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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)


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