A Simple Explanation of How Manual Transmissions Work

In the world of transmissions and performance “Automatic vs manual” is a debate that has gone on for years and isn’t coming to a stop any time soon. It’s definitely hot-button stuff that people will live or die by as they attempt to defend their side of the argument no matter how right or wrong they might be. Even though we don’t see that debate ending, we think that it might be beneficial to drop a little knowledge that could aid in the situation. After all, when you can actually understand how these things work inside, you can deliver your side of the debate in a much more efficient manner, right?

Today, we get the opportunity, thanks to a collaboration between Engineering Explained and Humble Mechanic to show you what exactly makes a manual transmission tick. What happens when you bang those gears to get your car or truck rolling and how could that relate to the way that the unit performs or wears? Perhaps this kind of function will begin to explain why one might be more efficient than the other or how one manages to come in at a much lower price point than the other.

From why the transmission is even necessary to how it takes the power created from the engine and transfers it to the wheels, this demonstration breaks it all down as a transmission is dissected and maneuvered about in such a way as to help you visualize what’s going on inside and how it’s all coming together to help the vehicle in question get put into motion. If you check out the video below, you might just learn a few things about how all of this works. You’d better break out that notepad and write a few things down because we’re going back to school.