Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 13:52:20 -0700
Reply-To: Ben <syncro@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Ben <syncro@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Tranny rebuild/82 air-cooled
In-Reply-To: <CAF9Ro-aB4uePfw53bb29EiW5DdNj2UoPMxy5pfr8ZAw-CkEJ0A@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
If you are in Southern California, you can go to Weddle transaxle or Rancho transaxle as an alternative.
BenT
sent from my transmission case
> On Jul 23, 2014, at 1:31 PM, Vincent Dow <ianvincentdow@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> Hiya Jim,
>
> Aye, I don't know if my 82 aircooled trans is rebuildable at all. As I said
> in my post, I've been driving it for five years since the first time it
> popped out of 4th on highway. I figured out that letting off the gas in 4th
> gear was what caused it to *pop* out so I don't do that. It has maybe
> popped out 5X in the last five years. I don't take it on highway that much,
> except a few drives down to NYC (400 miles) and one round trip to Nova
> Scotia (1,200 miles)
>
> (someone on this site told me that I may have permanently damaged the case
> by piling on the miles in its present condition)
>
> I wish I had the van back in L.A. to do this project... In Montreal I have
> no place to lay it up, whereas in Hollywood I have a big driveway, shade,
> tools... and another car to get around.
>
> Modifying engine mount and shiftter/linkage scares me... My van is nice,
> but it's not like super-slick. Kind of an old-school workhorse. I'm
> inclining to a rebuilt air-cooled trans from AA in Seattle. From his site
> he appears to have them ready to ship. So it's grip-and-go as we say in
> studio parlance.
>
> As an aside, California DMV is now insisting that I bring the van in to
> pass smog - for the last five years I've been getting away with filing a
> STATEMENT OF FACT form in place of a smog certificate... I promise not to
> drive it in CA and they give me tags. But that loophole has closed. Either
> I change my residence to Quebec where I'm mostly staying now, or register
> in South dakota and stay off-grid.
>
> This is a lot to consider... The van may be off-line for quite awhile if I
> go to 83 or later transaxle.
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 23, 2014 at 3:40 PM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) <
> scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>
>> no one commented so far it appears.
>>
>> first issue is your trans even rebuildable at all.
>> next issue is shortage of cores.
>>
>> it's a 'minor conversion' but you'd be miles ahead to convert to the 83
>> and later 2WD transaxle and shift linkage..
>> ( from the shift knob all the way back )
>>
>> if your DK trans is in it's stock lacation, it actually sits 2 inches
>> further forward than the 83 and later trans ..so some modification to
>> engine mounting, or whatever.
>>
>> start considering that , upgrade to 83 and later trans, either the common
>> 4 speed, or the oddball and rare 5 speed ( it's not a normal close ratio 5
>> speed, but it does have an extra low 1st that you try not to use, and nice
>> gearing for highway in top gear. )
>> Scott
>> On 7/23/2014 7:07 AM, Vincent Dow wrote:
>>
>> Howdy ramblers,
>> (this is my first ever original thread on here)
>>
>> I'm writing from Montreal, Que, though I'm officially based in Los Angeles
>> CA.
>>
>> I'm finally ready to undertake rebuilding the trans on my 82 westfalia
>> (originally air-cooled - now powered by 1995 subaru EJ22.)
>>
>> I didn't have the money for a long time. Finally I got it together. When I
>> reached out to find the legendary transaxle rebuilder up here (M. Laval) I
>> learned that he was tragically killed by a vanagon fallen on him. Such a
>> bummer. I spoke to him on the phone back in 2010. Nice guy. Very well-liked
>> in the community.
>>
>> I don't know of any other highly reccomended rebuilders up in this part of
>> North America.
>>
>> I'd appreciate any advice on this project. I want to get it right. I'm
>> keeping this van. I've been driving it with a bungie-cord to hold it in 4th
>> for years now. I've probably done 8,000 miles like that. Only recently I
>> learned that I may have (probably have) wasted the case by force-holding it
>> in 4th gear.
>>
>> If anyone has insight they can share, websites that help plan it,
>> recomended parts, gear ratios etc, please let me know.
>> All the best,
>> Vinnie
>>
>>
>>
>>
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