TheSamba.com :: View topic - Help with trans

Sat Aug 04, 2007 2:54 pm

O.K. - I just tried to mount my trans and it won't fit.
I'm putting a grb trans from an early bus into a '64
pan. The rear trans mounts bolt up fine. Put the front
one that the connects the nose cone is way off. I'm sure
the problem that I'm having is because of the difference
in years. Is there an adaptor or do I need to cut the steel
bracket free from the chassis and reweld it?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Sat Aug 04, 2007 3:39 pm

If by "grb" you're referring to an early split bus reduction box, I always thought they were pretty much identical to type 1 swingaxle.

Is there any chance that it's fouling on the front nose cone mount? I know they are different because I always use early bus mounts on my buggies rather than the beetle ones because they are smaller and don't go begging to be hit by a rock.

Sat Aug 04, 2007 4:24 pm

Yes, I do mean gear reduction boxes. I'm using the mount
that is on the right side of your picture. It bolts up to the
trans correctly or it will bolt to the body correctly, but it
won't do both at the same time.

If I center the shifter shaft in the hole that it goes into, the
bolts on the body are about an inch to low to fit into the mount.
Its almost like the mount isn't long enough, or the bracket isn't
high enough. I'm thinking that I'm gonna have to cut the bracket
off of the body and reposition/reweld it. Unless there is an adaptor
for this situation.

I'm sure I'm not the first person to run into this problem. I'm hoping
that there is an easy fix.

Sat Aug 04, 2007 5:22 pm

You need to get a transmission nose cone and hockey stick from a 61 and up Beetle, Ghia, or Type III. Swap that out for the Bus nose cone and you're in business.

John

Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:46 pm

O.K. John - Pretend that I have no idea what you're
talking about :oops: . What's a hockey stick?

Sat Aug 04, 2007 8:55 pm

GetPsycho take your grb trans and turn it up so that the shifter conect rod is pointing to the sky, trans sitting on the bellhousing with the input shaft pointing straight into the ground.

Remove the bolts the hold the very front nose cone to the trans, (The part that the mount is cast into and the shifter shaft goes through). remove this nose cone and the "hockey stick" will fall out. The "hockey stick" is the shifter shaft that sticks through the nose cone. Once you remove the nose cone it will be clear to you why it is called a "hockey stick".

Replace the nose cone and the hockey stick with one from a beetle trans and you will be in business.

Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:06 pm

That sounds like a real pita :? , maybe I will just cut and
reweld the bracket. Or is there some reason that I shouldn't?

Sat Aug 04, 2007 9:46 pm

It is not hard. I had to switch mine last week because the front mount was for a 76 and I needed the earlier mount. It took about 10 minutes, 6 paper towels and a small tube of silicone for insurance.

I am a experienced welder, but I could not have cut and fitted, and rewelded the mount that fast.

If you have a beetle trans, go that route.

Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:27 am

Wow I was doing mine last night I was putting it off but after destroying my throw out bearing I figured what the heck it's now or never. here is what I had to deal with.

Sun Aug 05, 2007 7:34 pm

Thanks for all the help guys. I remembered that I had
an old tran case from a sandrail that I sold. It was just
sittin' around taking up space, so I snatched the cone
and hockey stick off it ( you're right, now I know why
they call it a hockey stick). Painted & installed it.

8) Problem Solved 8)