# Manual transmission question: Dogteeth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manual-transmission-question-dogteeth/131424>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 8, 2002, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manual-transmission-question-dogteeth/131424 "2002-10-08T20:09:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\
**Post date:** [October 10, 2002, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manual-transmission-question-dogteeth/131424/21 "2002-10-10T06:29:06Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gary T \*  
> \*\*_The dog teeth do not engage the gears. All of the gears in a manual transmission, with the exception of the reverse idler, are engaged at all times._  
> No argument with the thought here, but this is not how we have been using the term “engage” in this thread. I would say the all the forward gears are **in mesh** with the countergear at all times, and the selected gear is **engaged** when the shifting collar interlocks with it.
> 
> \*\*

Sounds good.

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**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\
**Post date:** [December 3, 2002, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/manual-transmission-question-dogteeth/131424/22 "2002-12-03T00:56:29Z")

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[This](http://www.howstuffworks.com/transmission4.htm) gives full explanation with diagrams. I think it’s a different link that the one you looked at.

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