I have a lot of different articles and videos on different gearboxes, for example, here we thought it was better to have an automaton or a mechanic, in this article we thought it was better to have an automaton or a variator, similar to the one about a robot or a variator. But there is not a single material in which all 4 transmissions were dismantled (which is said at once). And my readers - listeners ask me about it - to tell me what are the differences, what is more reliable, more economical. The question is very difficult, it is easy not to answer it, but I will try.
The automotive industry is not standing still and is developing (of course, not at such a global pace as the computer industry, but still). And many car giants assure that they will soon almost give up gasoline and diesel cars and switch to either hybrids or fully electric cars. And so there is always a search for the ideal transmission for the car, which will go on future generations. Now the main 4 pieces are:
- mechanics
- automaton
- variator
- robot
So which one to choose now, which is better, what are the differences? I suggest to estimate it by 5 criteria:
- price,
- the comfort of movement,
- reliability,
- fuel economy
- potential for development.
MECHANICAL
The oldest transmission was one of the first in the automotive industry. This is not an automatic transmission, but a manual transmission (many call it "manual").
PRICE is the lowest of all competitors, this transmission is produced for a long time, the technologies are rolled up, there are not so many knots (low complexity), and therefore it is cheap. It is also not expensive to repair, mainly the clutch disc + basket + squeeze bearing are out of order. Replace the set with our car, costs about 150 USD. On expensive foreign cars, which are equipped with ICPP, there is also a two-mass flywheel, the originals are expensive (for example, VOLKSWAGEN can cost from 760 to 1200 USD) if you take analogs from 300 to 460. The box itself breaks seldom, basically, the bearings and shafts break down. But it will be definitely cheaper to search than the automatic variants.
COMFORT - everything is bad here (don't let those people who adore this gearbox - mostly experienced drivers with 20 - 30 years of experience) swear. If you take a newcomer, he will choose any of the automatic transmissions, but not an ICPC. This is explained simply, mechanics has three pedals and you need to control how the car moves from the place, but beginners have problems with this, especially big ones in the hill, in traffic jams, etc. Here you can shut down. Automatic transmissions are much easier with this.
However, experienced people will say that I myself control the engine (revolutions and shifts) and no automation decides for me! Also, ICPC is the fastest accelerator (running forward, I will say it is not so), with it you can climb through the mud and not be afraid.
Here as they say - everyone chooses for himself. A simple example, if you need to unscrew the "self-tapper", you will not unscrew it with a hammer, will you? Also, if you need a car for swamps and dirt, you will most likely take a mechanic, not an automatic machine (just different tasks).
Reliability - Here, the torque is transmitted rigidly - from the motor to the wheels. Unlocking of this rigid coupling and selection of gears is done by depressing the clutch pedal (the clutch disc moves away from the flywheel and basket). Reliability has always been a leader, it is difficult to overheat and kill (even if the oil leaks out of it, it will still go). That's why it is loved to use for motorsport, for example, for rallying, mud (when UAZes crawl through forests and swamps), on many "sports cars" (even civilian), is also worth the mechanics, because it can digest the big torques.
Clutch disc, squeezing disc and basket
However, there are also negative sides (for example, a clutch disc and a two-mass flywheel) - no matter how much you spin, but the clutch disc is worn out closer to 100 - 120,000 km of mileage, change it along with a basket, a squeezing bearing, and if you also have a two-mass flywheel, with it too (because it has a resource of just 100 - 150,000 km, of course, it can be repaired, but it's a completely different story). It is worth noting that many civil cars are equipped with ordinary flywheels
We end up getting it. The gearbox itself is reliable, but the mounted one will be replaced by 120 - 150 000 km anyway.
Fuel economy is one of the most economical transmissions, as the connection with the engine is rigid, there are no parasitic compounds such as torque converter, the moment goes directly to the wheels. You can also roll up, turn on the neutral, and drive off the slide (this also saves fuel).
Development POTENTIAL - Low. As it seems to me, sooner or later it will leave the civilian sector, will remain only at the specialized level (military, special vehicles for sports and others). For example, now, many manufacturers have high equipment of cars only with automatic transmissions, but the mechanics are installed only in the base or in medium equipment. Yes, and 6 gears, this is at most, can be stuck more.
To be continued in next part https://zen.yandex.ru/media/id/5d934fbd8d5b5f00b14d5a38/whats-better-than-a-robot-machine-or-a-variator-part-2-5d94623d78125e00b17c55ad