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A continuously variable transmission (CVT).
It is a type of automatic transmission that can change seamlessly through a continuous range of effective gear ratios through the use of belts and pulleys. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios.
These transmissions can by much more efficient than a typical automatic transmission with gears, but no quite as efficient as a manual transmission.
Most of these transmission are used in smaller, low-torque applications such as mopeds, motorcycles, go karts, and recently small lightweight economy cars.
Some vehicles (e.g. Motorcycles) have a centrifugal clutch added to the CVT to facilitate a "neutral" stance, which is useful when idling or manually reversing into a parking space.
CVT Transmissions have recently been used on cars, which is one of those good on paper, not so good in real life kind of things. Cars with CVT transmissions have serious maintenance problems and will only last for a short amount of time before they need to be serviced by a mechanic. Don't be surprised when your repair bill is really expensive. It involves removing the entire transmission and sometimes the engine.
At any time, the belts that are used in the transmission can snap, leaving you and the car completely stranded. Nissan is the worst example. Sometimes in less than 60,000 miles, the transmission will fail and will have to be serviced. You'd might as well buy a new car at that point.
Mechanic: "Why would you want a car with a CVT transmission?"
Car Guy: "I thought it looked cool. Why? What's so bad about them?"
Mechanic: "Lets just say I will be expecting a phone call from you saying your car broke down. They are also the worst on hills, and they ticking time bombs!"
Car Guy: "What makes you say that?"
Mechanic: "You'll find out when you least expect it. I'll get you and your broken down car with my tow truck. You know, something with a manual transmission!"
Briggs and Stratton is the largest producer of air cooled gasoline small engines in the world. These engines can be found on everything from lawn mowers, lawn and garden tractors, zero turn mowers, generators, snow blowers, pressure washers, and other equipment. These engines are also popular in recreational use in go karts, mini bikes, and boats as outboard motors.
"Wow you've got a Briggs and Stratton engine on your mower. That's a good engine. They can last forever if you take good care of them!"
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One of the best Toyota engines ever made. These engines are built to last and run forever even if they were abused. They are well known for their excellent durability and good low end torque. The engine is a SOHC 8-valve 2.4L 4-cylinder inline with a cast iron block and aluminum heads. With 114 HP @ 4,800 rpm and 140 lb-ft. @ 3,600 rpm, it isn't exactly a power house by any means, but it makes up for this because of its excellent durability and simplicity. These engines are considered to be overbuilt and can easily run for well over 300,000 miles with no major issues. These engines are more of a workhorse than a racehorse and is mostly found in the Toyota Pickup (Hilux) and the Toyota 4Runner.
The 22R is a carbureted version of the 22RE which has fuel injection. A variant of the 22RE called the 22R-TE was a turbocharged version of the 22RE, but only had 135 HP @ 4,800 rpm and 173 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm.
"Wow. I used to have one of those old Toyota trucks! That 22RE engine would run and run and run and keep on truckin'. Not the most powerful, but sure as hell reliable! They sure don't make them like they used to..."
Tecumseh was a manufacture of air cooled small engines used on equipment such as lawn mowers, generators, and snow blowers. These engines were very popular on snow blowers and push mowers on all makes and models up and were in direct competition with Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Honda, and Kawasaki.
Early models of engines rivaled that of Briggs and Stratton, and were considered to be a good engine. However by the late 1990s, Tecumseh's reputation had been tarnished by the fact that their later engine designs have been less than perfect. The most common problems with these engines was a poorly designed carburetor and some models had weak connecting rods. They are somewhat unloved because of these faults which caused Tecumseh to file for bankruptcy in 2008 and production of engines was seized.
These engines were very easy to work on compared to a Briggs and Stratton's at the time and they could last a long time if the oil was checked and changed regularly. Tecumseh engines were a popular choice for go karts and mini bikes, and engines can still be found today in limited quantity for cheap. Today, people either love them or hate them, depending on your experience.
Tecumseh engines can still be found today under the LCT (Liquid Combustion Technology) brand that mainly produces engines for snow blowers. These new engines are essentially Chinese Honda clones.
"Whatever happened to the Tecumseh engines?
"They were once great engines, but the last ones made were total garbage. I used to have one on my snow blower in the 1980s and it ran great for years. Then I bought a new snowblower in 2007 and it blew up in an hour. Then they just went out of business. Those engines were still better than the junk Chinese engines we have today."
A very fun way to drive any car. It requires a bit of skill to drive as it requires you to shift from gear to gear and use a clutch pedal at the same time. It allows the driver to be in full control of the car and become more focused on your driving and the terrain, which is appealing to car enthusiasts. Learning how to drive stick takes practice, and you may stall the engine a few times at first. After a while, it becomes an extension of you hand to the point where you are automatically shifting gears without much thought.
A manual transmission will also give you better gas mileage compared to an automatic, assuming you drive diligently and not mash your right foot to the floor all the time. Shifting through the gears when accelerating from a stop can give you a rush of adrenaline and it is up to you to dictate whether to drive for economy or performance.
A manual transmission is also more durable than an automatic since the only thing that really wears out is the clutch, which isn't very expensive to fix. When an automatic breaks down, it can cost thousands to repair. That's why a lot of commercial trucks have manual transmissions.
Sadly, the manual transmission is getting more scarce in modern cars, most not even offering a manual transmission at all. It is a chore in heavy traffic as you have to shift constantly. That being said, driving stick isn't for everyone. It is still a good skill to learn and it can be very enjoyable to drive a car with a manual transmission.
"I used to have a 1994 Toyota Pickup with a 5-speed manual transmission and it was pretty fun to drive. It was just me, the car, and the road, with no electronic garbage in between us."
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A Honda Clone is a generic term describing a small engine produced in China that is reverse engineered from a Honda small engine. It is also sometimes called a "Chonda". These engines are growing in popularity because of the their cheap prices. The most popular Honda Clone is called the "Predator" engine, sold at Harbor Freight.
These engines can be found on anything from lawn mowers, generators, snow blowers, and pressure washers.
Although prices are low, their reputation in the small engine world has mixed views. The quality of the Chinese engines is not as good as Honda, and some have reported that that they have a 1/4 failure rate, i.e. a quarter of the engines produced are duds. Despite all this, it is a very popular with recreational vehicles such as go karts and mini bikes, mainly because they are much cheaper compared to the competition such as Honda or Briggs and Stratton.
"Oh, you have a Honda Clone on your mini bike?"
"Yeah. It only cost me $130 at Harbor Freight. It seems like everyone is putting Predator engines on everything nowadays."
"Wow. You sure can't beat that price. But I'll be honest. I feel that that those engines are a bit overrated."
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, you said it yourself! Everyone seems to be swapping the same exact engines on their machines. Doesn't that sound boring to you?"
"....well, you've got me there..."