If you’ve ever owned a car, it’s quite that you’ve likely experienced issues with its transmission at least once or twice. While the topic of transmission maintenance may be common for any car or truck owner, it is less talked about when it comes to boats. Of course, marine vehicles have transmissions as well, but did you know they serve almost a completely different function?
Let’s explore some of the major differences between automotive and marine transmissions.
Vehicle Transmission
Even if you’ve needed to bring your car in need to get in the shop for a transmission repair or replacement, you may not be familiar with how it functions in your vehicle. Basically, a car or truck transmission serves the purpose of helping you accelerate the vehicle in a matter of seconds. It does this by influencing the engine to wheel RPM ratio.
Cars are either automatic or manual, and this refers to its transmission. An automatic transmission accomplishes its goals with a torque converter, which makes the job of the driver slightly easier. On the other hand, a manual transmission must be operated by the driving using a clutch to engage the drive gears by hand.
Marine Transmission
The transmission in a boat has nothing to do with automatic or manual transmissions in automobiles. In fact, mechanics generally refer to a marine transmission as a marine gear, underlying how different they really are. Instead, marine transmissions serve three entirely different purposes: engaging the engine from the propeller, allowing for reverse rotation of the boat, and setting the ratio of engine and propeller RPM.
One of the most unique aspects of a marine transmission is how simple the device is at heart considering how vital it is to the overall control of the ship. The next time you’re experiencing transmission problems with your boat, don’t look to experiences you’ve had with your car for guidance.
Contact a marine gear expert at SCS Gearbox. We will make sure you get the best marine transmission service. Contact SCS Gearbox at 419-483-7278 today or visit us online for more information!