22 Drivetrain & Brake Parts Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A customer is buying a clutch kit for a rear-wheel-drive pickup and asks what the box contains. Which group of parts is normally packaged in a standard clutch kit?

   • A.Disc, release bearing, flywheel, release cable, and a pilot bearing puller
   • B.Disc, pressure plate, release bearing, pilot bearing or bushing, and an alignment tool✓ Answer
   • C.Disc, pressure plate, release fork, flywheel, and a clutch alignment tool
   • D.Pressure plate, release fork, pilot bushing, transmission mount, and a seal kit

   A clutch kit bundles the wearing and rotating parts that must be renewed together: the friction disc, the pressure plate assembly, the release (throwout) bearing, the pilot bearing or bushing, and a plastic alignment tool used to center the disc during installation. The release fork, the cable or hydraulic linkage, and the flywheel are separate sales because they are not consumed at the same rate, so a counterperson should quote flywheel resurfacing or replacement and a rear main seal as related items rather than assume they are in the box.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Manual Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify major components and identify related items sold with themReport a problem with this question

2. 2. A customer reports a growling noise that is present only while the clutch pedal is held to the floor and that disappears as soon as the pedal is released. Which part should the counter sale be built around?

   • A.The clutch release (throwout) bearing riding on the input shaft✓ Answer
   • B.The torsional damper springs in the hub of the clutch disc
   • C.The pilot bearing or bushing in the end of the crankshaft
   • D.The input shaft bearing in the front of the transmission case

   The release bearing is loaded and spinning against the pressure plate fingers only while the pedal is depressed, so noise that appears exactly with pedal travel and stops when the pedal comes up points to that bearing. A pilot bearing complains with the pedal down and the transmission in gear, and an input shaft bearing complains in neutral with the pedal up. Because the bearing is inside the bellhousing, the practical counter sale is the full clutch kit plus flywheel service, not the bearing alone.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Manual Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify component function and common reasons for replacementReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A customer is buying a clutch kit and asks whether the flywheel needs any attention. What is the correct counter guidance?

   • A.Resurface it only on dual-mass units, because a solid flywheel cleans itself once back in service
   • B.Resurface or replace it with the clutch, and note that a dual-mass unit generally cannot be resurfaced✓ Answer
   • C.Replace it only when the ring-gear teeth are damaged, because the friction face wears evenly
   • D.Leave it alone whenever the new disc and pressure plate are installed and torqued correctly

   The flywheel is half of the friction surface the new disc must bed against, and a used face carries heat checking, hot spots and a worn step that will cause chatter or premature failure of a new clutch, so it is machined flat or replaced as part of the job. A dual-mass flywheel contains internal springs and a bearing between two masses and generally cannot be resurfaced, which makes replacement the normal quote for that application.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Manual Transmission/Transaxle task list: provide basic use, maintenance and installation informationReport a problem with this question

4. 4. Parts specialist A says an API GL-5 80W-90 gear oil is a safe upgrade in any manual transmission. Parts specialist B says many manual transmissions and transaxles specify automatic transmission fluid or a special manual transmission fluid instead of gear oil. Who is right?

   • A.A only
   • B.Both A and B
   • C.Neither A nor B
   • D.B only✓ Answer

   Specialist B is correct: a great many manual transmissions and transaxles call for an automatic transmission fluid or a manufacturer-specific manual transmission fluid, and the counter sells whatever the application specifies. Specialist A is wrong because the extreme-pressure sulfur and phosphorus additives in GL-5 attack yellow metals, so using GL-5 where GL-4 is specified corrodes the brass or bronze synchronizer rings and causes hard shifting.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Manual Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify related items including fluids; API gear oil service designations GL-4 and GL-5Report a problem with this question

5. 5. A vehicle releases its clutch with a clutch master cylinder and a slave cylinder. Which fluid does the counter sell to fill and bleed that release system?

   • A.The API GL-4 gear oil listed for that transmission
   • B.The automatic transmission fluid listed for that vehicle
   • C.The power steering fluid listed for that vehicle
   • D.The brake fluid grade listed for that vehicle✓ Answer

   A hydraulic clutch release circuit uses the same rubber cup seals and the same kind of bore as a brake hydraulic circuit, so it is filled with the glycol brake fluid grade the manufacturer specifies, most often DOT 3. Any petroleum-based fluid such as gear oil, automatic transmission fluid or power steering fluid swells and destroys those seals, which is why the counter also sells brake fluid from a sealed container with a concentric slave cylinder or a master cylinder.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Manual Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify related items including fluids and service chemicalsReport a problem with this question

6. 6. A customer asks why the parts listing for the automatic version of a vehicle shows a flexplate while the manual version shows a flywheel. Which statement is correct?

   • A.The converter bolts to a pressure plate cover that is mounted on the crankshaft rear flange
   • B.The converter splines onto the crankshaft, so the plate only carries the starter ring gear
   • C.The converter bolts to the flexplate, which takes the place of the flywheel used with a clutch✓ Answer
   • D.The converter bolts to a solid flywheel, and flexplate is simply another name for that part

   An automatic has no friction clutch, so it does not need a heavy flywheel to carry a clutch surface; instead a thin stamped flexplate with a starter ring gear bolts to the crankshaft, and the torque converter bolts to that plate. The converter is itself a fluid coupling containing the impeller, turbine and stator, and it is sold new or remanufactured with a core charge rather than repaired at the counter.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Automatic Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify major components and their functionReport a problem with this question

7. 7. A customer with a continuously variable transmission asks for a jug of multi-vehicle automatic transmission fluid because it is cheaper. What is the correct counter response?

   • A.Sell only fluid licensed for that CVT, because CVT fluid is not interchangeable with ATF✓ Answer
   • B.Sell a synthetic fluid of a common ATF grade, because it exceeds any requirement a CVT has
   • C.Sell the multi-vehicle fluid, because a CVT needs the same friction as a planetary unit
   • D.Sell whatever fluid is in stock, because a complete exchange dilutes any additive difference

   A continuously variable transmission transmits torque through a steel belt or chain squeezed between pulleys, and its fluid is engineered for a high metal-to-metal traction coefficient that a conventional automatic fluid does not provide; conventional ATF lets the belt slip and destroys the unit quickly. The same rule governs every automatic: Dexron VI, Mercon LV, ATF+4, Toyota WS, Honda DW-1 and CVT fluids are separate specifications, and the counter sells the fluid the manufacturer specifies for that application.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Automatic Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify related items including fluids and service chemicalsReport a problem with this question

8. 8. A shop is buying a remanufactured automatic transmission over the counter. Which related items belong on the same ticket, and for what reason?

   • A.A starter and a flexplate, because remanufactured units are shipped with the ring gear removed
   • B.A flywheel and pilot bearing, because the converter hub rides in a pilot bearing in the crankshaft
   • C.A valve body and a solenoid set, because remanufactured units are shipped without their controls
   • D.A new or remanufactured torque converter and a cooler flush, to keep old debris out of the unit✓ Answer

   When an automatic fails it fills the fluid circuit with clutch material and metal, and that debris settles in the torque converter, the cooler and the cooler lines, which are not part of the remanufactured unit. Installing the reman transmission without replacing the converter and flushing or replacing the cooler and lines pumps the old debris straight back through the new unit, and most labor-claim disputes on reman transmissions trace to exactly that omission. The reman unit and the converter both carry a core charge, so the core return should be written up at the same time.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Automatic Transmission/Transaxle task list, and Inventory Management task list: core handling and warranty documentationReport a problem with this question

9. 9. Parts specialist A says every automatic transmission uses a filter inside the pan, so a pan gasket is always part of the filter sale. Parts specialist B says a unit with no dipstick has no filter to sell. Who is right?

   • A.Both A and B
   • B.B only
   • C.Neither A nor B✓ Answer
   • D.A only

   Neither statement holds. Many automatics do use an in-pan filter that is sold in a service kit with a pan gasket, but others use an external spin-on filter, and some use both, so the pan gasket is not automatic. A sealed unit without a dipstick still filters its fluid; the missing dipstick only means the fill and level check are done at a service port to a temperature specification. Before quoting, the counterperson confirms which filter arrangement that application uses.

   Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Automatic Transmission/Transaxle task list: identify major components and related service itemsReport a problem with this question

10. 10. A customer brings in a front-wheel-drive halfshaft with a torn outer boot. What decides whether the correct sale is a boot kit or a complete replacement halfshaft?

    • A.Whether the vehicle is front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive at that end of the car
    • B.Whether the joint is still serviceable after grease loss and dirt or water entry✓ Answer
    • C.Whether the shaft between the two joints is a solid bar or a hollow tube design
    • D.Whether the torn boot sits on the inner plunging joint or on the outer fixed joint

    A constant-velocity joint fails because the boot splits, the special CV grease is thrown out and dirt and water grind the bearing surfaces, so the deciding question is whether that damage has already occurred. Caught early with the joint still smooth, a boot kit with fresh CV grease and clamps restores it; once the joint is worn, the economical sale is a new or remanufactured complete halfshaft, and a remanufactured shaft carries a core charge that must be written up at the time of sale.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Drive Train Components task list: identify component function and common reasons for replacementReport a problem with this question

11. 11. Two universal joints for a two-piece driveshaft span the same distance across the yoke ears, yet the catalog shows them as different parts. Which pair of characteristics separates them?

    • A.Spline count of the yoke and the fluid specification used in the transfer case
    • B.Grease fitting color and the number of balance weights welded to the shaft tube
    • C.Bearing cap diameter and the retention style, inside or outside snap ring✓ Answer
    • D.Driveshaft tube diameter and the length of the slip yoke behind the joint

    Universal joints are cataloged by the span across the caps together with the cap outside diameter and how the caps are held in the yoke — an inside snap ring, an outside snap ring, or an injected-ring joint that is not reusable — and greaseable versus sealed construction is a further split. A joint with the correct span but the wrong cap diameter or retention will not seat in the yoke. On a two-piece shaft, the center support (carrier) bearing and its insulator are the usual related sale, and the shaft sections must go back in phase using the index marks.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Drive Train Components task list, and Catalog and Information Systems Skills: use of illustrations and footnotes in parts selectionReport a problem with this question

12. 12. Parts specialist A says a worn pinion gear may be replaced by itself when the ring gear still looks serviceable. Parts specialist B says the axle ratio should be confirmed from the axle tag or build code before the set is ordered. Who is right?

    • A.A only
    • B.B only✓ Answer
    • C.Neither A nor B
    • D.Both A and B

    Specialist B is right: the ratio is read from the axle tag, the build or option code or the differential cover casting, and quoting a ring and pinion from year, make and model alone is how the wrong ratio gets shipped. Specialist A is wrong because a ring gear and pinion are lapped together as a matched set at the factory and carry a matching serial number, so they are always sold and replaced as a pair; mixing a new pinion with a used ring gear leaves a tooth pattern that will howl and fail.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Drive Train Components task list, and Vehicle Identification task list: use of component identification data and build codesReport a problem with this question

13. 13. A customer refilled a clutch-type limited-slip differential and now reports chatter in slow, tight turns. Which item completes the sale?

    • A.A synthetic axle fluid of the same viscosity, because chatter is a temperature issue
    • B.A heavier straight-weight gear oil, to thicken the film between the clutch plates
    • C.A limited-slip friction modifier, or a gear oil already formulated with that additive✓ Answer
    • D.An API GL-4 gear oil, because GL-5 additives cause clutch chatter in every axle

    The clutch packs in a limited-slip differential must slip smoothly as the two rear wheels turn at different speeds through a corner; without a friction modifier the plates grab and release instead of sliding, and the driver feels and hears chatter. Some axle lubricants are sold already blended with the modifier and some require the additive bottle to be added separately, so the counterperson checks the label rather than assuming.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Drive Train Components task list: identify related items including fluids and service chemicalsReport a problem with this question

14. 14. A brake rotor has a minimum thickness, or discard, dimension cast into it. What does that dimension tell the counterperson and the customer?

    • A.It is the thickness of a new rotor, so any measurable wear puts that rotor out of use
    • B.It is the pad-side wear limit, so it applies to one face of the rotor rather than both
    • C.It is the machine-to dimension, so a rotor cut exactly to it may go back into service
    • D.It is the do-not-use dimension, so a machined rotor must finish measurably above it✓ Answer

    The cast-in minimum thickness is the point below which the rotor must not be returned to service, because below it the rotor can no longer absorb and shed heat safely and is prone to cracking and to excessive pedal travel. It is not the machine-to specification: a rotor that is turned must finish above that number by enough material to allow the remaining pad life to wear it down, which is why many rotors are replaced rather than machined and why rotors are quoted per axle with the pads.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Brakes task list: identify component function and common reasons for replacement (rotor discard specification)Report a problem with this question

15. 15. A customer asks to switch a vehicle over to DOT 5 brake fluid because he has heard it lasts longer. What is the correct counter response?

    • A.DOT 5 mixes freely with DOT 3 and DOT 4, so it may be used to top off any system
    • B.DOT 5 is silicone based, is not used in antilock systems, and never mixed with glycol✓ Answer
    • C.DOT 5 is the same glycol fluid as DOT 5.1, so the two grade numbers name one product
    • D.DOT 5 is required on antilock systems, because silicone fluid resists moisture the best

    DOT 3, DOT 4 and DOT 5.1 are glycol-ether fluids that mix with one another, while DOT 5 is a silicone fluid that does not mix with them; combining the two produces a fluid that neither meets a boiling-point rating nor protects the system. Silicone fluid also aerates under the rapid cycling of an antilock modulator and is not specified for ABS-equipped vehicles, so the counter sells the DOT grade printed on the reservoir cap, from a sealed container.

    Source: FMVSS No. 116, 49 CFR 571.116 — Motor vehicle brake fluids (glycol-ether DOT 3/4/5.1 and silicone DOT 5 classifications)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. Why does the counter sell brake fluid only in sealed containers and decline to top a customer off from an already-opened jug?

    • A.Glycol brake fluid thickens in open air, and heavy fluid slows the antilock pump down
    • B.Glycol brake fluid separates by density, and the lighter fraction rises out of an open jug
    • C.Glycol brake fluid loses its dye once exposed, and the color is what identifies the grade
    • D.Glycol brake fluid is hygroscopic, and absorbed water lowers the fluid's boiling point✓ Answer

    Glycol-based brake fluid pulls moisture out of the air, and dissolved water sharply lowers the boiling point, which is why every DOT grade carries both a dry and a much lower wet boiling specification. Fluid that has been standing open is already contaminated before it reaches the vehicle, so it can vaporize under hard braking and give a long or sinking pedal. Selling a sealed container of the grade the vehicle specifies is the safe practice, and higher grades such as DOT 4 exist because they hold a higher boiling point than DOT 3.

    Source: FMVSS No. 116, 49 CFR 571.116 — Motor vehicle brake fluids (dry and wet equilibrium reflux boiling point requirements)Report a problem with this question

17. 17. A customer who tows a heavy trailer asks which friction formulation to put on the front axle. Which trade-off statement should guide the sale?

    • A.Semi-metallic pads produce the least dust and the least rotor wear of the three formulations
    • B.Semi-metallic pads handle heat best but run noisier and wear rotors faster than ceramic pads✓ Answer
    • C.Ceramic pads carry the highest heat capacity of the three, which makes them the towing choice
    • D.Non-asbestos organic pads run quietest and resist heat fade best under a sustained load

    Semi-metallic linings use chopped steel fibers that conduct heat away from the friction surface, which gives them the highest fade resistance for towing and heavy duty, at the cost of more noise, more rotor wear and weaker cold bite. Ceramic linings are quiet and leave little visible dust but are not the heavy-towing choice, and non-asbestos organic linings are the gentlest on rotors but fade soonest under heat. The counter matches the formulation to how the vehicle is actually used, starting from what the application originally specified.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Brakes task list, and Customer Relations and Sales Skills: explain features and benefits of good/better/best friction linesReport a problem with this question

18. 18. A customer buying a replacement master cylinder says he will bolt it on dry and bleed it at the wheels. What should the counterperson add to the sale, and why?

    • A.A bench bleed kit, because air trapped in the bore will not purge out at the wheel cylinders✓ Answer
    • B.A residual pressure valve, because a dry bore needs back pressure before the pedal will build
    • C.A vacuum pump, because a master cylinder can only be purged by pulling fluid at its outlets
    • D.A pressure bleeder, because the brake pedal cannot move enough fluid through a new unit

    A new master cylinder is shipped dry, and the air in its bore sits above the outlet ports, so pedal strokes simply compress that air instead of pushing it downstream; it never reaches the wheel bleeders. Bench bleeding with tubes that return fluid to the reservoir fills the bore before the unit goes on the car. The unit is also a common core item, so the core return and the correct DOT fluid in a sealed container belong on the same ticket.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Brakes task list: provide basic use, maintenance and installation informationReport a problem with this question

19. 19. A customer wants to repair a rusted section of brake line using copper tubing and compression fittings. What does the counter sell instead?

    • A.Rubber fuel hose with screw clamps, rated for the pressure a brake system develops
    • B.Aluminum tubing with compression sleeves, since a sleeve seals better than a flared end
    • C.Steel or nickel-copper brake tubing with a double or ISO flare, not a compression joint✓ Answer
    • D.Soft copper tubing with flare nuts, since the flare rather than the tubing holds pressure

    A brake line carries very high pressure and constant vibration, so the industry uses steel or nickel-copper alloy tubing terminated in an SAE double flare or an ISO bubble flare that seats metal to metal in the fitting. Compression fittings and soft copper tubing are not approved for brake hydraulics and can pull out or work-harden and crack, and fuel hose is not a brake hose. Because brakes are safety-critical, the correct counter action is to decline the unsafe substitution, sell the proper tubing, fittings and flaring tool or a pre-flared line, and refer a customer who is not equipped to flare a line to a repair shop.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Miscellaneous task list: identify fitting type and size and identify hose and tubing type and proper application; Brakes task listReport a problem with this question

20. 20. A customer buys one set of drum brake shoes for the rear of a vehicle. Which additional items belong on the ticket, and in what quantity?

    • A.A hardware kit for one wheel only, because the springs on the opposite side stay undisturbed
    • B.A hardware kit and wheel cylinders for both wheels, because drum brakes are serviced per axle✓ Answer
    • C.A parking brake cable for both wheels, because new shoes always require a longer cable travel
    • D.A single wheel cylinder and no hardware, because the original springs are reused with new shoes

    Friction is always sold and installed per axle so that both sides of the vehicle brake with equal force, and the springs, hold-downs and self-adjuster parts lose their tension after heat cycling, which is why a hardware kit goes on with every set of shoes. The wheel cylinder is checked or replaced at the same time because its cups are the same age as the shoes and a leaking cylinder soaks and ruins new linings. Quoting only one side or omitting hardware is the classic incomplete brake sale.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Brakes task list, and Inventory Management task list: determine correct selling quantity (each, pair, axle set)Report a problem with this question

21. 21. A shop returns a caliper core that is cracked through the casting and is missing its bleeder screw and piston. What is the correct core handling at the counter?

    • A.Decline the core and discard it at the store, because a refused core has no remaining value
    • B.Accept the core for full credit, because the core charge covers whatever the customer returns
    • C.Accept the core and tag it as damaged, because the remanufacturer sorts every core on arrival
    • D.Decline the core and document the reason, because a core must be complete and rebuildable✓ Answer

    A core charge exists to bring a rebuildable casting back to the remanufacturer, so the counter accepts a core only when it is the same part as the one sold, is complete, and is not damaged beyond rebuilding; a cracked housing with missing components meets none of those conditions. The counterperson declines it, explains why, and notes the reason on the paperwork so the customer understands the charge, then stores and tags accepted cores properly for return.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Inventory Management task list: perform proper core handling — accept or decline, store, tag and return coresReport a problem with this question

22. 22. A customer needs a wheel bearing for a vehicle that uses a bolt-on hub unit. Why does the catalog list the part as a complete assembly rather than as a loose bearing?

    • A.The bearing, hub flange and often the wheel speed sensor or tone ring form one sealed unit✓ Answer
    • B.The assembly carries the brake rotor, so the rotor and the bearing are always changed together
    • C.The bearing is sold loose and the hub is reused, so only races and rollers are ordered
    • D.The assembly carries the steering knuckle, so wheel alignment is set at the factory

    A hub unit is built as a sealed, pre-loaded assembly containing the bearing, the flanged hub the wheel bolts to, and in most late applications the antilock wheel speed sensor or the magnetic tone ring, none of which can be separated and reset in the field. That is why the part is cataloged and sold as one unit, why the lookup often splits by whether the application has the integrated sensor, and why the sale normally includes new mounting bolts.

    Source: ASE Parts Specialist Study Guide (P2), Vehicle Systems Knowledge — Brakes task list: identify major components including wheel bearings, hub assemblies and antilock system componentsReport a problem with this question

Practice questions written to the ASE P2 Automobile Parts Specialist task list and standard parts-distribution practice. ASE is a mark of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE. Part numbers, prices, warranty and return terms, and vehicle-specific applications are deliberately left out because they vary by supplier and change constantly — always confirm an application in your own current catalog and your employer's policies before selling a part. About the ASE P2 test →