To the point..Can i make my auto 2004 sunfire run like a CVT transmission.MY idea was to get the parts from a mitsubishi eclipse or buy a paddle shift kit some where.Can this at all be done or am i way off here?

Some of the Saturn's had a CVT transmission as an option for a bit, but they had alot if problems and were discontinues. As a matter of fact, most CVTs from most manufacturers have had problems.




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My son's girlfriend's father runs a really good transmission shop. He says CVT trannies are junk. They seldom make 100k miles and are in general NOT repairable. Not because they are sealed up or anything like that. It is just not possible to get parts. Replacements are $5k or so.
dennis

Thanks for the heads up guys.Sounds like its not worth my time.

I have a cvt in my vue. I hate it. BUT it managed to excede 300,000KM. also known as 186,400 miles


I need a new sig.

I was rebuilding on average, 2 of these a week when I was at Saturn. Absolute garbage.

They're great in principal but no-one but snowmobiles and 4 wheelers have actually executed them well.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

Leafy wrote:They're great in principal but no-one but snowmobiles and 4 wheelers have actually executed them well.

I don't believe snowmobile clutches and CVT's are the same. similar principle but not the same so its not quite comparable.

Right that is what I was thinking..... I know we have a few company vehicles here and no one drives them because they think nthe transmissions are clunky....

Jordan wrote:

Leafy wrote:They're great in principal but no-one but snowmobiles and 4 wheelers have actually executed them well.

I don't believe snowmobile clutches and CVT's are the same. similar principle but not the same so its not quite comparable.

We have a cvt on our racecar, which is from a snowmobile, CVT's are nothing new, snowmobiles have had them since the 70's. IMO the v-belt style found in snowmobiles are the best type we have now, they start having trouble over 100hp, but I've seen some new ones pushed more than double that. I think you dont see them in cars because cars are too heavy for them, and no one is going to want to have to do a 4 hour (what it would likely be on a car) belt replacement every 20k miles.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

the subaru's use a cvt that is a sealed unit for the life of the car. it is much better than the GM one i had to drive when i worked at saturn. I still prefer traditional transmissions though. I would not bother with one, how much mpg do you really expect to get out of it.

with the vue and ion 3 door the only cars i recall having it you have slim pickings. I would grab a ion trans, less weight being pulled around. I remember customers preferring to learn to drive stick instead fo having that trans.

Leafy wrote:

Jordan wrote:

Leafy wrote:They're great in principal but no-one but snowmobiles and 4 wheelers have actually executed them well.

I don't believe snowmobile clutches and CVT's are the same. similar principle but not the same so its not quite comparable.

We have a cvt on our racecar, which is from a snowmobile, CVT's are nothing new, snowmobiles have had them since the 70's. IMO the v-belt style found in snowmobiles are the best type we have now, they start having trouble over 100hp, but I've seen some new ones pushed more than double that. I think you dont see them in cars because cars are too heavy for them, and no one is going to want to have to do a 4 hour (what it would likely be on a car) belt replacement every 20k miles.

I have just never thought of snowmobile clutches comparable to car CVT's. The way they operate/are made to operate. From a snowmobile compared to a car there are several big differences, never heard of any trouble with them above 100 HP? My buddy's race snowmobile is over 200hp with nitrous on stock clutches, only adjusted for takeoff/shifting. And I know that there are CVT's pulling way more weight with more power going through them than any car (John Deere Tractors). There are also IVT's (Case-IH Tractors) that would extremely boost fuel economy if implemented into the auto industry, sadly they are stuck in agriculture right now. Since IVT and CVT have came out I haven't heard of any major problems with them other than manufacture defected parts & high hour/high usage break downs (certain times of the year these tractors run 24/7 only stopping a half hour at a time to change engine oil.

CVT/IVT could do very well in a car IF they put more R&D into them.

Coll stuff on the new CVT stuff. My CVT data is a little dated because the best book to come out on CVT's was published in the 80's.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer