Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 10:27:25 +1200
Reply-To: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: 5speed trans for 91 Vanagon
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Patrick
The Vanagon was offered with a 5-speed 094 (a variant of the 4-speed
091/1), and most of the Australian-market vehicles were so equipped, I
believe, as was mine. For some reason, I'm told by Paul Guard of Paul Guard
Transmissions in Hawaii, the 094 was recalled and replaced by 091/1s in the
States. Why, who knows?
The 094's ratios are such that first is a crawler gear and not really of
use in day-to-day driving. Unless you have a vertical driveway. I don't
know what the gear ratios were, as the wretched Bentley manual wisely
leaves out all specifications; what a dogbreath book. Anyway, they will
work with the Subaru engine (I assume you're talking about a Legacy EJ22),
but will mean poor economy and lowish top speed due to the low overall
gearing. Ideally you would gear it up with taller aftermarket gears and
mainshaft. There are aftermarket gears available; Paul can supply
ultrastrong Elephant gears in a choice of ratios, enabling conversion from
effectively a 4-speed-plus-low to a proper 5-speed, but they're not cheap.
I used them in an 091 to run a 3.5liter Toyota V8 in my Bay Window, after
it trashed the original 1800 trans. According to Paul the differential
ratios were a choice of 4.57, 4.83 or 4.86; avoid any trans carrying the
weak 4.83 diff. For a repower the 4.57 is the obvious choice, given that it
is taller.
Paul can be e-mailed at <gears@gte.net>. He's now dealing in Porsche trans
repair/modification, having switched from VW, but knows VW transmissions
inside-out and can still get you the parts. If you have questions, ask him.
The 094 also has an odd shift-pattern; first is behind reverse, in the same
plane. Very awkward. I believe the Porsche 915 I'm replacing my 094 with
has the same pattern...
As to finding a trans, you may have to import one from eg Australia (or buy
mine! Nah, mine has shot gears and I want to hang onto it). Or try to find
out from VW of America where all those recalled boxes went! There may be a
warehouse full of 094s somewhere, available for cost of shipping.
For reliability the best option would be to fit a Porsche 915 trans, as I'm
doing; they're not that expensive, and the VW CVs bolt right up (axle
lengths will probably be wrong, though)...I'm trying to get info on this
swap from a couple of outfits in Germany that Projektzwo recommended to me.
Please let me know if you come across any SVX wrecks with engine
electronics intact, as I need these to get mine running. I need: management
computer & harness, ignitor, fuelpump relay, ignition relay, main wiring
harness, trans computer (if automatic; manual SVXs were RARE).
Andrew
| 
