TheSamba.com :: View topic - Converting a 2WD Westy into a Syncro Westy

Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:33 pm

any idea how many hours you've put in on this project so far?

Sat Jun 12, 2010 12:43 pm

RicoS wrote:
Once, when I had a joint....

Say no more :lol:

Just kidding I knew what you meant.

bmwmango:

NICE conversion!! wish I had the time/knowledge to take that on!

Sun Jun 13, 2010 6:14 am

Looks good.

I have used the 2wd shifter rod at the back just altered the angles so that the cup sat in the right place for the ball on the trans.

When fitting the gearbox, I've done it in 2 different ways. Drill holes for the mounts into the cross member and then either send bolts through from above so they point down, tack weld them inside the cross member (not fun!) and then use nuts or.. tack weld nuts inside the cross member as per factory (even less fun!).

Oh, the syncro has the bottom corners of the battery boxes altered to allow more clearance for the tyres.

Good to see someone over there converting 2WD to Syncro too :)

MG

Mon Jun 21, 2010 9:57 am

b SyncroGhia wrote:

Oh, the syncro has the bottom corners of the battery boxes altered to allow more clearance for the tyres.

Good to see someone over there converting 2WD to Syncro too :)

MG

There may be a few of us over here doing this in our garage :wink:

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Note everything that could be uninstalled from the van was sand blasted and powder coated 8) (i would recommend this vs the wire wheel. a lot of time is saved and its relatively inexpensive. a local place did all of it for $150. And they gave me a matching black in a rattle can for all the stuff i couldn't take off)

Ghia, you have me concerned about the battery box issue. Just looked at my van and the donor syncro and i can see what you are talking about. cant see it until you remove the 2wd evap crap, but the syncro battery box has the outermost corner flattened. will i need to modify the battery boxes? I plan on running oversized tires.. does this mean i have to fit smaller batteries?

Well, since iv now gone public.. lol
Just a few things to ponder on for those underway or considering this swap. at least things I have run into..

-It SUCKS. Im a former mechanic(gone service writer) and iv done more than a few swaps in my day. my latest was an 88 celica alltrac that i swapped a 94 jdm(st205) drivetrain into. This syncro project makes that look like an oil service
-Bmwmango's method of power steering crossmember transfer is very insightful. spent a few days scratching my head on this one until i found this thread. I made a mistake of leaving extra steel spotwelded to the crossmember for strength since i would be bolting this side to the outer ears of the 2wd rack i left in. I now have a Clearance issue with the ps gear and sway bar.. I either need to move the sway bar forward 1/4in or notch the ps pinion housing. not sure if he is having any clearance issues, but this method required the ps crossmember to be moved forward a little anyway. Im also worried the syncro steering shaft may be too long but i haven't installed it yet.
-There is a crossmember spot welded under the rear seat where the lower gas tank straps bolt to and the tank is pressed against once the straps are tightened. Very easy to weld in. NOT easy to remove from the syncro OR easy to remove all the excess metal so it can be welded in. Do yourself a favor and build your own. I wasted an entire day on this part. I already had the thing cut out before i realized this was a waste of time or else id have given up.
-I am also doing an svx conversion on the van at the same time as the syncro swap. stay away from the smallcar conversion kit. This is the one I bought and am less than impressed by the quality and engineering of the kit. Also the things they didn't include with the kit. Like one of the motor mounts.. power steering hose.. oil pan.. VERY unimpressed by the bell-housing kit. There are large bubbles in the aluminum casting, and the kit utilizes a vw internal type slave cyl/throwout bearing assym which requires removal of the transaxle when(not if) the slave fails. Also I would rate their customer service Generally poor. Do yourself a favor, spend the money.. Call Mike at Rocky mountain westy. On My next swap I'll use his kit. Iv seen the difference in quality first hand

Thank you bmwmango for creating this thread!! Its a help to all of us. Its nice to be able to get ideas from others undertaking this task

kpbo, same to you. I will follow your method of fuel filler transfer. I needed an idea on how to get away with not painting the van, and I didnt want a primer spot. Thank you

Thank you Mark at wolfsburg auto Boulder, Co., Mike at RM Westy, Tynans VW parts department Aurora, Co. and Pete and Chris at vancafe.com!

Mon Jun 21, 2010 3:02 pm

Re battery boxes,

It really depends on how extreme you're going to go. I think you'll prob run into clearance issues with the back of the front arches before you start rubbing the corners but it also depends on what wheel offset you're running... obviously the further in the tyre sits, the more chance of them catching.

I'm running a huge battery in Limey which barely leaves enough room for the battery cables... there must be a couple of mm each side of the battery and no more. It still sits happily and fastens down in place with the lid closing over the top.

Re tank straps, on the 2 vans I've converted, I just drilled through just above the cross member into the van inself, used large washers and nuts which you access in the van.

I didn't have any clearance issues with the steering gear and I fitted it in a similar way to yours except I welded mine in.

Re bellhousings... RJES is a good friend of mine and I can't recommend his kit enough. He's an engineer by trade and designs everything himself. If you want the best, his website is worth a visit. He's also very happy to talk things through with any customer.

MG

Wed Aug 11, 2010 10:01 pm

Any progress on this?

cheers

Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:55 pm

Any progress on this?

Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:30 pm

Finished? Sold? Gave up?

Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:22 pm

Did this ever see the road again ? This was my favorite thread of all time.

Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:32 pm

Yes the coolest thread ever!!

I'm converting my 2wd to syncro in November. I'm planning a full week but the syncro donor is already dismantled.... all the parts sitting the garage.

I will take pictures!

Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:41 pm

I am doing the same thing to my 89 westy 2wd this summer. I picked up a donor a few months ago. Heres another pretty cool thread on the process.

http://forum.club8090.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=80081

Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:30 pm

sweet, makes me kinda wish I snagged a rusted out syncro cheap.

Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:25 pm

Great thread..I completed my conversion several months ago and could'nt have done it without this type of info :D loven my westy more than ever..

Mon Jan 02, 2012 7:59 pm

mathieux46 wrote: Yes the coolest thread ever!!

I'm converting my 2wd to syncro in November. I'm planning a full week but the syncro donor is already dismantled.... all the parts sitting the garage.

I will take pictures!

One of my favorite threads as well, along with pastis and the subie 5 speed thread, and, this thread has inspired many people to do the same thing. Frankensubysyncro did the same thing, and, I have yet to ride in a more capable Syncro :shock: Of course, he has gone better, stronger and faster cuz thats just how he rolls :lol:

I have been trying to encourage him to do a build thread as well. I guess he is just too busy in the Yahoo Syncro group :roll:

Hope all is well for you bmwmango.

Mon May 07, 2012 12:42 pm

Happy Syncro de Mayo
Here is the remainder of the front suspension install.
Here we are installing the springs.
The springs were compressed using two threaded compressors.
It might take more than one try to find the right spot on the spring to place the compressor.

Old Man Emu shocks and Syncro.org springs.

Please note: The floor jack is simply lifting the lower control arm. The van is sitting on jack stands.

The power steering rack bolts right up to the mount I removed from the Syncro
Front brakes. I also decided to keep the original 2wd fuel fill. The black cover and cap looked better an empty hole. I taped up the end. Maybe use it for an aux fuel tank sometime in the future.
I went with the big brake kit from Van Café

Next you need to install the steering shaft. Please take note that these shafts are different lengths with the 2wd shaft being the longer of the two.

I ran the power steering rack through its full range of motion and counted the number of revolutions the splined shaft made. I believe there were 54 splines on this shaft, but don’t quote me on that. I took the total number of revolutions times 54 and then divided it by 2. This is where I set my steering wheel to straight ahead.

Then I installed the sway bar, but had to grind away some of the welds from the suspension plates we installed earlier to install the mount. This picture also shows the speedometer cable bracket. The Syncro has a two piece cable with an intermediate mileage box.

And another one

The rear heater core lines run differently in the Syncro than the 2wd. To seal the original holes, I used 1” Hoffman plugs used by electricians to seal boxes. I think the hole for the brain wires took a 3” or 4” plug.

This new routing requires some modifications to the heater box.

Mon May 07, 2012 2:56 pm

Bonus points for dealing with a gravel driveway.

Mon May 07, 2012 6:23 pm

Thank you so much for documenting this project so thoroughly!!
I am starting to collect parts, strip the interior for Syncro conversion and new paint job on my '86 West.
Glad you are progressing and posting, a lot of us subscribed to this thread!

Mon May 07, 2012 8:08 pm

MayorMcCheese wrote: Bonus points for dealing with a gravel driveway.

x2 hardcore !

Sat May 12, 2012 4:14 pm

Does any body have insight regarding the difference between a manual and a power steering rack in the conversion? I have not yet had an opportunity to compare rack dimensions and how they attach. If I am lucky enough to round up a donor, I would like to tackle this but would also like to keep my manual rack.

Sun May 13, 2012 12:35 am

Crazy Josh! :lol:

The rack and pinion will attach no worries on your chassis.

you'll need the steering shaft along with the U joint as well ;-)