Gear clatter occurs when the tooth flanks in the transmission separate and hit each other again in actual operation. This is caused by irregularities of torque and of rotation. The possibility of tooth flanks to separate is due to the backlash required for compensating tolerances and thermal expansion to ensure the operational safety of the transmission.

As a rule, gear clatter is the result of an unfavorable interaction of individual components, such as engine, couplings, gears, propeller shaft, and propeller. Such influences are beyond the control and responsibility of transmission manufacturers.

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A distinction should be made between gear clatter under load and idle gear clatter:

Gear clatter under load may occur at a specific RPM. It is caused by design factors, such as number of cylinder, number of propeller blades, engine speed, and number of gear teeth. These may incite natural frequencies of the drive unit to such an extent that tooth flanks separate off and clatter despite their load from the torque. This gear clatter under load may damage the gears.

Gear clatter at idle may occur when there are low numbers of revolutions per minute. How to use midi keyboard in fl studio. The phenomenon is due to irregularities during the ignition and combustion process which occur at low engine speeds. This type of gear clatter increases with the specific output of the engine, the reduction of moveable engine masses and a diminished idle speed. As a rule, idle gear clatter will not damage the gears, as almost no torque is transmitted at low speeds or when idling. It produces, however, a disagreeable noise.

Measures against gear clatter under load: By calculating in advance the natural frequency of the drive unit and choosing the adequate resilient coupling, for instance, the critical natural frequency is dislocated from the range of operating speeds, or the critical vibration moments are damped.

Measures against gear clatter at idle: More often than not, a suitable dampening coupling is the solution to idle gear clatter, as the transmission cannot influence this phenomenon. Lightweight automotive flywheels can contribute to gear clatter, so heavier marine flywheels are always recommended. In diesel engines, gear clatter can be very prominent, so selecting a good dampening coupling is very important.

A major cause of gear clatter is a poor alignment of the drive unit and prop shaft. All components of the drive unit should be carefully aligned during installation. Alignment should be checked at regular intervals, such as during oil changes.
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