Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-25

! Intensive schooling in the art of
using the newer tranSmiSSionS will be
/ necessary before motorists can enjoy
complete advantages from these Spe-
cial driving conveniences. This is the
conclusion drawn by close observers as
! the second year of quantity production
| of specialized gearSetS draws to close.
So wide is the variation in under
standing of the newer features that
owners of identical makes and models
| obtain almost opposite results. One out
distances everything on hills while the
other finds the car slow. The former
utilities the transmission efficiently, the
| latter doesn't.
Operation Different.
| Not all four-speed transmisSions OPP
| crate the same. The variation in all
! transmisSionS is so pronounced at the
| present time that there are marked
differences between three-speed gear
! sets. Quite few new tricks are needed
to shift skillfully. even though it is
generally true that the newer processes
are decidedly easier.
Where constant mesh is used for
second and high gears in three-speed
transmission, whether the gears are of
! the internal type or the herringbone
| form, it is bad policy to attempt to
start in second The gearing in this
, combination for transmiSsions of this
I type is too high for starting purposes,
/ being intended for fast hill climbing
and rapid acceleration in traffic. With
the conventional second gearing, the
engine may rotate nine times to each
revolution of the rear wheels. whereas
with high second gearing the ratio
may be So to !. or whereabouts.
One purpose of a high second gearing
is to provide for a higher high. In some
cases this means that the driver should
not expect to take all hills in high. but
should drop into the high second for
the sort of performance that is supe-
rior to what could be obtained with
more conventionallv geared high. Al
though engineers have simplified the
shifting process, manv thousands of
drivers of such cars fell to shift to the
quiet second because they do not I'M
derstand its function.
Same Situation Found.
Somewhat the same situation is
found with many of the four-speed
gearsets. Here the top speed is de-
signed for a minimum of engine revo-
buttons in proportion to car speed, with
third speed serving the same purpose
as high or quiet second in special
three speed gearset. Because the low
est speed usually is latched out, many
drivers handle the gearset as if it were
conventional, three-speed proposition,
thereby ftrfeiting many of the special
advantages from this more advanced
type.
In one type of transmission the gear
ing is of the conventional spur type, but
the ratios have been changed so that
different effects can be had throughout
the transmission range. To obtain any
thing approximating special advantages
from such an arrangement it is neces-
sary for the driver to study the situation
and practice proper use of the various
gear combinations
For instance, the second gear (Which
is found in the position of the shift lever
corresponding to low in a three-speed
transmission is a higher ratio and will
! provide a rapid start if the engine is
warmed up. the car on level ground and
the BODY not loaded down-Yith passen-
gers The use of this gear corresponds
to the use of second in a three-Speed
! gearSet under similar driving conditions
and provided the engine IS capable of an
abundance of power.
In this particular transmission the