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Date:         Wed, 15 Aug 2001 16:22:54 -0700
Reply-To:     Dan Snow <dieselvanagon@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dan Snow <dieselvanagon@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Will (Audi) Porsche transaxle fit in Vanagon?
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

In my own daydreams I build a Beck Spyder, which is a replica of the Porsche 550 Spyder. The 550 is mid-engined, rather than rear-engined like the donor beetle. A lot of builders of these cars take a VW or Porsche tranny and flip the ring and pinion so that the transmission can be turned around and the engine ends up in the middle, where Ferdinand Porsche intended it to be (don't flame me--the first two porsches were mid-engined, but it was too expensive to continue becasue it required too much modification of the kubelwagen and beetle components). This flipped ring and pinion is, to my knowledge, the only substantive difference between the Porsche 914 tranny and the 911 tranny.

Anyhoo... I wonder if someone out there with Audi experience could tell us whether this is possible with the Audi transmisions. Audi drivelines have the opposite problem--they are laid out perfectly for a mid-engine application but backwards for a rear-engine one. Obviously a quattro tranny wouldn't work, but I hafta believe that a 5000cs turbo (FWD) tranny could handle anything you can throw at it within reason. As you probably know, audi engines are mounted longitudinally, and Audi transaxles sure look like Porsche/VW transaxles (if I recall correctly, the first Porsche 924 trannies were an Audi part. Just that a big tube and output shaft separated the engine and tranny). And if the ring/pinion is easy to flip, why not leave the tranny connected with a nice Audi 4, 5, 6, or 8 that would fit under a modified engine cover? I bet the whole unit from a 5000 CS turbo would cost less than the Porche tranny by itself.

Daniel Snow PhD Student UC Berkeley

'82 Vanagon Diesel '78 Puch Maxi Luxe Moped '72 Motobecane Mobylette Moped '01 Xootr Scooter

>From: "Moritz, Thomas W NWW" <Thomas.W.Moritz@NWW01.USACE.ARMY.MIL> >Reply-To: "Moritz, Thomas W NWW" <Thomas.W.Moritz@NWW01.USACE.ARMY.MIL> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: Will Porsche transaxle fit in Vanagon? >Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2001 13:15:33 -0700 > >Okay folks. I would really like to modify a Westy so I could confidently >tow >a one-ton load. It looks like I can "super size" the disc brakes, at the >same time add vented rotors, maybe change the rear brakes to discs too and >add an adjustable proportioning valve, and then cram in an SVX engine for >power, so the weakest link would be the tranny. > >With all the discussion recently regarding the wear and tear the Subaru SVX >engine will put on the stock VW transaxle I've been wondering if a Porsche >901, 905, 930, or G50 transaxle will physically fit in the Vanagon? If so, >does somebody machine an adapter to go between the SVX engine and the >Porsche tranny? > >*blink blink* I must be day dreaming again! > >Thanks, > >Tom Moritz

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