Speed

[VancouverVan]

Howdy - my 82 1.6D Westy has been driven daily for three weeks with no trouble. Methinks - for the moment - the rebuilding process is basicly over and the future is mostly maintenance.

However, I have a question: is there a way to swap out the tranny and get the highway speed up a bit? I don't mind the slow acceleration and I don't want to do 80 mph, but I would like to be able to cruise on a flat highway at 65 or 70 mph.

Now, at 55 mph, the engine is just screaming and instinct tells me a fifth gear would have me at 65 mph - still at the limit of available power, but not blocking traffic quite so bad.

Has anyone attempted this? I don't want to mess with the motor, but a tranny swap interests me.

[Josh]

As the owner of a pokey '82 diesel westy, I'm well acquainted with the top speed of these vans.

Folks have swapped out 4th for a taller gear successfully. The expensive option is to find a 5-speed tranny from germany or south africa, and import that puppy.

I'm leaning toward the latter option; perhaps we should try to get a group of folks together and make a group buy of used 5-speed diesel van trannies.. what do you think?

-Josh

[VancouverVan]

I'm not opposed and didn't mean to leave your query so long unanswered - I am privilaged to travel for work, and have mostly been gone lately.

I'm interested in either a taller 4th or a five-speed; I had Long Enterprises in CA quote me $1150 for a rebuilt VW gas transaxle just now. Has anyone gone that route? If so, are you in the Northwest? It's almost something I'd want to test-drive before doing to my own rig.

I'm also a little nervous about spending that much on the tranny when I remain unconvinced the 1.6 is worth keeping. Realistically, a new tranny for, say $1500 by the time it's all done, is not that much cheaper than an engine upgrade, and an engine upgrade would probably rid me of that goofy split pulley on the waterpump - a design so bad it keeps me awake while driving, waiting for it to fall apart again. If I could do a swap to a five speed for the price of a wrecking-yard 5-spd tranny and a weekend of labor, I'd do it shortly and provide a full report.

[westyd]

the tranny from an aircooled vanagon is gears very well. i'm using one with my 1.9td conversion but even with out wish i'd have had this with the 1.6.

the shift linkage is the same you just have to change over the bellhousing and input shaft. it's very simple and you'll cruise way faster. i can easily go 110kph (70ish) without having the engine scream. they shouldn't bee too hard to get from a van that is being wrecked.

this is much simple that having to change the motor mount in the '82 to fit the 5 speed. in '83 the engine was moved back a few cm's to make room for the 5speed. you either need '83 carrier bars or to modify yours.

hope this helps

martin

[VancouverVan]

So Martin, let me be sure I understand -

the tranny from an aircooled '82 vanagon bolts right in, with the same mounts and linkage and CVs and everything, if I just use my 1.6d's bellhousing and my 4-speed's input shaft?

And I'll go 70 mph?

That would be deluxe, delightful, and inexpensive.

**
I've been using my rebuilt 1.6D Westfalia, an 82, as a daily driver and pushing it hard. It'll do about 56, 58 on a flat road, engine wound tight. It'll do about 63 down hill, wound too tight - the tranny seems to me to be the limiting factor, for sure.

So where does one find an air-cooled 82's tranny?

[69 doublecab]

What you need is a tranny from an 80, 81 or 82 air-cooled. That's what I'm running now with a 1.6NA. I use my bus as a contractor's work vehicle and it's usually pretty heavy, 5000 + or -, but sometimes, if the wind is bad out here on the plains, it will not pull 4th gear on the flat. Goes nice when I turn around, though!
AND, my trans has a slightly lower 4th gear. When I rebuilt it, I put in a 3rd and 4th from a 1979 trans. The ratio on the 4th is .85 instead of .82. Barely enough to make any difference, but with this few horsepower, ANYTHING helps!
This trans does NOT make hills any easier to live with, and 1st and especially reverse are really high.
a 5 speed is really the answer. I have one, but not ALL the other parts needed to put one in.
In 83, they moved the engine back about 1-3/4 inches. they changed almost everything to make it fit. Motormounts, oil fill dipstick, hoses, cold start cable, I think even the throttle cable.
I've also got a 1.6 turbo Quantum motor I've considered putting in. This might handle the 4 speed pretty good.
Cruising top speed, I can almost always get 65 and the really nice thing is, I can carry on a conversation with the person in the right seat. I've had this diesel Vanagon since 91 and only now will my wife willingly ride in it!
with the load out and no wind or a tail wind, it will cruise over 70.
When it won't pull 4th, I just drive in 3rd. Heck, that's 54 or 55 and no more wound out than the original trans at 65! Just go 54!
Not the perfect answer, but better for me.
Al
69 doublecab

[VancouverVan]

Was seeking an injector pump and came across an '82 air-cooled tranny for $125, and, optimistically assuming the pump solves my engine troubles, thought I'd revisit this topic.

If I understood Martin's post correctly, the air-cooled '82's tranny will bolt right in. Meaning, no fabrication or conversions needed for the tranny mounts, axle shafts, CVs, boots, shifter, clutch...just swap my 1.6D belllhousing and my Diesel tranny input shaft...and viola! I can rock down the road at a breackneck....65 mph.

So, if Martin or another veteran could weigh in, I'd be pretty tempted to try this out....

How difficult is it to swap the input shafts?

[hoyt]

Find out which tranny they are selling. There are a number of
different ones out there.

Take a look at:

http://volksweb.relitech.com/helmut/GEARBOX.HTM

I found a 091 DK tranny that I will be purchasing and placing
in my '82 Vanagon when I install the turbo I just got
off of E-bay.

[VancouverVan]

A fine source of info, that table.

The tranny I was after already sold; I'll likely sit tight awhile and get the motor dialed in. I'm secretly looking at swapping for a gas Van; the Diesel's interesting, and playing w/ biodiesel might be fun, but...

I'm curious about my own tranny; I don't recall the number on it but when I had the van apart, I remember not being able to find any info on the thing, at all. But I didn't have so thorough a source....

thanks....

[srivett]

Here's a post on putting in a 1.9TD and changing the Ring/Pinion gears of the tranmission. He gives RPM/speed values, mileage, etc. I guess 78 MPH @ 4000 RPM is okay for a VW but my Ford E150 would dust you guys all the way to the nearest gas station.

http://cs-www.cs.yale.edu/homes/jag/vw/ ... lanca.html

Steve

[VanVan]

Howdy - saw another post on here about tranny swaps, and thought I'd move this 2-year-old conversation back to the top....

I'm feeling like a project and started looking for a tranny...has anyone else tried this in the last couple years?

[stopping]

I modifiied the nose mount to fit an 87 wb tranny but the hightis different from stock and this changes the oil level reading on the dipstick. Niether thing is such a big deal though.

My question is ......don't you think your fuel economy is going to suck? My thought is, that engine needs to rev in order to get the torque required to push the van on the highway. I don't think you'll be doing yourself any favors by swaping the ratios.... let it rev!

[libbybapa]

Let it rev until it blows up, then replace it with an engine that can give you a modicum of performance.

Andrew

[grampatom]

I recently found a DK transmission from junked vehicle and replaced the DX that I had been using with 1.9 NA in '82 vanagon. Huge improvement. former top end was 63. Now a bit above 70, and 65n feels relaxed. A bit slower to get there, but not too bad.

No trouble at all to install it. I'm getting better mileage, judging buy the slower sinking of the gas guage needle.

gramp