As you watch this, there’s a lot worth noting here: First, I appreciate the minimal presentation and the clever, almost rhythmic editing. Second, this transmission is built accurately, but laying on its side compared to how most automotive transmissions are. c But, really, that barely matters, because this provides such a fantastic visualization of what exactly is going on inside a manual transmission. Also, the person in this video builds a whole dyno setup!
I feel like Lego is one of those toys that has a special place in the automotive world, partially because of videos like this, and Lego’s unique ability to emulate these sorts of complex mechanical systems on a kitchen table and without coating everything in a layer of grease. Here, look how handy this video is for visualizing the path of rotational motion through the geartrain for each gear:
This video even offers a great visual demonstration of how reverse works, and I think seeing how the shift linkage itself works is really helpful for understanding why the motions of that gearshift feel the way they do.
Plus, this is all just strangely soothing to sit and watch. So, that’s what I suggest you do: Just take a moment and lose yourself in the clicks and sniks and snaps and whirring of gears. I bet it’s therapeutic, somehow.
(via BoingBoing!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJCWIx35ed.
He even posted instructions:
https://dgustafsson13.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/instructions-6-speed-gearbox.pdf
Not pictured: 40 hours of careful disassembly and sorting the parts back out after project completion.
(I may be projecting, as I am in a frantic race to sort my accumulated Lego before my older kid proves himself responsible enough to play with them.)
But I can feel the pain of sorting Lego. I’ve mainly finished sorting mine a few month ago and it took me quite a lot of time.
https://youtu.be/6ft60BtJ5sY
Later that year, in a real live tech training class (when I was working for Chrysler), I was bluntly asked by the instructor how I knew all the answers in our pre-test. “I made one out of Lego” was not the answer he expected.
Also, if you have priced out Legos recently you may find it cheaper to build a real transmission.
Some sets, after they have been sold out for some time ( said time vary, in some case it’s months in other it’s years ) can be resold for more than their weight in gold if they are in an unopened box.
(sad crunching noises)
Does that happen often?
If that doesn’t make any sense, just google turbo encabulator and watch the first YouTube video that pops up.
It’s like the reversed-polarity version of Winnebago Man!
It was the lack of wonderful commentary like yours that led me to stop posting on the, er, other site and to come here. So glad I did!
