Copyright by Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
210 Manual Drive Trains and Axles
Input shaft
Synchronizer
Splines for
clutch friction
disc
Synchronizer
Output
shaft
A
B
Shift forks
and shift rails
Input shaft
Transaxle
case
Output
shaft
Locknut
Spring washer
Synchronizer
sleeve
Synchronizer
hub
Synchronizer
spring
Needle bearing
Needle bearing
Needle bearing
4th gear
Ball bearing
Spacer washer
28 mm
Snap ring
28 mm
Synchronizer
ring
Synchronizer
spring
Synchronizer
sleeve
Synchronizer
hub
Spacer collar
Spacer collar
Synchronizer
ring
5th gear
Assembled
input shaft
Input shaft
Synchronizer
spring
Synchronizer
ring
3rd gear
Needle bearing
Input Shaft Assembly
Figure 10-7. Exploded view of a manual transaxle input shaft.
(Honda)
Figure 10-6. A—Transaxle transmission gears, bearings, and
synchronizers on input and output shafts. B—Shift rails and shift
forks on input and output shaft assemblies.
(General Motors, Honda)
The gears are heat-treated for extra strength. Figure 10-6
shows typical manual transaxle transmission gears.
Some gears are in constant mesh, while others are not.
Which gears are permanently in mesh varies with the trans-
axle manufacturer. The number of gears on the input and
output shafts also varies according to the manufac turer’s
design.
The size of the gear is an indication of the ratio of the
gearset: the smaller the gear on the input shaft and the larger
the gear on the output shaft, the greater the reduction. On
the input shaft, for instance, the gear for low is smaller than
the gear for second. This can be seen in Figure 10-7 and
Figure 10-8.
Manual transaxle gears are usually lubricated by gear
oil. A few transaxles use automatic transmission fluid as the
lubricant. The rotation of the gears distributes the oil to the
moving parts of the transaxle. In addition, oil passages in
the shafts permit lubrication of gear bushings and needle
bearings Figure 10-9.
A few transaxles are equipped with special washers that
pump oil to the gears and bearings. These washers are made
of spring steel. As the driver shifts gears, the direction of the
thrust loading on the input and output shafts changes, causing
the washers to flex. As they flex, the washers create a pump-
ing action that distributes oil to critical areas of the transaxle.