2010Hydra-Matic 6T40 (MH8-FWD)

Hydra-Matic 6T45 (MH7-FWD, MHC-AWD)

2010 Model Year Summary
Hydra-Matic 6T40 / 6T45 six-speed automatic front- or all-!eel-dri"e transmission
# Six-Speed $utomatic Transmission
# %e %ort! $merican $pplications& '!e"rolet ()uinox *MH+, MH'-, .M' Torrent
*MH+, MH'-, and /uic0 1a'rosse *MH+-2 'arryo"er& '!e"rolet Mali3u *MH4-
# 'ontemporary 5n-$xis 6esi7n
# $d"anced 'lutc!-To-'lutc! S!ift 5peration
# Tuned 8or 9uic0 1aunc! $nd 8uel (fficient 'ruisin7
# 'ompact 6imensions $id :ac0a7in7
# Hyper-elliptical Tor)ue 'on"erter Sa"es Space
# ;< .ear :ump 1oers %=H 1e"els and ;mpro"es Hydraulic (fficiency
# .round $nd Honed .ears 8or :recision 8it $nd 1oer %=H 1e"els
# >ni)ue ;nput S!aft (liminates 'ostly Mac!inin7 $nd $dds Stren7t!
Full decri!ti"# "$ #e% $eature a#d &e#e$it
'i(-!eed aut")atic tra#)ii"#
To "ersions of t!e trans"erse six-speed automatic transaxle *6T40 / 6T45- !a"e 3een
de3uted, featurin7 a nota3ly ide ratio spread, and t!e a3ility to !andle different le"els of
en7ine tor)ue and "e!icle applications? T!e 6T40 / 6T45 !a"e 3een desi7ned to address
!i7! feature and !i7! "alue se7ments it! com3ination of 6-speed, ad"anced features,
and lo piece cost? $"aila3ility of ide ratio spread allos impro"ed fuel economy and
impro"ed performance? T!e 6T40 / 6T45 transmission !as an output c!ain, and also
features a compact lo cost 1 piece case?
*e% a!!licati"#+
'!e"rolet ()uinox *MH+, MH'- and .M' Torrent *MH+, MH'- are sc!eduled to 7o on
sale in t!e summer of 200@ usin7 t!e 6T45 *8A6 and $A6-, !ic! is mated to t!e 2?4
1$8 (cotec and is rated to !andle B15 %-m of en7ine tor)ue? $dditionally, /uic0
1a'rosse *MH+- ill 7o in production at t!e end of 200@ usin7 t!e 6T45, !ic! is mated
to t!e 2?4 1$8 (cotec? T!e 6T40 / 6T45 ill also continue to 3e offered in 2010
'!e"rolet Mali3u *MH4-?
Carry",er $r") )"del year 200- $eature a#d &e#e$it are lited &el"%+
.##",ati,e "#-a(i dei/#
;nstead of Cfoldin7D t!e transmission around t!e end of a trans"ersely mounted en7ine,
!ic! !as 3een one of t!e dominant .M transaxle desi7n con"entions, t!e 6T40 and
6T45 contain all of t!eir 7earin7 in line it! t!e cran0s!aft centerline of t!e en7ine? T!e
ad"anta7es of t!is layout can translate to a s!orter o"erall "e!icle len7t!, more interior
room in a "e!icle, and loer poertrain !ei7!t?
Ad,a#ced clutc0-t"-clutc0 0i$t "!erati"#
To sa"e space compared to Cfree!eelin7D 7ear c!an7e mec!anisms, t!e s!ifts are
accomplis!ed 3y applyin7 and disen7a7in7 clutc!es simultaneously durin7 eac! 7ear
c!an7e? Sop!isticated electronics !elp ena3le t!e precision needed to time t!e clutc!es
for eac! s!ift? T!e first-to-second 7ear s!ift uses a free!eelin7 mec!anism, !oe"er,
!ic! tends to 3e smoot!er durin7 s!ifts 3eteen 7ears it! lar7e ratio differences,
suc! as first and second 7ears?
Tu#ed $"r 1uic2 lau#c0 a#d $uel e$$icie#t cruii#/
/ecause of t!e ide ratio spread, first 7ear is a "ery !i7! ratio, !ic! pro"ides 3ris0
acceleration from a stop? Sixt!, !oe"er, is an o"erdri"e ratio, !ic! 0eeps t!e en7ine
re"olutions as lo as possi3le for !i7!ay cruisin7, reducin7 en7ine friction losses and
impro"in7 fuel economy?
C")!act di)e#i"# aid !ac2a/i#/
State-of-t!e-art dimensions ena3le spacious pac0a7in7 and en!ance potential safety
desi7n opportunities? ;n addition, stylin7 opportunities for loer !ood lines are also
ena3led 3y t!e compact dimensions of t!e 6T40 and 6T45?
Hy!er-elli!tical t"r1ue c"#,erter a,e !ace
T!e 2050, 2B6mm tor)ue con"erter in 6T40 *MH4- and 6T45 *MH+- uses a sin7le plate
loc0up clutc! and features an o"al cross-section s!ape, called C!yper-ellipticalD? T!is
s!ape reduces t!e t!ic0ness of t!e tor)ue con"erter, reducin7 t!e space it needs and
0eepin7 t!e o"erall idt! of t!e en7ine and transmission as narro as possi3le for
pac0a7in7 ad"anta7es? T!e sin7le-plate loc0up clutc! ma0es use of .MEs electronic
controlled capacity clutc! *('''- tec!nolo7y to !elp dampen en7ine "i3rations and
ensure smoot! operation?
.3 /ear !u)! l"%er #,0 le,el a#d i)!r",e 0ydraulic e$$icie#cy
$ compact on-axis, fixed displacement ;< .ear type fluid pump pro"ides !ydraulic
pressure for t!e s!ift e"ents and lu3rication? T!e pump features an ;< 7ear
*6ri"e/6ri"en- it! a mac!ined crescent in t!e poc0et, !ic! reduces internal lea0a7e
and optimiFes !ydraulic efficiency? T!e inlet Get noFFle feature in t!e ;< 7ear type pump
pro"ides for increased pump suction pressure !ic! !as demonstrated to loer
poertrain %=H le"els?
4r"u#d a#d 0"#ed /ear $"r !recii"# $it a#d l"%er *5H le,el
To minimiFe 7ear noise as ell as "i3ration, t!e !elical 7ears are 7round and !oned to
ensure exact dimensions and tolerances? Ait! closer tolerances, t!e 7ears are less
prone to c!aracteristic !inin7 or !ummin7, and o"erall t!e transmission operates as
)uietly as possi3le?
6#i1ue i#!ut 0a$t &u0i#/ eli)i#ate )ac0i#i#/
T!e input s!aft re)uires no mac!inin7 for 7roo"es to contain fluid seals, !ic! allos t!e
s!aft to retain maximum stren7t! for its siFe and minimiFe cost?
7"% )ai#te#a#ce
T!e 6T40/6T45 is filled for life it! 6(<H5%I-=; premium fluid, !ic! durin7 normal
use need not 3e replaced? 6(<H5%I-=; is "alidated to impro"e dura3ility and s!ift
sta3ility o"er t!e life of t!e transmission? 6(<H5%I =;, as de"eloped to !a"e a more
consistent "iscosity profile2 a more consistent s!ift performance in extreme conditions2
and less de7radation o"er time? ;nternal .M tests !a"e demonstrated 6(<H5%I =;
deli"ers more t!an tice t!e dura3ility and sta3ility in friction tests compared to existin7
fluids? T!e 6(<H5%I-=; fluid as desi7ned specifically and "alidated for t!e ne family
of .M six-speed automatic transmissions?
8,er,ie%
T!e concept 3e!ind t!e ne six-speed front- and all-!eel-dri"e transaxle family is to
ena3le compact pac0a7in7 not possi3le 3efore it! a poerful trans"erse poertrain
layout? T!e 7earsets are on t!e same axis as t!e en7ine cran0s!aft centerline, !ic!
ma0es t!e entire poertrain unit muc! s!orter fore-to-aft? T!is allos c!assis desi7ners
t!e a3ility to en!ance crus! Fones, to increase interior space, and loer t!e !ood line of
t!e "e!icle compared to a con"entional off-axis transaxle?
T!e primary difference 3eteen to "ariations of t!e six-speed automatic transaxle
3ein7 t!e 6T45 !as 7reater tor)ue !andlin7 capa3ility? T!e output c!ain is 1?25-in ide in
6T45, "ersus 1-in ide for t!e 6T40? T!e input 7earset of t!e 6T45 uses fi"e pinion
7ears, "ersus four pinions for t!e 6T40? ;n addition, t!e case of t!e 6T45 is sli7!tly lar7er
and includes a !ea"ier ri33ed case for stren7t!?
T!ree planetary 7earsets are used it! t!ree stationary clutc!es and to rotatin7
clutc!es, !ic! sa"e space compared to free!eelin7 desi7ns? 8ree!eelin7
mec!anisms allo perfect timin7 3eteen s!ifts, 3ut also ta0e up more space and add
more components to t!e transmission? Hoe"er, due to t!e electronic controls, t!e
clutc!-to-clutc! concept of t!e 6T40 / 6T45 deli"ers t!e same accurate s!ift timin7? .ear
c!an7es from second to sixt! 7ear ratios are accomplis!ed it! a precise clutc!-to-
clutc! action, !ere t!e clutc! is en7a7ed in one 7ear at exactly t!e same time it is
released in anot!er? T!e first-to-second ups!ift, !oe"er, is a free!eelin7 action, !ere
t!e second 7ear clutc! en7a7es !ile t!e first 7ear one-ay clutc! spins freely? T!is
allos a 7reater de7ree of smoot!ness at loer "e!icle speeds?
$dapti"e s!ift controls include automatic 7rade 3ra0in7, !ic! commands t!e
transmission to remain in a loer 7ear if t!e "e!icle is deceleratin7 or coastin7 on a
don7rade? T!is ta0es ad"anta7e of en7ine 3ra0in7 to pre"ent unanted acceleration?
T!is reduces t!e need for t!e dri"er to 3ra0e durin7 a !ill descent? T!e control module
recei"es input t!at monitors 3ra0e pedal usa7e, "e!icle acceleration rate, t!rottle
position, and e"en !et!er a trailer is connected to t!e "e!icle?
T!e ide o"erall ratio spread of 6?11&1 allos a CsteepD first 7ear, as ell as a CtallD
o"erdri"e top 7ear for lo-rpm !i7!ay cruisin7? $cceleration is maximiFed, as is fuel
economy? (n7ine noise is also loer durin7 cruisin7? Sixt! 7ear is a tall Co"erdri"eD 7ear,
for example?
T!e transmission control module *T'M- in t!e 6T40 / 6T45 allos t!e modules to exist
relia3ly inside t!e transmission, !ere temperatures remain mostly constant compared
to a 3ody-mounted module? T!e smaller siFe of t!e module means t!e transmission
case can 3e more compact? T!e transmission and module are assem3led to7et!er, so
no additional connections are necessary durin7 "e!icle assem3ly?
T!e B2-3it transmission control module *T'M- monitors transmission performance and
compensates for normal ear in components suc! as clutc! plates, so transmission
performance remains consistent for t!e life of t!e transmission? T!e control module also
CtestsD t!e components of t!e transmission folloin7 assem3ly to optimiFe t!e interaction
of t!e components? T!e module is compati3le it! all future 7lo3al applications and t!e
desi7n can accommodate different modules? $ll of t!e module strate7y is de"eloped 3y
.M :oertrain?
T!e Hydra-Matic 6T40 / 6T45 as de"eloped as part of t!e small 6-speed transmission
family for 7lo3al applications and is 3ein7 produced in $sia :acific re7ion *.M6$T,
Jorea, and S.M, '!ina- it! su3se)uent manufacture in %ort! $merica *S1:, Mexico-?