Auto or Manual

A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or a stick shift is a type of transmission that uses a driver-operated clutch engaged and disengaged by a pedal for regulating torque transfer from the engine to the transmission and a gear selector operated by hand.

Components of a Manual Transmission

Following are the basic components of manual transmission:

• Clutch Pedal: The pedal which engages the clutch when you press it. Typically this is controlled hydraulically.
• Clutch: This is a system of components which is used to transmit engine torque to the transmission. It consists of a pressure plate, diaphragm spring, and clutch disc, throw out bearing, and other smaller components. The clutch disc is a friction pad which is sandwiched between the flywheel and the pressure plate.
• Flywheel: The flywheel is the component which delivers engine torque to the clutch disc. This circular mass has a smooth surface which the clutch disc interacts with.
• Selector Fork: This arm is used to move the collars along the output shaft to select gears.
• Collar: The collar is what is used to select different gears. It slides between gears, and can mesh with them. By locking the collar with a selected gear, engine torque passes from the lay shaft to the output shaft.
• Synchronizers: These are located between the gears and the collar, and allow for the collar to engage the gear even if there is a speed differential between the two. Essentially, this aids in matching the speed of the gear and the collar.
• Lay shaft: Engine power is directed towards the lay shaft, which contains gears which mesh to the gears on the output shaft. This is also referred to as a counter shaft.
• Output shaft: The output shaft houses the gears, which are on bearings, and thus they rotate with the lay shaft. The only time the output shaft and lay shaft rotate together is when a gear is meshed with the respective collar, and the output shaft will rotate at the rate at which the engaged gear is spinning.
• Gears: Various sized gears are used to allow for different wheel speeds. Larger gears will provide more torque but have lower maximum speeds. Smaller gears will provide less torque, but will allow the car to travel at a higher speed.

Workings of a Manual Transmission

In a manual transmission, the flywheel is attached to the engine’s crankshaft and spins along with it. The clutch disk is in between the pressure plate and the flywheel, and is held against the flywheel under pressure from the pressure plate.

When the engine is running and the clutch is engaged, the flywheel spins the clutch plate and hence the transmission. As the clutch pedal is depressed, the throw out bearing is activated, which causes the pressure plate to stop applying pressure to the clutch disk. This makes the clutch plate stop receiving power from the engine, so that the gear can be shifted without damaging the transmission.

When the clutch pedal is released, the throw out bearing is deactivated, and the clutch disk is again held against the flywheel, allowing it to start receiving power from the engine.

Advantages of a Manual Transmission

Cars with manual transmissions always get better fuel economy than cars with automatic transmissions. Manual transmission engines are less complex, weigh less, and have more gears than automatic transmissions, resulting in a lesser fuel consumption.
A car with a manual transmission costs less than the same model with an automatic. On average, a manual transmission will cost you about a $1000 less than an automatic of the same model.
The coolest sports cars only come with manual transmissions.
If your dream car comes with a standard manual transmission, you can always get an automatic as an option.
Cheaper to maintain. Manual transmission cars require very little maintenance because of the less complexity.
Less likely to be stolen. With the increasing number of automatic transmissions finding their way onto roads, there’s an entire generation that has never learned the finer points of manual transmission operation. This means there’s a fairly good chance that simply having a manual transmission will be enough to deter the criminal.
Better control. Automatic transmissions are designed to choose the best gear for any situation, but they tend to err on the side of caution, shifting to too high of a gear and wasting engine power. Manual transmissions give drivers greater control over the vehicle.
Teenagers really, really want to learn to drive stick shifts. When the argument in favor of the stick shift is based on how much fun it is, it’s undeniable.
You just can’t compare the durability of a manual transmission with that of an automatic one.

Disadvantages of a Manual Transmission

Driving a car with manual transmission requires greater degree of skill and application, an inexperienced driver could have his hands full while driving as he has to multi task and concentrate on a lot of things simultaneously.
While climbing up a hill, a car with automatic transmission always scores over the one with manual.
In a manual transmission smooth and effective shifting of gears can only be guaranteed by an experienced driver.