Date: Sun, 2 Apr 1995 21:26:30 -0400
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: KevinM9696@aol.com
Subject: TransAxle Goes -long- (was Transaxle Woes)
The Final Episode:
Woke up this morning motivated, perhaps it was the Jalapenos last
night, or maybe it was just the company. In either case I got up at the
crack of Noon as Tom Waits would say (and thank you Martha I had
forgotten to set the clocks) and traipsed outside to ponder Busters
Dilemma.
For those of you who may be tuning in mid-crisis, or are perhaps still
trying to figure out my ramblings from previous posts I am/was in the
process of grafting a later model type 091 manual tranny to my semi-
old 1972 Westiephony BusToVanagain.
It was time, Jumping out of fourth gear was an understatement as it
had gotten to the point of reaching for the Bungie cord each time I
came out of third gear. My daughter and I played games to see who
could get their bungie cord around the shifter first while driving her
to school in the morning, I would try to cheat, but she would still win
as she had my shift points memorized down to the last detail...
I actually got the tranny installed a few days ago, but bad weather and
a mild stomach flu kept me inside till Friday afternoon when I pulled
Buster off the blocks and tried to trim the shifter-plate adjustment.
I had no success, either I could get 1st and 3rd, or 2nd, 4th & sometimes
reverse, but not all of them all of the time (sic.. Mr. Guthrie!).
I pondered the known physical differences `tween the 002 tranny (68-74) and
the 091 (75- ?) and the following list unofficially developed:
1. While the boltup pattern is close, the nose mount needs to be lowered
approx .025" as the shift rod protrudes .025" higher on the later model 091
gearshift housing. (No biggie, rear support is adjustable, while you are at
it, add a pair of 021-110-1089 damper bushings to the existing rubber mount
bracket. They came on the later model busses and tend to help dampen sound
transfer a bit more than without... all of $4.50)
2. The BellHousing on the 091 measures 4 14/16" deep while the 002 is an even
5"
3. The Transmission Housing dimensions are the same although the 091 uses
bolts to mount the clutch cable guide bracket while the 002 uses a pair of
short studs.
4. The Gear Carrier on the 091 measures 2 12/16" deep while the 002 comes in
at 2 08/16.
5. The Gearshift Housing measurements are the same at 5 12/16
6. The ShiftRod as it protrudes from the Gearshaft Housings extends
1 09/16 with a 1/4" hole taper drilled 1 05/16 from the rear (towards
engine) of the shaft. The 091 had a tapered ShiftRod, the 002 did not.
My math sucks, but I figured 6/16 (3/8") difference between the two
trannies, the older 002 being a bit longer.
CONCLUSION: Not a hell of a lot of difference, but perhaps enough to
restrict full travel of the front shift rod/cup and the ShiftRod linkage
ittself.
OPTIONS:
A) Lengthen the linkage 3/8" between the shifter & tranny....
B) Attempt to swap the Bellhousing, reducing the diff to 1/4"....?
C) Chop the Bus in half & remove 3/8", reweld and pray it works...
I was tempted to try option B only because the other MAJOR difference
between the 091 & the 002 is the starter. The depth of the starter cage is
considerably more on the 091 which left my recently purchased Bosch
spinning like a pinwheel in the breeze. Hence the 79.98 new/rebuilt...
Option "A"
About 26" South from where the shifter bolts down onto the buses floorboard,
and directly underneath the center of the bus is a section
of the long shifter rod that connects the shifter and the transmission.
Trace the linkage as it comes out of the linkage/cup cage and soon you
will see a coupling collar with a safety wired set screw holding the 2
pieces together. This is our savior point. If you remove all the road grunge
from around the collar you will expose a section of shaft which
if gingerly handled can be retapped with the set screw facing straight up
into its new hole exactly 3/8" South on the Southern Shaft. This done I
extricated myself from Buster's underregions ( & wiped the drill bit shavings
from my left eye) and hopped in the drivers seat.
Snick, First gear
Snick, Second gear (a huge grin, holding back a whoop)
Snick, Third gear
Snick,Fourth gear
pause
Up to neutral, Ummmfg (down) left and back...not a snick, but a nice
solid unkkkk into reverse.
I'm whooping, neighbors are shuttling their kids inside, the cats all
scattter, the wife looks at me like she's wondering if I found Diego's
Gold and all of a sudden I realize that thats just the dry run. My lips
get dry and the smell of Jalapenos fills the bus as I turn over the engine
and floor the clutch and gently slide into first.
Magik. I'm off on a whirlwind tour of the neighborhood shifting thru
gears faster than a trucker off from a greenlight. I stop by the store and
pick up a bag of chips and a soda.. The acid test, until today I have not
been able to do anything other than bungie/unbungie and grab a quick
swig of coffee unable to let go of the shifter for more than a split second
before having to grab it again... On the road again, and I'm munching
and humming, munching and humming.
Tomorrow. without telling my daughter I fixed the tranny, I'll bet her
dishes for a week that I can guess the number of times we'll need to bungie
the bus on the way to school.... ; )
Kevin Murray -FEETSFirst Films
1965 SingleCab (FS 3000.00 obo)
1967 Panel Bus (FS 400.00 obo)
1969 Beetle
1969 Beetle
1972 Busto-Westie
1974 412 Station Wagon
1976 Rabbit LS (FS 300.00 obo)