Best mod.... new gearbox

[fallingoffalot]

Just had a new gearbox fitted and it is a massive improvement. The box is a "freeway flyer" from John Walklate with the taller ratio. Drives extremely well on the motorway. It's cruising at about 70 with about 3800 rpm (I think, the needle on my rev counter has started jumping about for some reason). From a dyno run I did a few years ago, that speed was 4100 rpm on a standard box. The 1776 works really well with the ratios and there was no shifting required even on slight up-hills on the motorway. In fact I spent more time than ever in the middle lane!!

Many thanks to Graham Lyle for sorting & fitting (and fixing my cooling fan) even though he was recovering from covid!!

 

[Journey]

That's good news, quite an improvement. Enjoy!

 

[mike202]

Makes motorway cruising a lot better having a taller fourth gear and bigger engine

 

[naskeet]

Just had a new gearbox fitted and it is a massive improvement. The box is a "freeway flyer" from John Walklate with the taller ratio. Drives extremely well on the motorway. It's cruising at about 70 with about 3800 rpm (I think, the needle on my rev counter has started jumping about for some reason). From a dyno run I did a few years ago, that speed was 4100 rpm on a standard box. The 1776 works really well with the ratios and there was no shifting required even on slight up-hills on the motorway. In fact I spent more time than ever in the middle lane!!

Many thanks to Graham Lyle for sorting & fitting (and fixing my cooling fan) even though he was recovering from covid!!

So, what are your 4th gear ratio, final-drive ratio and front & rear tyre sizes?

 

[naskeet]

I have a factory-standard, 1974~75 VW 1800 Type 2 transaxle, to go with my 1911 cm³ displacement, modified VW 412LE, VW 17/1800 Type 4 style air-cooled engine, but I shall probably be fitting 215/65 R16C tyres to my 7 x 16 inch Mercedes C-Class alloy wheels (37 mm offset), to give overall engine gearing equivalent to a 1976~79 VW 2000 Type 2 transaxle & 185/80 R14C tyres on factory-standard 5½ x 14 inch steel wheels (39 mm offset).

 

[fallingoffalot]

So, what are your 4th gear ratio, final-drive ratio and front & rear tyre sizes?

Not too sure, it's a 4.57 R&P. 14C van tyres on the rear, on the front are 185/65 4x4 tyres.

 

[Tofufi]

Totally agree.

There was night and day difference when I converted my bus to a 5 speed from the standard 3rib.

Mine now does 3500rpm at 70mph which makes much more comfortable on motorways. It is markedly quieter than it used to be when plodding along at 55mph too.

 

[slowmo]

Dropped my gearbox off Saturday for a rebuild and a 0.82 4th. Hoping for a massive improvement.

 

[K@rlos]

My 091 is currently at cogbox having a full rebuild upgrade. Picking it up tomorrow

 

[naskeet]

Dropped my gearbox off Saturday for a rebuild and a 0.82 4th. Hoping for a massive improvement.

To the best of my knowledge, the 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2 & 1972~73 VW 1700 Type 2 transaxles, already have a 0•82 ratio 4th gear, whilst the 1974~75 VW 1800 Type 2 & 1976~79 VW 2000 Type 2 transaxles, have a 0•89 ratio 4th gear, which is closer to 3rd gear. However, the 1974~75 VW 1800 Type 2 & 1976~79 VW 2000 Type 2 transaxles have numerically smaller final-drive ratios than that of the 1968~79 VW 1600 Type 2 & 1972~73 VW 1700 Type 2 transaxles.

At a given road speed (with the same tyre size) in 4th gear, a 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 transaxle gives virtually the same engine RPM as a 1974~75 VW 1800 Type 2 transaxle. However, a 1976~79 VW 2000 Type 2 transaxle would give about 5% lower RPM.

 

[naskeet]

Not too sure, it's a 4.57 R&P. 14C van tyres on the rear, on the front are 185/65 4x4 tyres.

According to my calculations, your front 185/65 R14 tyres [298•0 mm external radius] and rear 185/80 R14C tyres [325•8 mm external radius] differ in external radius by an astronomical 27•8 mm (i.e. 1•1 inches) or 8•5%. Because the 185/65 R14 tyres on your front wheels are of VERY MUCH smaller external radius than the factory-standard tyres, your speedometer will be reading VERY MUCH higher than it would have done for a given true speed, than it would have done had it still had the factory-standard 185/80 R14C tyres on the front wheels.

What is the load index of your 185/65 4x4 tyres and at what specified inflation pressure as indicated on the tyre sidewall; which is not necessarily the maximum permitted inflation pressure?

What spare wheel & tyre combination will you use if you sustain a damaged tyre and/or wheel!?!

Having 65-Series tyres on the front and 80-Series tyres on the rear will probably increase OVER-STEER significantly!

On the assumption that classic-car speedometers, typically read about 5% high on average when a vehicle is fitted with factory-standard tyres, your speedometer which is driven by the left-hand front wheel, is likely to be reading illegally high, unless you have had your speedometer recalibrated to compensate.

 

[fallingoffalot]

According to my calculations, your front 185/65 R14 tyres [298•0 mm external radius] and rear 185/80 R14C tyres [325•8 mm external radius] differ in external radius by an astronomical 27•8 mm (i.e. 1•1 inches) or 8•5%. Because the 185/65 R14 tyres on your front wheels are of VERY MUCH smaller external radius than the factory-standard tyres, your speedometer will be reading VERY MUCH higher than it would have done for a given true speed, than it would have done had it still had the factory-standard 185/80 R14C tyres on the front wheels.

What is the load index of your 185/65 4x4 tyres and at what specified inflation pressure as indicated on the tyre sidewall; which is not necessarily the maximum permitted inflation pressure?

What spare wheel & tyre combination will you use if you sustain a damaged tyre and/or wheel!?!

Having 65-Series tyres on the front and 80-Series tyres on the rear will probably increase OVER-STEER significantly!

On the assumption that classic-car speedometers, typically read about 5% high on average when a vehicle is fitted with factory-standard tyres, your speedometer which is driven by the left-hand front wheel, is likely to be reading illegally high, unless you have had your speedometer recalibrated to compensate.

Huh, yeah, I guess, but I'm so scared now I'm not going to answer more questions.

 

[ozziedog]

Recalibrate your Speedo, very simples in a basic way. Go for a drive with your favourite navigator and use a sat nab which are much more accurate than anything cable driven anyhow. When you hit twenty miles per hour as informed by the sat nav, tell your navigator your Speedo speed reading and navigator can jot it down on a pre prepared pad. Same again at thirty and forty and fifty then keep going and going and going and eventually at sixty do the same thing again. Pull over and deface your Speedo with permanent marker pen with a dot at each of those or get a blank white sticker / label and slice one eighth of an inch strips off of it with some scissors and pop those on the face just so that you have some instant reference, two pen dots on the twenty, three on the next etc etc, replace every year or so as a consumable. When someone describes our ancient speedos as averaging five percent high on average, the rest of us call that hopeful or maybe wishful thinking With the spare wheel situation, I’m guessing that most of us adopt the modern approach and use the smallest wheel as a get you home spare as per most modern space savers on newer cars, however if you’ve done this, it might be worth trying it on each of the rear corners and going around the block just to make sure that nothing stupid happens , only because you’re a tad lowered already and that may lower the rear toooo much. I’ve got my van raised a tad over stock now with some reasonably accomplished looking tyres on there and I’m loving the look but my spare is a wide five steely with a little skinny tyre on it from back in the day when I ran it lowered. I think as a spare it should work as a get you home type thing alla the moderno spacey saver but will look a little ridiculous alla the moderno spacey saver. And just go steady with that oversteer as you exit that Nurburgring

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, but commercial tyres for the win

 

[fallingoffalot]

Recalibrate your Speedo, very simples in a basic way. Go for a drive with your favourite navigator and use a sat nab which are much more accurate than anything cable driven anyhow. When you hit twenty miles per hour as informed by the sat nav, tell your navigator your Speedo speed reading and navigator can jot it down on a pre prepared pad. Same again at thirty and forty and fifty then keep going and going and going and eventually at sixty do the same thing again. Pull over and deface your Speedo with permanent marker pen with a dot at each of those or get a blank white sticker / label and slice one eighth of an inch strips off of it with some scissors and pop those on the face just so that you have some instant reference, two pen dots on the twenty, three on the next etc etc, replace every year or so as a consumable. When someone describes our ancient speedos as averaging five percent high on average, the rest of us call that hopeful or maybe wishful thinking With the spare wheel situation, I’m guessing that most of us adopt the modern approach and use the smallest wheel as a get you home spare as per most modern space savers on newer cars, however if you’ve done this, it might be worth trying it on each of the rear corners and going around the block just to make sure that nothing stupid happens , only because you’re a tad lowered already and that may lower the rear toooo much. I’ve got my van raised a tad over stock now with some reasonably accomplished looking tyres on there and I’m loving the look but my spare is a wide five steely with a little skinny tyre on it from back in the day when I ran it lowered. I think as a spare it should work as a get you home type thing alla the moderno spacey saver but will look a little ridiculous alla the moderno spacey saver. And just go steady with that oversteer as you exit that Nurburgring

Ozziedog,,,,,,,,, but commercial tyres for the win

My speedo reads a consistent 10% over, so not too worried. As far as the spare wheel is concerned I've got a front as a spare for obvious reasons, the radius of which is a TINY 0.55" less then the rear. So a bit like having a slightly flatter tyre.

 

[Clem]

Yeah. Use a phone or Sat nav if you require perfect speed reading.

My spare is a compromise that will ‘get me home’ it clears on the front and will cope on the back , it’s in the spirit of a space saver.

The load rating and pressure thing has been done to death. Modern low profile tyres are designed for vehicles way heavier than our buses but that do 100mph and can corner too.

I work in a risk environment. The incidence rate of reported cases of tyre failures due to being of an unoriginal size? Zero, IME. Low risk.

 

[K@rlos]

Yeah. Use a phone or Sat nav if you require perfect speed reading.

My spare is a compromise that will ‘get me home’ it clears on the front and will cope on the back , it’s in the spirit of a space saver.

The load rating and pressure thing has been done to death. Modern low profile tyres are designed for vehicles way heavier than our buses but that do 100mph and can corner too.

I work in a risk environment. The incidence rate of reported cases of tyre failures due to being of an unoriginal size? Zero, IME. Low risk.

Spot on Mike, people just don’t seem to grasp that bus isn’t actually that heavy and todays low profile tyres are more than suitable. I just nod and smile when they bleet on, as usual it’s the ill informed just regurgitating the bullshit they read online.

Same as twin carbs being troublesome, lowered buses ride bad and E10 makes your bus breakdown after you fill up

 

[naskeet]

Spot on Mike, people just don’t seem to grasp that bus isn’t actually that heavy and todays low profile tyres are more than suitable. I just nod and smile when they bleet on, as usual it’s the ill informed just regurgitating the bullshit they read online.

Same as twin carbs being troublesome, lowered buses ride bad and E10 makes your bus breakdown after you fill up

A fully-laden VW Type 2 Kombi weighs in at 2•3 tonnes with a 1•0 tonne rating at the front and 1•3 tonnes rating at the rear, as a static load. Under braking or cornering, there can be significant weight transfer on the front tyres, so they need to have a load rating well in excess of 500 kg each, to comply with the vehicle's “plated-weight” as shown on the embossed plate behind the driver’s seat, which also gives the chassis number and the Type number (Type 23-517 in the case of my Westfalia Continental, with elevating-roof aperture).

In general, tyres for the same wheel diameter and same tyre section width, tend to have a lower load rating correlating with a lower profile, unless they have additional reinforcement. It is never wise to assume that tyre factors always fit tyres of adequate load rating to one's vehicle, especially if they are being asked to fit non-standard tyres for that vehicle.

If tyres are not deemed to be of adequate load or speed rating (i.e. at least as much as the original factory-fitted tyres) for the vehicle, then the motor-insurance policy could be declared void and the owner-driver become personally liable for all claims, which under British motoring law is UNLIMITED LIABILITY!

I think the "troublesome reputation" of twin carburettors relates more to worn carburettors and/or people who do not know how to balance them correctly.

 

[pierrox]

In France, if your bus doesn't have the correct "reinforced tyre/light trucks", it will fail at the MOT.

 

[Clem]

When I insure my modified campervan, I have to detail all the modifications and this includes the wheels and tyres I have fitted. They approve the policy so no, the liability will not rest with me.

 

[K@rlos]

A fully-laden VW Type 2 Kombi weighs in at 2•3 tonnes with a 1•0 tonne rating at the front and 1•3 tonnes rating at the rear, as a static load. Under braking or cornering, there can be significant weight transfer on the front tyres, so they need to have a load rating well in excess of 500 kg each, to comply with the vehicle's “plated-weight” as shown on the embossed plate behind the driver’s seat, which also gives the chassis number and the Type number (Type 23-517 in the case of my Westfalia Continental, with elevating-roof aperture).

In general, tyres for the same wheel diameter and same tyre section width, tend to have a lower load rating correlating with a lower profile, unless they have additional reinforcement. It is never wise to assume that tyre factors always fit tyres of adequate load rating to one's vehicle, especially if they are being asked to fit non-standard tyres for that vehicle.

If tyres are not deemed to be of adequate load or speed rating (i.e. at least as much as the original factory-fitted tyres) for the vehicle, then the motor-insurance policy could be declared void and the owner-driver become personally liable for all claims, which under British motoring law is UNLIMITED LIABILITY!

I think the "troublesome reputation" of twin carburettors relates more to worn carburettors and/or people who do not know how to balance them correctly.

Is that a copy and paste job?