What is shift?

shift valve

Glossary “shift valve” Definition:
1). A valve body component acted on by oil pressure, allowing fluid flow to the involved band and/or clutch at the appropriate time, causing the transmission to up shift or downshift. 2). A type of hydraulic valve, consisting of lands and valleys that resembles a spool for thread. The lands seal orifices and the valleys open them.

shift pattern

Glossary “shift pattern” Definition:
For manual transmissions, it is the gear selection diagram displayed on the gear selector knob. For A/T, it is the driving characteristics which the transmission displays in its various ranges.

shift rail

Glossary “shift rail” Definition:
Series of grooves in the forks to guide the shift forks, tension balls, and springs to hold the shift forks in gear, allowing them to interlock the rails to prevent the transmission from being shifted into two gears at the same time.

shift forks

Glossary “shift forks” Definition:
A Y-shaped component located between the low/reverse, first/second, and third/fourth gears on the main shaft of a transmission that causes the gear to engage or disengage via the sliding clutches.

shift indicator light

Glossary “shift indicator light” Definition:
System primarly controlled by engine speed and manifold vacuum which provided the driver a visual indication of when to shift to the next higher gear to obtain the best fuel economy.

shift lever

Glossary “shift lever” Definition:
1). A lever used to change gears in a transmission. 2). A lever that moves the starter drive pinion in and out of mesh with the flywheel in some applications.