Design Practices: Passenger Car

Automatic Transmissions

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 1 4/10/12 12:00:13 PM

Sophisticated transmission lubricants
for evolving transmissions
Automatic transmissions are the most fascinating, complicated, ever-changing piece of
equipment in a moving vehicle. Now more than ever you need the right fluid to support
advancements in automatic transmission technology. Lubrizol can help.

With you every step of the way.

www.lubrizol.com
© 2012 All rights reserved.
120273
 Other SAE titles of interest:

Electric and Hybrid-Electric Vehicles—Engines and Powertrains

Ronald K. Jurgen
PT-143/3

Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

Bruce D. Anderson and John R. Maten
PT-125

Automotive 2030—North America

Bruce Morey
T-127

For more information or to order a book, contact SAE International at

400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001, USA;

phone 877-606-7323 (U.S. and Canada only) or 724-776-4970 (outside U.S. and Canada);
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website http://books.sae.org

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 2 4/10/12 12:00:13 PM

 Design Practices: Passenger Car
Automatic Transmissions
fourth edition
AE-29

Prepared under the auspices of

SAE Transmission/Axle/Driveline Forum Committee

First edition published 1962

Second edition published 1973
Revised second edition published 1988
Third edition published 1994
Fourth edition published 2012

Warrendale, Pennsylvania
USA

Sponsored by

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 3 4/10/12 12:00:14 PM

 400 Commonwealth Drive
Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 USA
E-mail: CustomerService@sae.org
Phone: 877-606-7323 (inside USA and Canada)
724-776-4970 (outside USA)
Fax: 724-776-0790

This edition is made possible in part by sponsorship of The Lubrizol Corporation.

Copyright © 2012 SAE International. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means without the prior written permission of SAE. For permission and licensing requests,
contact SAE Permissions, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 USA; email: copyright@sae.org;
phone: 724-772-4028; fax: 724-772-9765.

ISBN 978-0-7680-1125-8
SAE Order Number AE-29
DOI 10.4271/AE-29

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Design practices—passenger car automatic transmissions. — 4th ed.
   p.  cm.
  “SAE Order Number AE-29.”
  “Prepared under the auspices of SAE Transmission/Axle/Driveline Forum Committee.”
  Includes bibliographical references.
  ISBN 978-0-7680-1125-8
  1. Automobiles—Transmission devices, Automatic—Design and construction.  I. SAE
Transmission/Axle/Driveline Forum Committee.  II. Title: Passenger car automatic transmissions.
  TL263.D47   2012
  629.2′446—dc23
2011044834

Information contained in this work has been obtained by SAE International from sources believed to be reliable.
However, neither SAE International nor its authors guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information
published herein and neither SAE International nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or
damages arising out of use of this information. This work is published with the understanding that SAE International
and its authors are supplying information, but are not attempting to render engineering or other professional
services. If such services are required, the assistance of an appropriate professional should be sought.

To purchase bulk quantities, please contact:

SAE Customer Service
Email: CustomerService@sae.org
Phone: 877-606-7323 (inside USA and Canada)
724-776-4970 (outside USA)
Fax: 724-776-0790

Visit the SAE International Bookstore at http://books.sae.org

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 4 4/10/12 12:00:14 PM

 Contents

Foreword xi
Preface to the Fourth Edition xv

Chapter 1 Transmission Cases and Parking Mechanisms 1-1

1.1 Transmission Cases 1-1
C. E. Shellman with updates by Ernest DeVincent
1.2 Parking Mechanisms 1-10
A. Gupta

Chapter 2 Torque Converters and Start Devices 2-1

2.1 Fluid Couplings 2-1
J. W. Qualman and E. L. Egbert
2.2 Multiturbine Torque Converters 2-17
F. H. Walker
2.3 Application of Hydrodynamic Drive Units to Passenger 2-31
Car Automatic Transmissions
E. W. Upton
2.4 Design of Single-Stage, Three-Element Torque Converter 2-49
V. J. Jandasek
2.5 Technology Needs for the Automotive Torque Converter—
Part 1; Internal Flow, Blade Design, and Performance 2-70
Robert R. By and John E. Mahoney with updates by Thomas G. Brand
2.6 An Experimental Analysis of Fluid Flow in a Torque Converter 2-85
Akio Numazawa, Fumihiro Ushijima, Kagenori Fukumura, and Tomo-o-Ishihara
2.7 A Loss Analysis Design Approach to Improving Torque
Converter Performance 2-93
Masaaki Kubo and Eiji Ejiri
2.8 The Chrysler Torque Converter Lock-Up Clutch 2-103
A. P. Bloomquist and S. A. Mikel with updates by Thomas G. Brand
2.9 Control Technology of Minimal Slip-Type Torque
Converter Clutch 2-117
Takeo Hiramatsu, Takao Akagi, and Haruaki Yoneda
v

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 Contents

2.10 Dynamic Behavior of a Torque Converter with Centrifugal

Bypass Clutch 2-125
M. C. Tsangarides and W. E. Tobler

Chapter 3 Gears, Splines, and Chains 3-1

3.1 Design of Planetary Gear Trains 3-2
O. K. Kelley, with updates by E. L. Jones and M. T. Berhan
3.2 Transmission Gear Design for Strength and Surface Durability 3-8
E. L. Jones, with updates by E. L. Jones, M. T. Berhan, H. Dourra, and M. B. Leising
3.3 Manufacturing Considerations Affecting Transmission Gear Design 3-17
A. Hardy, with updates by R. J. Garrett
3.4 Gear Design for Noise Reduction 3-25
W. D. Route, with updates by E. L. Jones, D. K. Ducklow, and M. T. Berhan
3.5 The Lever Analogy 3-40
H. L. Benford and M. B. Leising, with updates by M. B. Leising, H. Dourra,
and M. T. Berhan
3.6 Design Practice for Automotive Driveline Splines and Serrations 3-50
W. B. McCardell, J. Mahoney, and D. Cameron, with updates by D. Cameron,
E. L. Jones, and C. E. Dieterle
3.7 The Effective Fit Concept of Involute Splines and Inspection 3-68
L. DeVos, with updates by C. E. Dieterle and M. T. Berhan
3.8 Chain Drives in the Vehicle Powertrain 3-75
R. H. Mead, T. O. Morrow, and R. G. Young, Jr., with updates by
M. Giovannini, R. G. Young, Jr., and M. T. Berhan
3.9 The Gemini Phased Chain System: A New Tool in Automotive
Power Transmission 3-86
P. Mott and B. Martin

Chapter 4 Transmission Shaft Fatigue Design 4-1

Jeffrey K. Baran and Keith D. VanMaanen
4.1 Abstract 4-1
4.2 Introduction 4-1
4.3 Nomenclature 4-2
4.4 Stress Calculation 4-2
4.5 Mass Relationship 4-3
4.6 Stress Concentration 4-3
4.7 Fatigue Properties (S-N Curve) 4-4
4.8 S-N Modifying Factors 4-5

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 Contents

4.9 Loading Conditions 4-8

4.10 Combined Loading 4-8
4.11 Summary 4-11
4.12 References 4-11
4.13 Bibliography 4-11
4.14 Appendix A—Stress Concentration Factors 4-12
4.15 Appendix B—Example Problems 4-18

Chapter 5 Bearings 5-1

5.1 Design of Sleeve Bearings and Plain Thrust Washers 5-1
L. J. Pesek and W. E. Smith
5.2 Improving the Performance of Sleeve Bushings and
Thrust Washers 5-20
Brad L. Blaine and Christopher D. Wiegandt
5.3 The Use of Polymeric Thrust Elements in
Powertrain Applications 5-26
R. G. Van Ryper
5.4 Rolling Element Bearings in Light Vehicle Automatic
Transmissions 5-30
J. R. Hull, with updates by M. D. Myers
5.5 Design and Selection Factors for Automatic Transaxle
Tapered
Roller Bearings 5-66
B. Martin and H. E. Hill

Chapter 6 Friction Clutches 6-1

Robert C. Lam, Donn K. Fairbank, Keith Martin, Anthony J. Grzesiak,
and Ted D. Snyder
6.1 Evolution of High-Energy Wet Friction Materials 6-2
6.2 Multi-Plate Friction Clutch 6-8
6.3 Bands 6-30
6.4 References 6-44

Chapter 7 One-Way Clutches 7-1

Updated by John M. Kremer
7.1 Roller One-Way Clutches 7-2
7.2 Sprag One-Way Clutches 7-29
7.3 Pawl One-Way Clutches 7-49

vii

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 Contents

Chapter 8 Automatic Transmission Controls 8-1

8.1 Introduction 8-2
Maurie Leising
8.2 Basic Shift Processes—The “How of Shifting” 8-2
M. Leising, Hussein Dourra, and Gang Chen
8.3 Shift Torque Analysis and the Continuously Variable Transmission 8-21
John E. Mahoney, Joel M. Maguire, and Shushan Bai
8.4 Shift Scheduling 8-26
Gang Chen and M. Leising
8.5 Transmission Control and Types of Controls 8-40
Ronald Cowan, Charles Marshall, and M. Leising
8.6 Transmission Operational Features 8-44
Ronald Cowan, Charles Marshall, and M. Leising
8.7 Automatically Shifted Manual Transmissions 8-47
M. Leising, G. Chen, and H. Dourra
8.8 Control Components 8-65
John Titlow and Joseph Gierut
8.9 Development Technology 8-112
Hussein Dourra and Ronald Cowan

Chapter 9 Automatic Transmission Pump Design 9-1

T. Roeber, M. Goulet, P. Dion, and Glenn B. Mann
9.1 Introduction 9-2
9.2 Types of Pumps 9-2
9.3 Types of Pumping Systems 9-2
9.4 Pump Design Guidelines 9-2
9.5 Survey of Transmission Pumps Currently in Use 9-11
9.6 What is Coming? 9-12
9.7 References 9-12

Chapter 10 Seals and Gaskets 10-1

10.1 An Overview of Automatic Transmission Gaskets 10-2
Andrew F. Joseph, Jeff Nelson, and Lane Noble
10.2 An Overview of Transmission Radial Shaft Seals 10-13
Susan M. Bothe and Jeff Dieterle

viii

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 Contents

Chapter 11 Transmission Temperature Control and Lubrication 11-1

11.1 Introduction 11-1
Maurie Leising and Charles Redinger
11.2 Transmission Cooling Systems: Oil-to-Water Type 11-2
E. F. Farrell and T. M. Wang
11.3 Transmission Cooling Systems: Air Cooling 11-10
M. G. Gabriel
11.4 Temperature Effects on Transmission Operation 11-20
T. J. Griffen
11.5 Temperature Control and Fuel Consumption 11-27
M. Leising and C. Redinger
11.6 Design and Validation of Automatic Transmission
Lubrication Circuits 11-30
James T. Gooden

Chapter 12 ATF and Driveline Fluids 12-1

Craig Tipton, Tze-Chi Jao, and Timothy Newcomb
12.1 Introduction 12-2
12.2 History of ATF Development 12-3
12.3 Key Physical Properties 12-5
12.4 Basestocks and Their Impact on Performance 12-8
12.5 Chemical Composition 12-10
12.6 Driveline Fluid Specifications 12-12
12.7 Evaluating the Condition of Used Driveline Oils 12-18
12.8 Future Directions 12-23
12.9 Acknowledgments 12-23
12.10 Glossary of Terms 12-23
12.11 Key References 12-25

Chapter 13 Metal Belt Drive Continuously Variable Ratio (CVT)

Automatic Transmissions 13-1
Bruce Anderson
13.1 Introduction 13-1
13.2 Definitions 13-1
13.3 Application Considerations 13-2
13.4 Belt Design 13-5

ix

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 Contents

13.5 Sheave Design 13-9

13.6 Variator System Considerations 13-11
13.7 Controls Design 13-18
13.8 Fluid 13-20
13.9 References 13-22
13.10 Applicable Publications 13-25
13.11 Appendix A—CVT Cross Sections 13-26
13.12 Appendix B—Transmission Oil Tests 13-27

Chapter 14 Automatic Transmission and Transaxle Filter Design 14-1

Larry Larkin, Andy Boast, Ibrahim Khalil, and Dan Haggard
14.1 Introduction 14-2
14.2 History 14-2
14.3 Transmission Filter Functions and Requirements 14-2
14.4 Filter Construction 14-5
14.5 Other Design Features That Can Be Built into the Transmission
Sump Filter 14-10
14.6 Pressure-Side Filters 14-11
14.7 Transmission Sump Filter Testing 14-13
14.8 References 14-17

Index I-1

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 10 4/10/12 12:00:14 PM

 Foreword

One of the greatest innovations in automotive technology was carbon-containing composites, graphitic materials, and/or
the automatic transmission. Automatic transmissions have woven carbon fiber to handle the higher energy shifts.
allowed both the vehicle driver and builder to optimize the
driving experience and efficiency. The automatic transmis- One might ask why The Lubrizol Corporation, the world’s
sion permits the driver to have full enjoyment of the vehicle number-one lubricant additive company and a subsidiary
without the worry and effort of shifting gears, with one hand of Berkshire Hathaway, would be interested in being a pri-
and two feet, for the desired acceleration and deceleration— mary sponsor for the updating of this book. All of these
similar to a manual transmission except with fewer manipu- design changes, which continue to evolve, have influenced
lations of the controls. No more worries about missing a gear the development of new and more-sophisticated transmis-
and losing power! Meanwhile, the automatic transmission sion lubricants. These new fluids must have better friction
gives automotive manufacturers the ability to maximize gear- durability and anti-shudder protection across many types of
shift timing for better vehicle fuel economy, thus allowing for friction materials, especially the newer carbon-containing
increased U.S. Corporate Average Fuel Economy miles per and woven carbon fiber materials. These fluids also must
gallon, which is crucial for EPA requirements. have more thermally stable additive chemistry for longer
OEM warranties and higher sump temperatures.
Automatic transmissions are the most fascinating, compli-
cated, and ever-changing piece of equipment used in a trans- Dual-clutch transmission fluids specifically must provide
portation vehicle, be it a passenger car or commercial vehicle. excellent synchronizer friction durability in addition to
Globally, original equipment manufacturers have focused paper-on-steel friction durability for the startup clutch, as in
on further enhancing transmission efficiency for better fuel a stepped (speed) automatic transmission. Continuously vari-
economy performance, while striving to maintain durability able transmission fluids have a major challenge in providing
for their extended warranties. a frictional balance; these fluids must have a high metal-to-
metal friction coefficient for good belt-pulley or chain-pulley
Since the turn of the new century, there has been a move contact to handle the varying vehicle speeds effectively, as
toward a higher number of gear ratios (six, seven, eight, well as have a lower paper-on-steel static friction coefficient
nine, and ten speeds) in automatic transmissions from the to prevent anti-shudder within the CVT startup assembly
traditional three- and four-speed automatic transmissions, when the vehicle begins motion.
and a move from manual transmissions to dual-clutch trans-
missions (DCT), another form of automatic transmission. An additional change in automatic transmission fluids by
Continuously variable transmissions (CVT) are also being the OEMs in the past ten years has been the lowering of
introduced to the global market for smaller passenger vehi- the kinematic viscosity of their factory fill automatic trans-
cles as an alternative to stepped-ratio transmissions. mission fluids for improved fuel economy benefits; lower
fluid viscosity reduces churning losses within the transmis-
Along with these changes, significant advances in design sion. This significant lowering of kinematic viscosity places
specifics have occurred, with a concentration on reduced a greater emphasis on having better gear and bearing wear
energy losses (greater efficiency) and lighter equipment. One protection.
of these design changes includes the reduction of the number
of clutch plates in the clutch pack; reducing the number of Lubrizol’s latest commercialized automatic transmission,
clutch plates reduces the spin losses, which, in turn, helps CVT, and DCT fluids accomplish this need of superior
vehicle fuel economy. However, this adjustment requires wear performance through the balanced use of additives
more thermally stable friction plate materials such as higher containing phosphorus, boron, and sulfur. Finally, many of

xi

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 Foreword

these automatic transmission design changes have caused an highly recommend this new, 4th Edition of AE-29 Design
increased need for improved oxidation and thermal stability Practices: Passenger Car Automatic Transmissions, to be
in ATFs due to observed higher operating sump temperatures the lead reference of use, especially for those working in and
and the introduction of smaller transmission sump sizes. supporting the area of automatic transmissions.

Anyone involved in the passenger car industry, even remotely, William D. Abraham, Ph.D.
should take the time to learn how the automatic transmission Driveline Technology Manager, Senior Fellow
operates and, most importantly, become more familiar with Automatic Transmission & Farm Tractor Fluids
the latest advances in automatic transmission technology. We The Lubrizol Corp.

xii

AE-29_Ch00_FM.indd 12 4/10/12 12:00:14 PM

 Preface to Fourth Edition

Design Practices: Passenger Car Automatic Transmissions has a cal Standards Committee, who provided invaluable material
long history—nearly half a century—as the “go-to” handbook development oversight. Those colleagues include:
of current and relevant design considerations for automatic
transmission industry engineers of all levels of experience. • Ernest J. DeVincent (Chairman), Getrag
Transmissions Corporation, and Ford Motor
This edition represents a major overhaul from the prior edi- Company (retired)
tion and is arguably the most significant update in its long • Michael T. Berhan, Ford Motor Company
history. Virtually all existing chapters have been updated
• Susan M. Bothe, Freudenberg-NOK General
and improved with the latest state-of-the-art information.
Partnership
Many previously existing chapters have been significantly
expanded with more detail and design consideration updates; • Thomas Brand, BorgWarner Corporation
most notably: • Gang (George) Chen, Chrysler Group LLC
• Louis Crocco, Greening Associates
• Torque Converters and Start Devices
• Mark R. Dobson, Ford Motor Company
• Gears/Spline/Chain
• Hussein A. Dourra, Chrysler Group LLC
• Bearings
• Charles (Chip) Hartinger, Ford Motor Company
• Wet Friction
• James D. Hendrickson, General Motors Company
• One Way Clutch
• Harry A. Hildebrandt, Oakland Community College
• Automatic Transmission Controls
• Andrew F. Joseph, Freudenberg-NOK General
• Pumps
Partnership
• Seals and Gaskets
• Ibrahim A. Khalil, SPX Filtran
Additionally, all new chapters have been added, including • John M. Kremer, BorgWarner Corporation (retired)
state-of-the-art information on: • Larry Larkin, Filtertek Corporation (retired)
• Lubrication • Maurice B. Leising, Chrysler Corporation (retired)
• Transmission Fluids • Glenn Mann, Nichols Portland Corporation
• Filtration and Contamination Control • Gregory Mordukhovich, General Motors Company
• Michael D. Myers, Otis Elevator Corp, and Timken
Finally, details about the latest transmission technologies Corporation (retired)
have been added, including Dual Clutch Transmissions and
• Thomas M. O’Brien, Chrysler Group LLC
Continuously Variable Transmissions.
• Lev Pekarsky, Ford Motor Company
This complete overhaul was an exhaustive effort by many of • John Titlow, Conxall Corporation, and Honeywell
our industry’s most knowledgeable experts, developed over Corporation (retired)
a significant period of time. This required major commit-
ment from both individual chapter authors (whose credits It should be noted that the manual itself is not intended as a
are shown at the introduction to each chapter) and also the design requirements document, but rather a compilation of
members of the Automatic Transmission & Transaxle Techni- the latest design practices in the industry. Therefore, it should

xiii

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 Preface to Fourth Edition

not be considered a basis for legal regulation or administra- importantly—the OEM and supplier companies who allowed
tive ruling. their expert employees to contribute their valuable time to
this effort.
In summary, this team has put together the most defini-
tive handbook for Automatic Transmission Design Prac- Ernest J. DeVincent, Chairman
tices available today. There are many to sincerely thank for SAE Automatic Transmission & Transaxle
this: the chapter authors, the members of the Auto Trans Technical Standards Committee
Technical Standards Committee, the SAE Staff, and—very

xiv

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 Preface to the Third Edition

The Automatic Transmission Design Practices Manual has a • Karl Schneider, Vice President, Advanced
long and distinguished history of technical contribution to Transmission Technology, Automatic Transmission
the automotive engineer dating back to the first published Systems, Borg Warner Automotive
manual in 1962. This manual is a compendium of the latest • Carl E. Shellman, Chief Design Engineer, F F
current practices of transmission engineering sponsored and Developments
compiled by the SAE Transmission/Axle/Driveline Forum
• Leo G. Steinl, Staff Project Engineer, Advance
Committee of the SAE Power Train Systems Group. It retains
Engineering Staff, General Motors Corp.
some of the original papers from the previous manual wherein
the technical material is still valid. Design calculations are • John R. Tanzer, Ford Motor Company (retired)
included wherever possible to enhance the usefulness of this • Kevin L. Wicks, Mgr. Mechanical Components, Power
document for the design engineer. Train Division, General Motors Corp.
• Stanley N. Smith, Director of Technical Dev., Chassis
Special credit for coordinating the planning of this Hercu-
Products Operations, Federal Mogul Corp.
lean work goes to Co-Chairmen Kevin L. Wicks and Carl
E. Shellman (detailed credit below). It is evident that many There has been no attempt to cite applicable patents covering
people have contributed toward the preparation, writing any section of the art contained in the material presented.
and editing of the Automatic Transmission Design Practices Neither SAE nor the authors wish to imply that discussion
Manual. The task was divided into sections, many of them of a topic indicates there are no patent rights involved. The
championed by the chairperson of the applicable standards reader is responsible for his own investigation to establish his
committee of the Forum Committee as credited below in right to use any device or principle described herein.
alphabetical order:
No material presented in this manual is to be construed as a
• Martin G. Gabriel (Chairman), Senior Reliability design standard or a recommended practice by the Society of
Engineer, Power Train Reliability and Quality Office, Automotive Engineers. It is a compilation of existing design
Ford Motor Company practices as interpreted by the Transmission/Axle/Driveline
Forum Committee and individual authors. It is not intended
• John E. Mahoney (Vice-Chairman), General Motors
to be a basis for legal regulation litigation or administrative
Corp. (retired)
ruling by a regulatory body.
• Edward L. Clary, Buick Motor Div., General Motors
Corp. (retired) The many contributors including the members of the com-
mittees and the authors of the papers are recognized for their
• Robert J. Fanella, Vice President, Worldwide Advanced
many hours of effort to make this latest reference manual
Product Technology, Automatic Transmission
available to the automotive engineer.
Systems, Borg Warner Corp.
• Merrill L. Haviland, Sr. Automotive Dev. Specialist, Martin G. Gabriel, Chairman
Exxon Chemical SAE Transmission/Axle/Driveline Forum Committee

xv

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 Preface to the Revised Second Edition

The original editions of this handbook were an indispensable • W.E. McCarthy, Staff Research Engineer, General
tool for both the experienced and the novice transmission Motors Corporation
design engineer and have become classics. To improve upon • J.H. Tanzer, Supervisor, Transmission & Axle
these was considered a Herculean task, and so it was decided Engineering, Ford Motor Company
to split the task in two. This revised edition of the design
• K.L. Wicks, Senior Project Engineer, Hydra-Matic
practices handbook is a corrected version of the second edi-
Division, General Motors Corporation
tion. A new version of the handbook will be written in the
next few years. • L.G. Steinl, Staff Project Engineer, General Motors
Corporation
The corrections are to the obvious errors and omissions, • D.L. Otto, Product Development Specialist, Timken
and you will find that most of the typographical errors are Company
corrected. There have been minor changes to update the
• S.N. Smith, Manager, Engineering & Research, Federal
information along with certain rewriting of phrases to clarify
Mogul Corporation
and assist in understanding. Added to this volume is a copy
of the SAE metric standards (1916) so that conversion of any • E.L. Clary, General Motors Corporation (retired)
of the information contained herein can be done from one • M.C. Sefcik, Advanced Engineering Staff, General
reference source rather than needing to look elsewhere for Motors Corporation
conversion factors. There is also a listing of the SAE papers • J.R. Grady (Sponsor), Vice President, North American
that were considered relevant to the topics in this volume. Sales, Borg-Warner Automotive, Inc.
There are many areas of design that have become increas- • A.R. Fisher, Ford Motor Company (retired)
ingly important since the original publication of this volume, • E.W. Upton, Staff Engineer, General Motors
but we have been unable to include them. The application Corporation
of electronics on what was essentially a mechanical device
is not covered; neither are the design alterations driven by Many others helped to produce this edition including many
the need to improve fuel economy of passenger car vehicles of the original authors who reviewed and corrected their
equipped with automatic transmissions. Problems of design- own work, plus practitioners in the field who had used the
ing four-wheel-drive automatic transmissions and Continu- previous editions and were able to offer constructive criti-
ously Variable Transmissions (CTV) are not included. For cism. These efforts to clarify and update this volume were
the reader interested in the CVT, a separate SAE publication sincerely appreciated.
is available (PT-30). N.F. Avery
The revision required to produce this edition has required Chief Engineer
much time by many people. Those who volunteered to bring Long Manufacturing
this edition to print include:

• M.G. Gabriel (Chairman, Transmission & Drivetrain

Technical Committee), Supervisor of Product
Reliability, Ford Motor Company

xvii

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 Preface to the Second Edition

The automatic transmission is one of the most complex com- expansion of the information contained in the original two-
ponents in the automobile. The design reflects knowledge volume edition. Most of the papers included in the original
from almost every branch of the field of mechanical engi- edition are retained, with many of them edited to reflect
neering. Its more than 600 parts are expected to be so well current practices. Several papers presented since 1962 have
designed and fabricated that the assembled unit is not only been included to add new subject matter. The papers have
lightweight, compact, and durable, but also easy to service, been grouped in sections identified by subject, material, or
quiet in operation, and smooth shifting under all driving component—for example, seals, friction material, lubrica-
conditions. The goal of every automatic transmission engi- tion, etc. Each section is subdivided into chapters to cover
neer is to design a unit that has all of these qualities at a low the various categories of information within that section.
competitive cost.
The task of producing this volume was assigned to a new
The need for a manual of design practices to aid transmission Editorial & Publication Subcommittee established within the
engineers in achieving their goals was recognized as early as SAE Transmission and Drivetrain Committee. The members
1955, when a Design Standards Subcommittee was estab- of this Subcommittee who participated in the organization
lished within the SAE Hydrodynamic Drive and Transmission of this material are:
Committee—renamed the Transmission Committee in 1957.
In 1959, the Subcommittee under the chairmanship of Charles • Harold Fischer (Chairman), Senior Staff Engineer,
S. Chapman undertook to fill a void in design information Buick Motor Div., General Motors Corp.
on passenger car automatic transmissions. Recognizing that • M.G. Gabriel (Section Chairman), Automatic
an invaluable wealth of knowledge was possessed by many Transmission Engineering, Transmissions and Chassis
transmission experts with widely varying experience and Div., Ford Motor Co.
background, the Subcommittee set out to get this information
• E.L. Jones, Managing Editor, Axle Engineering,
documented, compiled, and published in a form that would
Chrysler Corp.
be useful to both the experienced and the novice transmission
design engineer. To achieve its goal, the Subcommittee spon- • T.F. Ristau, Director of Advanced Engineering,
sored a number of Transmission Workshop Meetings at which Saginaw Steering Gear Div., General Motors Corp.
papers on the various aspects of automatic transmissions were • G.R. Smith, Engineering Staff, General Motors Corp.
presented by many authors of considerable experience. These • R.W. Wayman, Vice President, Advance Transmission
papers were later edited and compiled into two hardbound Engineering, Borg-Warner Corp.
volumes that sold over 2,000 copies each. • E.L. Clary, Research and Development Engineering,
The preface appearing in each of those two volumes—now Buick Motor Div., General Motors Corp.
recognized as the first edition of this reference work—is
reproduced in this revised edition for two reasons: first, to The members of this Subcommittee, the authors of the papers,
recognize the members of the group responsible for getting and several members of the SAE Transmission and Drivetrain
that valuable first edition published, and second, to capture Committee have unselfishly devoted many hours of personal
and retain some of that group’s thinking and philosophy with effort to make this a truly useful reference manual.
regard to the purpose, scope, and format of the publication.
Bert W. Cartwright
The revised edition of Design Practices: Passenger Car Auto- Engineering & Research Office
matic Transmissions represents both an updating and an Chrysler Corp.

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 Preface to the First Edition

The material printed in this volume has been gathered and mittee that the use of a device at a known design level in
published as a result of the activities of the Design Stan- millions of automatic transmissions in customer service is
dards Subcommittee of the SAE Transmission Committee. information of the highest utility. In addition to this informa-
The members of this Subcommittee who participated in the tion, the methods of design calculation are included as an
organization of this material are: attempt to consolidate this information in order to make a
useful reference for the design engineer.
• Charles S. Chapman (Chairman), Staff Engineer, New
Transmission Design, Buick Motor Div., General There are members of this Subcommittee from every trans-
Motors Corp. mission manufacturing organization now producing pas-
• Bert W. Cartwright, Manager, Product Engineering, senger car automatic transmissions in large volume in the
Axle and Transmission Div., Chrysler Corp. United States. These Subcommittee members and their engi-
neering organizations have made available to the Subcom-
• Jack R. Doidge, Chief Engineer, Detroit Transmission mittee the design and dimensional information on all of the
Div., General Motors Corp. components of the transmission currently in production. Of
• Harold Fischer, Section Engineer, Current course, no proprietary information on new designs not yet
Transmission Design, Buick Motor Div., General in production was given nor was it requested. Most of the
Motors Corp. information on the production units is available to anyone
• John W. Holdeman, Vice-President, Engineering, who wishes to purchase a unit and measure and calculate
Warner Automotive Div., Borg-Warner Corp. these design stresses or other information. Normally, except
• Robert W. Smith, Executive Engineer, Automatic in cases of detailed interest, this is too time-consuming and
Transmission and Axle Engineering, Transmission and costly a procedure to carry out for all production units by
Chassis Div., Ford Motor Co. an individual organization, and, for this reason, the data are
of considerable interest to most engineers.
• Frank J. Winchell, Assistant Chief Engineer, Research
and Development Section, Chevrolet Motor Div., The material was broken down into sections according to the
General Motors Corp. function of the components for presentation. Members of the
Subcommittee were assigned various subjects and were made
Several years ago, this Subcommittee undertook to fill a void session chairman for SAE meetings to present the material.
in design information on passenger car automatic transmis- Authors who had considerable experience with the subject
sions. The means and format for accomplishing this have material were invited to present papers at these Transmission
changed as the effort progressed. The textbook and recom- Workshop sessions. The time and arrangements for these
mended practice approaches have given way to a form in sessions were made available by the Passenger Car Activity
which the current practices of the industry are tabulated or Committee, which gave our efforts enthusiastic support as
analyzed for the information of designers without any recom- part of a general effort to improve constantly the technical
mendation telling designers what they should or should not content of SAE papers and presentations.
do specifically. This does not exclude comments on what is
considered poor design by current standards, but does avoid These papers have been edited and revised by the Subcom-
dogmatic recommendations in a field where the number of mittee where necessary to make them more compatible with
design variables is too large and the differences in environ- the Subcommittee’s objectives. This is particularly true of the
ment and application have too large a bearing to make any earlier papers that were presented while the objectives were
specific recommendations. It is the feeling of the Subcom- being formulated. The papers presented later benefited from

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 Preface to the First Edition

these earlier efforts and needed less revision for incorpora- There has been no attempt to cite current or expired patents
tion into this volume. covering any section of the art contained in the material
discussed. Neither SAE nor the authors wish to imply that
The effort put into the papers by the authors and the Sub- discussion of an item indicates that there are no patent rights
committee members can be well appreciated only by those involved, and the reader is responsible for making his own
involved in similar undertakings. These men have given a investigation to determine his right to use any device or
great deal of their personal time and effort very unselfishly principle described herein.
and have made a substantial contribution to this profession.
The fact that no one involved will ever be completely satis- As stated previously, no material presented in this volume
fied with the results is testimony to the high professional is to be construed as a design standard or a recommended
standards of those participating in the presentation of this practice of the Society of Automotive Engineers. It is a com-
material. pilation of existing design practices as interpreted by the
Transmission Design Standards Subcommittee and indi-
The encouragement and active sponsorship of this activity vidual authors. It is intended in no way to be a basis for legal
by other members of the SAE Transmission Committee has regulation, litigation, or administrative ruling by a legally
greatly aided this program. The cooperation of the Passenger constituted regulatory body.
Car Activity Committee and the help of Forest McFarland
in presenting the program to the Committee to arrange for C.S. Chapman
the Transmission Workshop sessions has been very much Buick Motor Div.
appreciated. General Motors Corp.

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