A continuously variable transmission (CVT) includes an aluminum housing member having a bore formed therein. A rotatable pulley member is supported on a bearing within the bore. The bore includes a layer of thermal spray coating for improved wear resistance so that the bore supports the bearing without a steel sleeve therebetween.

In a power transfer device including an input shaft rotatably mounted within a housing, a first output shaft rotatably supported on the housing for connecting the input shaft to a pair of front wheel drive axles, and a second output shaft arranged in parallel with the first output shaft and rotatably supported on the housing for drive connection to a pair of rear wheel drive axles, a shift mechanism includes a sleeve member axially slidable on the first output shaft between respective positions in which it effects a drive connection or disconnection between the output shafts, a shift rod arranged in parallel with the output shafts and axially movably supported on the housing, a shift fork mounted on the shift rod and coupled with the sleeve member, an operation rod extending through the peripheral wall of the housing and rotatably supported therethrough, the operation rod having an outer end operatively connected to a manual operation lever, and a swing arm secured to the inner end of the operation rod for rotation therewith and engaged at one end portion thereof with a recessed portion formed on the shift rod to restrict axial movement of the operation rod outwardly with respect to the housing and to restrict rotation of the shift rod.

A power transfer device adapted for use in combination with a power transmission. The transfer device includes a housing, an input shaft rotatably mounted within the housing for drive connection to an output shaft of the transmission, an output shaft rotatably mounted within the housing for rotation relative to the input shaft, a planetary gear unit arranged within the housing and having an input element mounted on the input shaft for rotation therewith and an output element connectable to the output shaft, and a sleeve member axially slidably mounted on the output shaft and shiftable between a first position in which it effects a drive connection between the input and output shafts and a second position in which it effects a drive connection between the output element of the gear unit and the output shaft. A bearing retainer is secured to the housing to retain a bearing carried on the housing for supporting thereon the input shaft, and an oil pump assembly is contained within a cavity of the bearing retainer and mounted on the input shaft at the outside of the housing to be driven by rotation of the input shaft. The pump assembly is arranged to pump up lubricating oil stored in the housing and supply it into an axial bore in the input shaft.

A shift mechanism in a power transfer device includes first and second shift rods axially slidably mounted in parallel to each other within a housing of the transfer device, an interlock mechanism arranged to selectively retain the shift rods in their shifted positions, an operation rod extending through the wall of the housing and rotatably supported therethrough, the operation rod having an outer end operatively connected to a manually operated transfer lever and an inner end located in the interior of the housing, and a swing lever pivoted to the inner end of the operation rod at a position displaced in a predetermined distance from the axis of the operation rod, the swing lever having one end portion engaged with the first shift rod and the other end portion engaged with the second shift rod. In the shift mechanism, the axial movement amount of the first shift rod is determined to be substantially the same as that of the second shift rod, and the distance between the pivot axis of the swing lever and the other end portion of the same in engagement with the second shift rod is determined to be smaller than the distance between the pivot axis of the swing lever and the one end portion of the same in engagement with the first shift rod.

In combination with a power transmission, a power transfer device comprises a first shaft rotatably mounted within a housing and having an input end for connection to an output shaft of the transmission and an output end for drive connection to a pair of rear-wheel axles, a second shaft rotatably mounted within the housing in parallel with the first shaft for drive connection to a pair of front-wheel axles, a drive gear rotatably mounted on the first shaft and connectable to the first shaft, a driven gear rotatably mounted on the second shaft and connectable to the second shaft, the driven gear being drivingly connected to the drive gear, and a pair of sleeves each mounted on the first and second shafts and shiftable between a first position where both the clutch sleeves are retained to connect the drive and driven gears to the first and second shafts and a second position where both the clutch sleeves are retained to disconnect the drive and driven gears from the first and second shafts, whereby both the drive and driven gears are stilled when two wheel drive is selected at the transfer device.