F1technical.net

there is wear on the gears...I don't think it is new.

If it's the same Xtrac display that I saw at their IMechE Automobile Division lecture before Christmas (and it certainly looks like it is), then you can't see wear patterns on the gears, as their engineer (in response to a question) said that they are unused gears as (paraphrased) "worn gears would give away too much to the likes of you!".

I can confirm that the gears are 12mm wide - Xtrac were running (IIRC) 9mm wide gears before the restrictions came in. The 12mm rule was introduced to keep down the costs of the long-mileage gearboxes. Only Virgin were using the whole Xtrac gearbox last season but apparently several other teams were using various Xtrac-desiged/manufactured internals.

pgpada wrote: .....So except from these the gears seem brand new... and of course the speculation about tooth optimisation is empty.

pgpada,

If you click on the link just above the photo in the original post you can look at a very high resolution image, and the flank contact patterns are very apparent. Contact pattern analysis is the most common method gear designers use to evaluate performance/alignment/geometry/lubrication of installed gears. While the gear flanks don't show evidence of extensive service, they do appear to have been "rolled thru" under some nominal load.

riff_raff

thank you

Worn or not - it is beautiful. Its simple and weight saving is visible in each element. Frankly speaking I am surprised by its simplicity. I've thought that the gear selection is more complicated but it is not. The only differences between that and the simplest sequential gearbox are two drums instead of one and their hydraulic actuation.

Frankly the F1 gearbox shown looks hardly any different from the pre-1908 gearboxes we have in skeleton cases for the vintage cars we sometimes rebuild.
Lighter smaller and faster but thats it.

The most modern boxes have a lot in common with the Wilson Pre Selector

If you like compactness, check out this Weismann "ID Quickshift" package from the '93 Williams:

oo nice..

How does this thing change gears?

pgpada wrote:oo nice..

How does this thing change gears?

Internal shaft selection if I remember.
It was its downfall I believe.

It engages the interior of the gears I believe with 'One way bearings rely on oil friction in order to lock as pressure is applied to them in one direction.' This partially explains how they can all be mounted on the same shaft.

I don't know how you signal the individual gears to start this lock up process.

Sounds like a good puzzle to solve.

http://www.f1network.net/main/s491/st129248.htm

Brian

strad wrote:The most modern boxes have a lot in common with the Wilson Pre Selector

Wison was an epicyclic geartrain with drums and brake bands?
We have one in an Armstrong Siddeley saloon owned by PM Harold McMillan in 1935.
The Wilson preselector helped win races for ERA before they changed to a 'conventional' geartrain.
Cant see a comparison with todays single layshaft dog boxes.
That is unless you are comparing the selector mechanisms.

they both allow you to be in two gears at one time

autogyro wrote:

pgpada wrote:oo nice..

How does this thing change gears?

Internal shaft selection if I remember.
It was its downfall I believe.

Isn't that much like how the Lotus Queerbox also selected gears?

autogyro wrote:Internal shaft selection if I remember.

If an internal shaft does the shifting then does that same shaft support the gear cluster and transfer power?

Brian