the brand has been owned by several manufacturers over the years and is now part of Chrysler Corp. The use of the original military vehicles by millions of American service members during and after the war created a market for the brand that is still very strong today.
Being Profitable and Controlling Costs
Pricing your work incorrectly is one of the most-common strategic errors. Does your labor rate reflect your cost of doing business with a percentage of profit for the amount of billable hours, or is it a number that is comparable to or cheaper than your local competition? Do you know what the fiscal burden is for each employee? Do you know what it costs to turn the key in the door every day, so that your pricing reflects the absorption of those costs plus a correct profit percentage? These are all vital data without which you have no way to price your work correctly.
New Transmission Technology Already Here, and More Coming
The old saying “The only thing that is constant is change” has never been more true than in today’s automotive manufacturing. We have seen the bankruptcy of Chrysler and General Motors, which 20 years ago was unthinkable. China has arrived as a manufacturing giant for all types of products and, with a billion plus people with rising income levels, is poised to become the largest new-car market on the globe. India and Brazil have leaped ahead economically and will become players in this market.
The New Venture Dodge 244 Transfer Case – Are You Confused Yet?
Historical evolution of this series of transfer cases starts with the 2000 models. Dodge Durango and Dakota for 2000 had available the 231HD, 241LD and 242, depending on the vehicle’s specific engine and transmission. In 2001, these vehicles were equipped with a 233 or 244. These are electrically shifted units, with the 233 being an electronic 231 and the 244 being an electronic 242.
Speculating in Petroleum
The lifeblood of any machinery with moving parts is the lubricant. Without the proper lube, serious failure occurs quickly, yet few technicians have taken the time to really understand such an important commodity. Just as parts have proliferated dramatically with so many transmission and transfer-case designs in the market, the different specified lubricants are now almost too numerous to stock.
Year-End Roundup
We have reached the end of another year, and a wild year it was. Business in some areas has shown modest improvement, but on the whole I believe most shops are far from happy with the results.
Whodunit?
Every technician who rebuilds transmissions has failures, which we call comebacks. We get the failed or improperly working unit back, diagnose the cause and make it right.
The entire exercise we go through on a daily basis making repairs is based on the same set of facts: We have to first diagnose the problem, understand the cause of the failure, correct that cause and then certify that the unit is working correctly and deliver the product.
The Science of Synchronization
The next step in the design was synchronization. To synchronize means to coordinate several events to take place at the same time. Soldiers synchronize their watches before a mission to make sure everyone is on the same time schedule. Synchronized transmissions are easy to use, eliminating the driver’s having to match shaft speeds for each shift and creating a smooth, clash-free gear engagement with only a clutch release necessary. Synchronizers are one of the most-misunderstood parts of the transmission, and as with zippers everyone knows how to use one but most people have little or no clue as to how they work.
Different Differentials: What is the difference?
Differential comes from different. In automotive terminology the differential is a component of a drive axle – either rear-, front-, or four- or all-wheel drive – that permits the axles to rotate at different speeds as the vehicle makes a turn. In a turn the drive axle toward the inside of the turn will have to rotate less than the axle on the outside of the turn because of the larger arc covered by the outside wheels.
Up to Standards
In last month’s article we looked over the mechanical functions of the Magna Powertrain 146 transfer case found in the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 model. To review briefly, this model is Jeep’s muscle car and is capable of 0-60 times under five seconds with its 6.1-liter Hemi engine, five-speed automatic transmission and single-speed 146 transfer case.
The Hotrod Jeep New Venture Gear 146 Transfer Case
SRT8 stands for “Street and Racing Technology,” which is the performance group of Chrysler Corp, and the 8 signifies a V-8 engine. The SRT people put a whole lot of oomph into this vehicle, designed to compete with the BMW X5 and X6 models and comparable Mercedes-Benz SUVs. Powered by a 6.1-liter Hemi engine, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the second-fastest vehicle in the Chrysler line, surpassed by only the Dodge Viper with its V-10 power plant.
