Hello, What I would recommend instead of changing the gear ratios is to change the ring and pinion from the diesel 5.86 to a gas powered 4.86 or even 4.57. The final drive on the diesel powered Vanagons was so high because you had 50 rip-snortin' hp coming on strong somewhere around 2000 rpm. You need all the grunt that that underpowered diesel could produce just to get the Van, esp. in full combat Westy gear, away from the stop sign. To maximize where the power was available in the rpm range VW installed that killer 5.86 set. First through fourth ratios are the same between gas and diesel so I think a ring and pinion swap would be the best way to change the final drive. The shift throws between the gears are just about optimal with a small fudge factor and if you radically change one gear then all the others will be affected. You'd have to strip the trans down just as far to do a gear swap as you would a ring and pinion swap so the labor would be the same. -Todd Hill VolksWerks Transaxles Olympia, WA 360-412-0948 |
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