Free 3D model

Manual Gearbox

A car gearbox you can see into. Turn the crank and the input shaft drives the countershaft, which turns every gear on the main shaft at once, each at its own speed: they all run free on bushings until you pick one. Move the lever into a gear and its fork slides a dog collar against that gear, its six dogs drop in, and from then on that gear turns the main shaft and the output flange. Fourth locks the input straight to the output, fifth is an overdrive, and for reverse an idler gear under the shafts turns the output the other way. The lever works like the one in a car: sideways to pick a rail (1-2, 3-4 or 5-R), then forwards or back. Pins between the rails let only one of them leave neutral at a time, and a printed spring clicks each rail into place. The case is open on both long sides, so you see all of it happen.

  • 49printed parts
  • 11 × 22 × 20 cmassembled (L × W × H)
  • ≈ 0.4 kgfilament in total
  • 169 mmbed length for the shift rails; the case needs a 157 × 109 mm bed
Download all files ZIP · 1.5 MB

Free for personal use under CC BY-NC 4.0: print it, remix it and share it with credit to Shapekit. Please don't sell the files or the prints.

Take it apart in 3D · Parts · How to build it

In 3D

Turn it, take it apart

Every part as you print it. Pick colours to see what your filament will look like.

The 3D model (6.4 MB) loads when you get here.

Preview colours

Case, bridge and gate
Gears
Shafts, hubs and bushings
Collars, forks and rails
Lever, knob and crank

Drag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom

In the download

41 parts, ready to print

Every STL is already placed the right way up. Download them all at once, or one by one.

Case

Floor, front wall and rear wall in one piece, open on both long sides. The walls carry the shafts, the three rails, the interlock bore across the rails (front) and the three click springs (rear); the cheeks on the floor carry the reverse idler.

Size
157 × 112 × 109 mm
Print
Standing on its floor, no supports: every hole is pointed at the top.
Filament
≈ 138 g
STL 0.2 MB: Case

Bridge

Spans the two walls over the rails and holds the ball of the lever in a cup. It sits on four pegs on the walls.

Size
157 × 40 × 9 mm
Print
Flat, cup up.
Filament
≈ 24 g
STL 0.2 MB: Bridge

Socket cap

Closes the cup over the lever's ball, so the lever can tilt every way but not lift out.

Size
24 × 24 × 10 mm
Print
Upside down, flat top on the bed.
Filament
≈ 2 g
STL 0.1 MB: Socket cap

Gate

The H pattern the lever moves in: 1, 3 and 5 forward, 2, 4 and R back, with the numbers cut into the top. The ends of the slots are the stops for the lever.

Size
65 × 56 × 52 mm
Print
Upside down, on its top face, posts up.
Filament
≈ 13 g
STL 89 KB: Gate

Lever half × 2

The lever is split down its length so it prints flat: glue two halves together, lined up by two short pieces of filament in the ball. The finger at the bottom sits in the slot of a selector.

Size
108 × 14 × 7 mm
Print
Flat side down.
Filament
≈ 7 g
STL 0.1 MB: Lever half

Knob

Glued onto the top of the lever, after the gate is on.

Size
23 × 23 × 18 mm
Print
Standing on its flat bottom.
Filament
≈ 3 g
STL 0.1 MB: Knob

Crank

On the hex end of the input shaft. Turn it clockwise, seen from the front.

Size
52 × 38 × 16 mm
Print
Arm down, handle up.
Filament
≈ 5 g
STL 53 KB: Crank

Input shaft

20 teeth, in constant mesh with the 34 on the countershaft, and a ring of dogs at the back for 4th. The main shaft's nose turns in the bore at its back.

Size
40 × 33 × 33 mm
Print
Standing on its dogs.
Filament
≈ 8 g
STL 0.4 MB: Input shaft

Main shaft

Hexagonal, so the hubs and bushings turn with it. The round nose turns inside the input shaft; the hex stub at the back takes the output flange.

Size
158 × 12 × 10 mm
Print
Lying on a flat.
Filament
≈ 9 g
STL 41 KB: Main shaft

Countershaft

Hexagonal: the six countershaft gears are keyed to it and turn together.

Size
160 × 12 × 10 mm
Print
Lying on a flat.
Filament
≈ 10 g
STL 39 KB: Countershaft

Countershaft sleeve

A bearing for the front of the countershaft. The hole in the wall is big enough to thread the hexagon through; the sleeve then closes it up.

Size
18 × 18 × 10 mm
Print
Flange down.
Filament
≈ 1 g
STL 58 KB: Countershaft sleeve

1st gear

36 teeth, driven by the 18 on the countershaft: 3.40 : 1 overall. Dogs on its front face.

Size
57 × 57 × 11 mm
Print
Dogs up.
Filament
≈ 13 g
STL 0.5 MB: 1st gear

2nd gear

30 teeth, driven by the 24: 2.13 : 1. Dogs at the back.

Size
48 × 48 × 11 mm
Print
Dogs up.
Filament
≈ 9 g
STL 0.4 MB: 2nd gear

3rd gear

24 teeth, driven by the 30: 1.36 : 1. Dogs in front.

Size
39 × 39 × 11 mm
Print
Dogs up.
Filament
≈ 7 g
STL 0.4 MB: 3rd gear

5th gear

18 teeth, driven by the 36: 0.85 : 1, an overdrive. Its dogs sit on a disc in front.

Size
33 × 33 × 12 mm
Print
Dogs down: the disc bridges over them.
Filament
≈ 5 g
STL 0.4 MB: 5th gear

Reverse gear

32 teeth. It does not touch the 16 on the countershaft: the idler under them joins the two, so the main shaft turns the other way. 3.40 : 1.

Size
51 × 51 × 11 mm
Print
Dogs up.
Filament
≈ 11 g
STL 0.5 MB: Reverse gear

Countershaft gear 34

Driven by the input shaft. Its long hub spaces it from the next gear.

Size
54 × 54 × 38 mm
Print
Gear down, hub up.
Filament
≈ 15 g
STL 0.4 MB: Countershaft gear 34

Reverse idler

20 teeth, on its pin between the two cheeks on the floor, below the shafts.

Size
33 × 33 × 7 mm
Print
Flat.
Filament
≈ 4 g
STL 0.3 MB: Reverse idler

Idler pin

Ø5 mm, pushed through the cheeks and the idler.

Size
14 × 5 × 5 mm
Print
Standing up.
Filament
≈ 0 g
STL 19 KB: Idler pin

Dog collar × 3

Slides on a hexagonal hub, so it always turns with the main shaft. Six dogs on each face; pushed against a gear, they drop between that gear's dogs and lock it to the shaft. The fork rides in the groove.

Size
34 × 34 × 18 mm
Print
Front face down; the back of the groove is a 45° slope, so no supports.
Filament
≈ 20 g
STL 0.2 MB: Dog collar

Collar hub × 3

Hexagonal inside and out: keyed to the main shaft, with the collar sliding on it.

Size
21 × 21 × 18 mm
Print
Flat.
Filament
≈ 12 g
STL 2 KB: Collar hub

Long bushing × 2

Two free gears turn on it, with a washer between them.

Size
24 × 16 × 16 mm
Print
Standing up.
Filament
≈ 7 g
STL 20 KB: Long bushing

Washer × 2

Between two free gears.

Size
22 × 22 × 2 mm
Print
Flat.
Filament
≈ 1 g
STL 38 KB: Washer

Shift rail 1-2

Slides through both walls. The notch on its inner face is for the interlock pin, the three grooves at the back are the click positions: back, neutral, forward.

Size
169 × 6 × 6 mm
Print
Flat.
Filament
≈ 6 g
STL 33 KB: Shift rail 1-2

Shift rail 3-4

The middle rail: notches on both faces and a cross hole for the short interlock pin.

Size
169 × 6 × 6 mm
Print
Flat.
Filament
≈ 6 g
STL 49 KB: Shift rail 3-4

Shift fork 1-2

Rides in the groove of the 1-2 collar. A piece of filament through the sleeve pins it to its rail.

Size
39 × 36 × 10 mm
Print
Fork plate down, sleeve up.
Filament
≈ 3 g
STL 48 KB: Shift fork 1-2

Shift fork 3-4

For the 3-4 collar.

Size
39 × 36 × 10 mm
Print
Fork plate down, sleeve up.
Filament
≈ 3 g
STL 49 KB: Shift fork 3-4

Shift fork 5-R

For the 5-R collar.

Size
39 × 36 × 10 mm
Print
Fork plate down, sleeve up.
Filament
≈ 3 g
STL 49 KB: Shift fork 5-R

Selector 1-2

Pinned to its rail under the lever. In neutral the slots of the three selectors line up, so the lever's finger can move across from one to the next.

Size
17 × 13 × 12 mm
Print
On its side, as it comes out of the file.
Filament
≈ 1 g
STL 35 KB: Selector 1-2

Selector 5-R

Like the 1-2 selector, mirrored.

Size
17 × 13 × 12 mm
Print
On its side.
Filament
≈ 1 g
STL 35 KB: Selector 5-R

Interlock pin × 2

Ø3 × 7.3 mm with pointed ends, in the bore across the rails in the front wall: one between each two rails.

Size
7 × 3 × 3 mm
Print
Standing up.
Filament
≈ 0 g
STL 19 KB: Interlock pin

Output flange

On the hex stub at the back of the main shaft: watch it to see the speed and the direction.

Size
36 × 36 × 8 mm
Print
Flat, hub up.
Filament
≈ 5 g
STL 79 KB: Output flange
Also needed

Parts you buy

  • About 15 cm of 1.75 mm filament: six pieces of 12 mm pin the forks and selectors to the rails, two of 6 mm line up the lever halves.
  • Superglue, for the lever halves, the knob, the crank, the output flange and the countershaft sleeve.
  • A little silicone spray or grease for the bushings, the rails and the dogs.
Print settings

Slicer settings

0.20 mmlayer height (0.12 mm for the gears looks better)
3walls (4 for the gears)
20%gyroid infill
PLA or PETGmaterial

For a 0.4 mm nozzle. Filament amounts are estimates for these settings.

Assembly

How to build it

Print the parts

Nothing needs supports. The case stands on its floor. Clean any elephant's foot off the hexagons, the bores and the gear teeth, and check that the gears turn freely on the bushings and that the collars slide on the hubs.

Countershaft

Hold the six countershaft gears in the case in a row, from the front: 34, 30, 24, 18, 16, 36, every hub pointing to the back. Push the countershaft in through the front wall and through all of them until its shoulder stops at the rear wall. Glue the sleeve into the front hole, over the shaft.

Reverse idler

Put the idler between the two cheeks on the floor and push the pin through.

Main shaft

Lay out the main shaft parts from the front: hub with collar (3-4), 3rd gear and 2nd gear on a long bushing with a washer between them, hub with collar (1-2), 1st gear and the reverse gear on the other long bushing with a washer, hub with collar (5-R), 5th gear on the short bushing. The dogs of every gear face its collar. Set them in the case, in mesh with the countershaft, and push the main shaft in through the big front hole and through all of them until its back end comes out of the rear wall. Glue the output flange on the hex stub.

Input shaft and crank

Push the input shaft in through the front hole, its bore over the main shaft's nose. Glue the crank on its hex stub.

Rails and interlock

Push the 5-R rail in through the front wall, through its fork (in the groove of the 5-R collar) and its selector, into the rear wall, and set it in neutral. Through the empty middle hole, push a long interlock pin into the bore until it sits in the 5-R rail's notch. Put the short pin into the 3-4 rail's cross hole and fit that rail the same way, then the second long pin and the 1-2 rail. Line up each fork and selector with the holes in its rail and pin it with a piece of filament.

Lever

Glue the two lever halves together, with two pieces of filament in the holes in the ball. Drop the ball into the bridge's cup from above and glue the socket cap over it. Set the bridge on the wall pegs, guiding the finger into the slot of the middle selector. Put the gate on, its posts in the bridge, and glue the knob on top of the lever.

Shift

Turn the crank and pull the lever into 1st: the output flange turns slowly. Go through the gears, 2-3-4-5, and watch the flange speed up. For reverse, stop turning, shift and turn again: the flange turns the other way. If a gear does not go in, turn the crank a little while you push the lever.

Small parts and gears that can pinch: keep them away from young children.

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Open the makers