Q. Why are electric solenoids such a bad choice for gear shifting?
A. For several very good reasons, as detailed below:
1. Temperature instability. The force produced by a solenoid reduces significantly with increasing temperature. At 100 degC, the force output can reduce by as much as 23% compared with at 20 degC.
As well as having to endure the searing heat generated by a racing car, a solenoid generates additional internal heat by its own operation.
This leads to unreliability and shift inconsistency.
2. High current demand. Although only operated for a short period of time, a solenoid of sufficient size to operate a gear shift places extreme demands on the vehicle electrical system.
This can lead to voltage drop-outs and cause other electronic systems on the car to malfunction. The high current demand also means that very bulky and heavy cables must be used.
3. Packaging & weight issues. The size of a solenoid required to operate a gear shift means that it will weigh several kilograms and be of such dimensions that it becomes difficult or impossible to
position without compromising other areas of the car.
4. Electro-magnetic interference. Solenoids are inductive loads, just like an ignition coil, only more so. Switching large solenoids on & off generates electro-magnetic interference that can adversely effect
electronic systems on the car, such as the engine management system or data loggers etc.
5. Harsh operation and non-compliant. Contrary to the claims of others, the speed and mass of the solenoid armature can place damaging shock loadings on the gearbox shift mechanism.
6. Inability to vary the shift force. Once manufactured, it is not possible to alter the force provided by a solenoid without sophisticated power control techniques.
By contrast, a pneumatic (compressed air) system suffers none of these disadvantages. It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that the overwhelming majority of serious aftermarket
shift systems use pneumatics. We know of only one solenoid based system that is used in professional motorsport, that being the highly respected Zytek 'EGS'.
The Zytek system does not use 12v solenoids, and their GCU not only provides the control system, but also functions as an energy storage system to reduce the extreme transient demand on the electrical system.
Q. Why should I choose a Geartronics paddleshift system over other kits on the market?
A. Because our system actually works as advertised. Our system has been developed over several years of top level motorsport. It was the control system used in the 2008 F3000 series - just one step away from F1.
With Geartronics you get the best quality, functionality, reliability & service. We believe our control strategy is one of the most sophisticated on the market. Additionally, we design & manufacture all our own parts, including the GCU. So if you need support, we can give you the answer you need immediately, rather than having to wait for a 3rd party supplier. We also write all our own software, and can respond to feature requests usually within days rather than months.
Q. Why do Geartronics make such an effort to publish detailed technical information?
A. The gearshift industry is being saturated with misinformation, half-truths and, sometimes, blatant lies. We see part of our mission to educate our customers, not bullshit them into parting with their money! Many of our rival's websites contain little or no technical information about how their product works. In our view, this is either because some of them have insufficient knowledge of the subject, or they simply don't want you to find out just how crude their systems are.
Q. Does the air compressor sap engine power?
A. Absolutely not! This is a patently ridiculous untruth, perpetrated by some of our competitors in a desperate bid to make their solenoids sound better! Examine the facts: Our compressor draws 13 Amps (intermittently) from the electrical system, this is just 180 Watts - about the same as a pair of headlights. In other words, less than one quarter of one horsepower. To claim that this is power sapping is either a deliberate attempt to mislead, a complete lack of understanding, or both.
Q. Surely it can't be that difficult to design a paddleshift to push and pull a gear lever?
A. If only it were that simple! Semi-auto gear shift is far more complicated than simply operating the lever. To make an upshift we must cut the engine at precisely the right moment and for exactly the correct duration for every shift, it's simply not good enough to rely on fixed timers that remain the same for all shifts. Relying on fixed timers will almost certainly result in missed shifts and probably lead to gearbox dog damage. Downshifts are even more complex. It's not, as most of our competitors seem to think, just a matter of pushing the lever and blipping the throttle. For smooth, reliable, and non-damaging downshifts it's necessary to very carefully control the engine speed during the shift. This can only be achieved by constant monitoring of the tacho pulses and gearbox position sensor, then controlling the engine speed by the application of throttle blipping and engine cutting. We invite you to do a bit of Googling and find out which paddleshift systems monitor the gear position sensor. It's also a good idea to search internet forums to find out what other people's experience has been of the system you are thinking of purchasing...
Q. Is it possible to operate a closed-loop system by measuring the linear position of the shift lever?
A. Not reliably, no. Although the position of the lever gives some indication, it does not accurately represent the position of the selector forks and dog rings.
Measuring the lever position does not allow the control system to determine which gear is selected because it always comes to rest in the same position.
The only reliable way to operate a gear shift system is to measure the position of the selector barrel using a rotary position sensor.
Q. Can the Geartronics paddleshift system be fitted to any sequential gearbox?
A. Our paddleshift system will work with most, but not all, sequential gearboxes that have provision for a barrel position sensor. Our experience allows us to evaluate any potential gearbox installation and decide if paddleshift is suitable for your application. In some cases your gearbox may simply be incapable of accepting semi-auto shifting. Rest assured, if we can't do it then no-one else can!
Q. Can the paddleshift system be fitted to motorcycle gearboxes?
A. Some, but not all. We have developed systems to work with the Suzuki GSXR1000, Hayabusa and Honda Fireblade gearboxes, but only after making the appropriate modification to the gearbox in order to fit a barrel position sensor. There are several systems on the market that are advertised to work on any motorcycle gearbox, but these do not use any form of gearbox monitoring and are nothing more than simple timer devices. We would advise you to think very carefully before fitting one of these systems as the crude control methods they employ may result in serious gearbox damage.
Q. Why is it essential to use a gear position sensor for the paddleshift system?
A. There are basically two approaches to paddleshift operation: closed-loop & open-loop. Open loop is an unintelligent method that does not use feedback sensors to monitor the shift. Open-loop simply relies on fixed duration timers for the various shift events. Closed-loop on the other hand, monitors every gear shift in real-time, and dynamically adjusts the shift operation to suit the prevailing conditions. In simple terms, open-loop operation is considerably less reliable, and more often than not leads to missed shifts and serious gearbox damage. See our full explanation of closed-loop operation for more information.
Q. Is the Geartronics paddleshift system supplied as a universal kit?
A. No, every installation is unique and attempting to fit an off-the-shelf kit is very likely to result in disappointment and can lead to serious gearbox damage! Geartronics will evaluate all installations and decide on the best course of action to achieve a satisfactory result. If we deem your gearbox or other aspects of your car to be unsuitable for semi-auto shifting then we will be honest with you. We would prefer not to sell you a system rather than have to explain later why it didn't work as expected!
Q. Does the paddleshift system reliably select neutral?
A. Yes. Regardless of gear ordering on the barrel, we have a strategy to find neutral. Our system uses sophisticated PWM techniques in conjunction with the closed-loop barrel monitoring in order to make half shifts. Half shifts to neutral are found in Sadev, some Hewland and Ricardo gearboxes and all motorcycle gearboxes. In contrast, the crude solenoid systems on the market do not have the sophistication required, and simply rely on the driver 'flicking' the paddle to try to get neutral. Needless to say, this method is very hit & miss.
Q. Can the Geartronics paddleshift system damage my gearbox?
A. When correctly installed & set up, a closed-loop semi-auto shift system will actually reduce gearbox wear. The Geartronics GCU features highly sophisticated control strategies that considerably reduce the chances of gearbox damage. By taking away the possibility of human error, every gearshift is executed with precision and the chances of 'missing a gear' are virtually eliminated. Please read our disclaimer for more information.
Q. How much does the Geartronics paddleshift system cost?
A. Because every system tends to be unique, it's generally not possible to quote an exact price. However, as a very rough guide; a basic system will cost approximately £2800, this will allow 'flat' up-shifting and (in most cases) clutchless down-shifts. A full specification system including Raychem motorsport wiring harness & 'Aeroquip' plumbing will cost £4000 upwards. We appreciate that our system may be more expensive than some of the solenoid systems offered by our competitors, but you have the choice of either wasting your money on something that doesn't work properly, or spending it wisely on the one that does!
If you have any further questions about our products, please feel free to Contact us via email or phone.