Variator Assemblies
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Ford Freestyle, and 2006 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The continuously variable transaxle (CVT) has 2 pressure-controlled variators that function as pulleys:
- Primary variator (input)
- Secondary variator (output)
The primary variator transmits input torque to the chain which drives the secondary variator. The secondary variator supplies torque to the differential.
The variators function as variable speed pulleys. The chain wraps around both variators like a V-belt. The variators, controlled by fluid pressure, change the path of the chain moving over the pulleys to vary the pulley speed gear ratio. The variators provide input to output ratio of the transaxle like a conventional automatic transaxle uses fixed planetary ratios.