Date:         Wed, 12 Jul 2000 09:47:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max/Joyce Wellhouse <maxjoyce@ipa.net>
Subject:      Weddle Tranny rebuild report
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Dear Listees:  After 6 months of driving the Millennium Falcon III with no
third gear due to the slider hub cracking and locking up everytime I'd use
3rd gear, I had saved enough money for a rebuilt tranny.  Daryl at AA wanted
$800 for a core charge so if I wanted to keep my old tranny, that pretty
well killed that deal.  Weddle eng. only wanted $400 for the core and
prepared the unit in about 10 days time.  I had them put a 4.57 r/p in it
and the .77 4th gear. Total bill was about $1500(decided to send the tranny
back and get the $400 knocked off my Visa).  also bought the red line mtl
and a short shift kit(yet to be installed) from them and I recommend that if
you don't want to pay the $50 min. charge by going directly through Gene
Berg ent. since the shift kit is only $20 and Berg sells little else for the
Vanagon.

OBSERVATIONS:  At a true 70 mph, the engine is spinning a whopping 3400 rpm
now.  The vacuum gauge reads lower due to the increased load, but the mpg
hasn't been affected that I can tell(may have gone up a little now that I
don't have to double shift from 2nd - 4th all the time!).  There's a 14-1600
rpm drop-off from 3-4 now, but the 4.57 now allows me to pass the blue hairs
going 50 mph on a winding 2 lane road by dropping it into 3rd gear and
stopping on it.  My engine is tired at 151k and the compression is getting
pretty low, so climbing long grades with this r/p and .77 4th is yet to be
experienced and will prolly suffer some.  The long range plan is to drop a
2.3 or 2.5 5 cyl in there  and that will solve the power issue.  Haven't
ruled out a TDI either.  Baby needs torque!!  Very satisfied customer here
and would recommend them to all.  Almost bought one of the $1400 new trannys
from Bus Depot, but really wanted the ratio change.

Dimwitted Moose and Flying Squirrel  90 GL  151k.  daily driver  AR
Tranny is quiet as a mouse, shifts like a dream