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About This Quiz
Can you drive stick? Are you able to double-clutch, instead of driving like your grandmother? Are you constantly refining how you work that clutch pedal? True gearheads of decades past could make a high performance car almost jump straight up in the air with an expertly executed popping of the clutch. Do you know what that means?
Believe it or not, a growing number of drivers don't know how to drive stick. There have been multiple reports in the news lately of would-be car thieves and carjackers who weren't able to take the vehicle simply because it had a manual transmission. Shifting gears yourself is fun, and it provides more control over how a car handles on the road, something people who don't know how to drive stick simply don't understand. If you know how to drive a manual, you're also not limited in the selection of vehicles you could potentially drive, which is another big plus.Â
Really mastering a manual transmission is easier if you understand how it works. Not only will you shift smoother, you won't engage in bad habits that will wear out the transmission or clutch prematurely. There's a lot going on inside the transmission, so how much do you know about it all? Take the quiz now to find out!Â
What component connects the transmission to the engine?
coupler
flywheel
clutch
When driving a manual transmission, you have to be keenly aware of the clutch since you control how it operates when changing gears.
transition plate
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What's the main function of the clutch?
to perform sweet burnouts
It regulates engine power.
It disconnects the engine and transmission.
When the clutch is engaged, the engine and transmission are connected to each other, but once you disengage the clutch you've disconnected the two.
It transfers engine torque.
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When you're moving the stick and hear grinding, what's the sound?
transmission gears
engine cogs
gear selector fork and dog teeth
Despite the common misconception that this is transmission gears grinding, the fact is all the gear teeth in a transmission are always completely meshed.
the clutch
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Why do they call it "double-clutching"?
You press the clutch in twice while shifting.
In modern cars you only need to press the clutch in once when switching gears, but race cars and older vehicles require you to double-clutch when shifting gears.
There are two clutches.
You have to press the pedal twice as hard.
It's just an old name.
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What's at the other end of a shifter?
gears
selector forks
When you move the stick, you're also moving the selector forks, which are what actually engage the different gears in a transmission.
servos
a magic 8 ball
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Keeping the clutch pedal pressed all the way down while stopped does what?
nothing
files down the flywheel
wears out the throw-out bearing faster
Once the throw-out bearing is gone, you'll have to replace the clutch, even if the clutch disc is only partly worn out. In other words, don't leave the clutch pedal engaged when stopped.
grinds transmission gears
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When starting a car with a manual transmission, what must you do?
put it into first gear
put it into reverse gear
press the clutch pedal
If you don't press in the clutch pedal to disengage the transmission and engine, your car won't start.
turn the key and nothing more
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What's the catch point?
where the gear shifter snaps into your hand
when the car receives power to move
Learning the catch point on a manual transmission is key to driving it optimally, and it can change by a fair amount between one model and another.
the perfect pedal position for burnouts
neutral
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Why do clutch discs wear out?
friction
The clutch disc gets rubbed down over time, until eventually it starts to slip and needs to be replaced.
exposure to oxygen
temperature changes
elevation differences
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If you can only select gears in order with a manual transmission, what type is it?
ladder
step
sequential
A sequential manual transmission is common for motorcycles and race cars, but rare in other types of vehicles.
non-sequential
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In a traditional five-speed manual transmission, what does it do with the shafts?
makes them all spin the same speed
turns the output faster than the input
A separate selector is located on the layshaft, making this adjustment possible.
doubles the layshaft rotation
triples all shafts' rotational speed
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Reverse gear uses how many gears to operate?
1
2
3
One of the gears used in reverse is the idle gear, while the other two are input and output gears.
6
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What makes reverse gear engage in the transmission?
a special cog
pushing the idle gear into place
The idle gear can slide along the layshaft. Once it connects to the other two gears, the setup causes the output shaft to turn in the opposite direction.
the reverse shaft
magic
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What does the shift fork in a manual transmission engage with?
main clutch
servos
dog clutch
The dog clutch is a gear that floats on the transmission's input shaft, and it presses against the gear you select by moving the stick.
secondary shaft
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What is riding the clutch?
using it too much
shifting with only one foot
pressing the accelerator too much while releasing the clutch pedal too slowly
Riding the clutch is a good way to really accelerate your needing a new one installed in your car, which is just a waste of money.
pressing the clutch two times in between gear changes
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What is the layshaft?
the shaft that lays over the others
the stick you shift with
the shaft connected to the shifter
a bridge between the input and output shafts
The layshaft typically sits underneath the input and output shafts, connecting to both with enmeshing gears.
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What does the reverse gear in a modern transmission lack that the other gears have?
teeth
cogs
dogteeth
a synchro
Because of the lack of a synchro, the gearbox has to stop moving completely before reverse gear can be engaged
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What are most shift forks made of?
hardened steel
Even though the shift fork is made to endure regular use, putting unnecessary wear and tear on it can lead to transmission failure and a big repair.
aluminum
copper
titanium
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What is the whole point of a transmission?
to make the car go faster
to vary how much power is going to the car's wheels
The torque band on an internal combustion engine is quite limited, but the transmission helps smooth out the differences some, resulting in better performance.
to allow for sideways movements
to make things more complicated
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Resting your hand on the shifter does what?
nothing
forces the selector fork against the rotating collar
It's a bad habit to rest your hand on the stick since it will wear out the selector fork and collar prematurely.
forces the selector fork against the servos
makes it loose
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How does the clutch help with smooth gear changes?
It lubricates the gears.
It interrupts the flow of power to the transmission.
When you press in the clutch, it literally disconnects the engine from the transmission, allowing you to switch gears without any of the blood-curdling grinding.
It uses a collar.
It's magic.
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What is the input shaft from the transmission connected to for receiving engine power?
clutch disc
Because the clutch disc spins along with the flywheel, thanks to friction, the input shaft is attached to the clutch as a way of receiving the engine power.
the stick shift
the front axle
the driveshaft
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When you're waiting to merge into traffic, what should you be doing with the clutch?
engage it halfway
keep it fully engaged
leave it disengaged
Too many people sit with the clutch engaged, which puts unnecessary stress on the diaphragm spring and pressure plate springs, leading to their failure sooner.
grind it up
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As you move the stick around, what is it moving on the other end?
sleeves
Those sleeves are what select what gear is engaged in modern manual transmissions, and they ensure smooth gear changes as well.
floating nuts
cogs
nothing
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What external force is applied to the clutch disc to begin the transfer of power to it?
gravity
space
time
pressure plate
The pressure plate has a system of springs that are designed to press against the clutch plate, literally transferring power to the transmission itself.
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The gears in a sliding mesh manual transmission slide on what shaft?
bridge
input
output
As you move the stick around, the end result is the different gears, which are various sizes, slide to mesh with the gears on the counter shaft.
hollow
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What kind of system transfers the clutch pedal motion to the clutch assembly?
hydraulic
Just like the brakes, pressing on the clutch pedal transfers force through a liquid-filled line, which then actuates a mechanical arm that presses on the center of the diaphragm spring.
mnemonic
mechanical
magical
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What kind of spring in the pressure plate allows the clutch to disengage power to the transmission?
transitive
helical
diaphragm
The diaphragm spring is circular and sits between the pressure plate and a cover. Its design allows for pressing on the assembly to disengaged the clutch.
magic
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What device in modern transmissions makes double-clutching unnecessary?
horse collars
synchros
Synchronizers or synchros allow the collar and gear to contact through friction before the dog teeth mesh, allowing them to synchronize speeds in advance.
CTVs
clutch nets
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When you press on the clutch, what happens to the flow of power to a gear?
It doubles.
It cuts out.
If you press on the clutch in your car and keep it engaged, you'll notice the wheels stop receiving power because you've disconnected the torque from the engine to the gear.
It stays the same.
everything
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What part connects the synchronizer cones to the gears in the transmission?
a cog
a bridger
a sleeve
The sleeve must slide to connect with the synchro and the gear, making it so they're connected and spin at the same speed.
a floating nut
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What makes a constant mesh transmission different from the sliding mesh design?
The gears are always enmeshed.
Since the gears are always in the same positions, a connector must change the output from the transmission.
It has more gears.
The gears are larger.
The gears have more teeth.
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What connects the input and output shafts on a manual transmission?
counter shaft
The counter shaft acts like a bridge between the other two shafts, transferring the power from the one to the other smoothly.
balance shaft
bridge
draw bridge
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What's the basic principle that makes manual transmissions work?
Newton's Fourth Law
gear ratio
Gear ratios greatly affect performance, but it's a principle most car shoppers don't know much about, so they ignore it and concentrate on power solely.
thermodynamics
the air speed velocity of a swallow
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When you park a car with a manual transmission, what should you leave it in?
Any gear will do.
If you don't leave the car in gear, you greatly increase the chances of it rolling away. It is wise to use a forward gear when parked facing uphill and reverse when parked facing downhill.
always first gear
always reverse
always in neutral
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You Got:
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