Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2015 22:17:11 +0000
Reply-To: Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Todd Last <rubatoguy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: regearing a manual trans
In-Reply-To: <55E9D751.2030801@cox.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
I had an SA 5 speed installed in my 2WD Westy and had 5th gear changed. As you state, in the VW 5 speeds, 5th is geared the same as the VW 4 speeds. Anyway, I went with a numerically lower 5th, and it makes hiway driving much nicer. About a 1mpg change in mileage overall. Did not change the R+P gearing. I would have also added a quaife diff had they been available, but since they were not, I added a syncro locking diff. Overall a nice combination, but not cheap.
Todd
'88 Westy
----- Original Message -----
From: "vw_van_fan_Mark" <madvws@COX.NET>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Friday, September 4, 2015 10:39:29 AM
Subject: Re: regearing a manual trans
I agree, the 5 speed has closer spacing and can let you drop down a gear
under load without having to lower the road speed much if at all. So it
can be better for pulling grades without needing to cower in the right
lane with the engine screaming. Most people envision the 5th gear as on
top of the existing 4 but that isn't what VW built. People usually
desire a 5 spd because they think they want a much taller top gear but
to get even close to that you need to pick a European 5 spd with a
taller r&p or you have to regear a USA/CA one such as yours.
Mark
Don Hanson wrote:
> Yes, the original message was about raising the gear ratios..the one I
> replied on was "no real advantage with a 5sp" I don't have numbers but I
> do seem to have similar final drive as a standard wbx. The splits between
> gears are remarkably well-spaced. I've had VW vans with a 4 sp... Old
> aircooled....they had a large "hole" in the gearing...mostly between 3 and
> 4, where 4th is painfully slow, lugging...you just had to wait to
> downshift, and your momentum is lost...with that extra gear it is not.
> That big, in my book, given we're trying to keep a lot of weight moving
> with pretty small motors
>> On Sep 4, 2015 9:03 AM, "vw_van_fan_Mark" <madvws@cox.net> wrote:
>>
>> Don doesn't have taller gearing though. His USA model 5 speed is from a
>> 1983 1.6 NA diesel van, with a 5.43 r&p. The .77 5th ratio combines with
>> that to have nearly identical 5th gearing as 4th in the wbx 4 speed.
>>
>> His 1st gear starts off shorter than the wbx 1st and combined with his
>> short 5.43 makes for a 1st that is too low for some people in daily
>> driving so they start off in 2nd a lot.
>>
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> Dennis Haynes wrote:
>>
>>> Having the ABA motor you really can’t compare the gearing to one with a
>>> Waterboxer. The Waterboxer is a short stroke engine developing horsepower
>>> at higher speeds and more designed to operate at higher speeds for longer
>>> periods of time. Yes the inline has a higher redline (benefit of the
>>> overhead cam) but at any given speed the pistons are actually traveling
>>> further with the increased stroke. Except for the probable increase in NOx
>>> emissions your motor seems to benefit from the taller gearing. The stock
>>> Waterboxers usually do not.
>>>
>>> Dennis
>>>
>>>
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