The DSG box sounds awesome! Can you sing by in a TT for a testdrive sometime? :] Mark Price markprice242ATadelphia.net Morgantown, WV ---- Keleigh Hardie <keleigh3000@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > "Audi, Saturn and others in the last couple of years (now no longer > offered)." > > I don't know about Saturn and the others (Nissan and Subaru among them), > but Audi still offers the CVT. In fact, they continue to offer it on the > larger, heavier new A6 with a 255 horsepower engine. Keep in mind, we > replace a lot of the transmissions under warranty, before 50k. The techs > joke that a 40k service on a FWD is replacing the plugs, filters, and > transmission. Luckily, the Quattros don't get that trans (where I am now > almost all the cars we sell are Quattros), and the TT and A3 have an > entirely different transmission, the DSG (direct shift gearbox). The DSG > is trick, a three shaft electronically controlled, hydraulically shifted > mechanical box with two clutches and no fluid coupling. The gears > alternate between two output shafts (both have a pinion gear engaged to > the ring gear) and the TCU pre-shifts into the next gear, and then > disengages one clutch and engages the other, almost simultaneously. It > shifts so fast and smooth, only the best drivers could compare, and > there's no hydraulic losses so the performance and efficiency are as > good or better than a stick. Really impressive. > > "The Dutch Daf in the 60's" > > One step up from a go cart. It actually had a belt drive. > > Keleigh Hardie > > amc-list-request@xxxxxxx wrote: > > Message: 3 > > Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 08:49:07 -0700 > > From: "John Elle" <johnelle@xxxxxxxxx> > > Subject: [AMC-List] Another Re; E Stick, now Drivers > > To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Message-ID: <000001c72517$903582d0$a4dc0d82@john1> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" > > > > The Dodge fluid drive was as described, the Desoto version was a > > semi-automatic. It seemed to be reliable as I remember just clunky. You > > used a clutch to put it in gear from a stop OR it only had two forward > > directions available on the column shift. Low which was the 2nd gear > > position or second and high which was in the 3rd gear position and if > > you needed to shift from low to high you had to use the clutch. But if > > you drove it in high all of the time you just needed to clutch to put it > > there. Once moving which was a simple as stepping on the gas to shift > > from 2nd to 3rd you simply let up off the gas pedal and it would shift > > automatically. It would also down shift using a passing gear type of set > > up or automatically shift back to 2nd when you came to a stop. I really > > had no problems with the transmission on the one I had nor do I remember > > it being problematic. It was not a performance set up though. > > Also as far as I can remember, most over drives were free wheeling above > > a certain miles per hour, thus you could shift the manual transmission > > by simply letting off the gas from 2nd to 3rd and back as the over > > drives (I remember anyway) worked in 2nd and 3rd. > > Another variation was the complete non-synchromesh or commonly known as > > the Crash Box. To shift that set up on the move you had to become > > proficient at a skillful 2 step dance of operating the clutch in double > > clutch mode for down shifts and matching engine and road speed for up > > shifts in order to shift anything at all to get it into gear with out > > grinding or crashing the gears. Thus the knick name crash box. But once > > mastered well you could shift with out the clutch at all once moving. I > > drove one of those for many years. > > As far as automatics go, there were a number of automatics and > > semi-automatics from the late 30's on. Gm as mentioned with the > > Hydramatic and Buick's Dynaflow were all late 30's I believe. Ford even > > marketed one in 1940 or 41 but all sold cars were recalled and the 3 > > speed re-installed. Chrysler and other independents (Such as Hudson) did > > the semi-automatic route and as mentioned over drives could be driven in > > a semi automatic mode. > > Not sure when the infamous B/W automatic was first seen, probably the > > early 50's as used by a variety of people and a number of pre-selector > > transmissions were around as a semi automatic dating from the early 30's > > such as the one used by Cord and I am sure others. > > John Mahoney's Packards from the so-called modern era is or was as I > > understand it the only independent to develop there own fully automatic > > transmission in the 50's and was used by Nash and Hudson on the Packard > > derived V-8's I believe but it was a 2 speed automatic with a lock up > > torque converter used as a 3 speed automatic and some what problematic > > at best I believe. > > All of these were efforts to eliminate shifting. An exercise relating to > > be an uncouth chore (which lead to the first Corvette being a 2 speed > > powerglide) which was also the reason why most if not all of the early 3 > > speed manuals had a non-synchromesh low. Who in their right mind would > > want to shift to low on the fly? And it was also cheaper. Performance > > oriented 4 speeds were really late in their introduction here in the > > land of expressways and 5 and 6 speed manuals almost non-existent. > > Now I see ads for 8 speed automatics! What a change and a far cry from > > Buick 1 speed Dynaflow , the original and only slush-o-matic. > > Now there is a big push to get the snowmobile variable speed automatics > > out in the market. So far not overly successful. Audi, Saturn and others > > in the last couple of years (now no longer offered). The Dutch Daf in > > the 60's or so and one of the offerings in the Daimler Chrysler line up > > in the last couple of years. > > What next? A hole in the floor for a flintstone version of mystery > > drive? > > Have fun. > > John > > PS A number of those would be pure dangerous to place in the hands of > > the un-initiated in a drive it your self format. > > > _______________________________________________ > AMC-List mailing list > AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx > http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list > > or go to http://www.amc-list.com _______________________________________________ AMC-List mailing list AMC-List@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.amc-list.com/mailman/listinfo/amc-list or go to http://www.amc-list.com