Are the Transmission and Engine Integrated as One Unit?
2 Answers
The engine and transmission are not integrated as one unit; they can be separated. Below are the functions of the engine and transmission, as well as the relationship between the two: Function of the Engine: It is the device that provides power to the car, acting as the heart of the vehicle, determining its power, fuel efficiency, stability, and environmental performance. Function of the Transmission: It transmits power, delivering the engine's power to the car's wheels. Relationship Between the Transmission and Engine: The transmission can create different gear ratios between the engine and the wheels during driving, allowing the engine to operate under optimal performance conditions through gear shifting.
As a veteran driver who has been behind the wheel for most of my life, I remember the old Liberation trucks where the engine and transmission were like two lumps of iron rigidly connected, making repairs particularly tough. However, modern car designs are much smarter. Although they are installed in the same engine bay and work closely together, they are actually independent components. The engine is responsible for burning gasoline to generate power, while the transmission specializes in adjusting speed, just like two partners working together to drive the car. In manual transmission vehicles, there's a clutch separating them, whereas automatic transmissions use a torque converter for connection. The young guys at the repair shop told me that replacing the transmission only requires lifting the bottom of the chassis for removal, without touching the engine. However, the new designs in hybrid models integrate the motor and transmission together, which is a different story. In summary, in conventional fuel vehicles, they are like neighbors sharing a wall, not conjoined twins.
