Date:         Sat, 29 Dec 2007 13:33:02 -0500
Reply-To:     Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@MAC.COM>
Subject:      Re: Any real automatic trans upgrade for vanagon?
Comments: To: pedro dos santos <pedrokrusher@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <652883.98034.qm@web52909.mail.re2.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed

With a 4.86 R&P an 0.70 4th gear will give you less than 3000 rpms at
100km/h with stock wheel/tires up to 215/75R15 wheel/tires.

4.86 R&P is (often) a stock size for 14" Syncro Vanagons.

But an 0.70 is AWFULLY steep for any engine but the the 6 cylinders
or maybe 1.9 TDI.

An 0.77 4th gear might be just above 3000 rpms (I think it was around
3200) with stock or slightly larger tires.

Again, though, you'd want an upgraded engine (Subaru, TDI) that has
good torque at low RPMs. A stock (tired) WBX probably won't cut it.

On Dec 29, 2007, at 1:09 PM, pedro dos santos wrote:

> Hi Scott
>
> when I sent a message yesterday to transaxle
> engineering, minutes later I received a message saying
> there was no mailbox... oh well. I'll gonna have to
> call next monday I guess.
>
> I am just not knowledgeable enough in the tranny
> department to understand all these gearing numbers. If
> someone can say that one of those gearings can obtain
> less than 3000RPM at 100km/h that would really great!
>
> And yes I do expect to pay in the 2k to 3k range to
> have what I want (porsche auto tranny still tempting).
>
> Pedro
>
> --- Scott Daniel - Shazam  <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hey, all right, thanks for posting the link.
>> The show a race winning 3 speed automatic transaxle.
>>
> http://www.transaxleengineering.com/automatic_trans.html
>>
>> not sure what they mean though....the mention ring
>> and pinions of 4.11,
>> 4.56, and 4.86 ...
>> 4.11 would be pretty high so that sounds good.
>> Then they say 'final drive ratio' from 2.60 to 8.80.
>> Not sure what to make of that.
>> Also, a nice racing transaxle like
>> that.................well, some people's
>> entire vanagon didn't cost them as much as one of
>> these transaxles costs
>> I'll bet. You are looking at something in the
>> thousands.     At least $
>> 2,500 , if not 3,500 is my guess, and more than
>> that.
>> Maybe that can do something stock-based that's got
>> the right gearing and not
>> all that expensive.
>>  But we'd sure have the gearing we'd like with that
>> box all right !
>> Scott
>> www.turbovans.com