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Sat Mar 22, 2003 3:51 pm

Hey Im currently restoreing a 66 camper. I decided that I will go with the stock 1600cc engine with a muffler that will give me a few more horse power. So total hp for my engine should be about 62. Now I need advice on what transmission I should put in my bus. Its the camper with the interior so its heavy. But I dont want to go 55 down the freeway with my engine about to explode. So what transmission would be best for a camper bus with a 62hp engine. I live in oregon where I would have to encounter a few hills. But also will be doing some driveing on I-5 where I need to go about 70-75 comfordable. Im thinking maybe a bug transmission? what needs to be done to install a bug tranny on my bus. thanks!!!!!

Sat Mar 22, 2003 4:59 pm

From what I know the Bus transmissions are much more heavy duty. That's why off road people use them in their buggies. If VW intended a Bug tranny then the Bus would have come with one. I doubt you'll be going 70-75 in comfort with a stock 1600 engine. You will be pushing it as hard as it can go.

I have a 1776 (otherwise stock) in my Bus and I can go 70 no problems but usually go 65 just to take it easy. I'd say go with a Bus tranny or go for a Berg 5 speed if you want, but that's expensive I think.

A Bus ain't a Honda so make sure you're taking care of keeping the oil temps low and you're not thrashing the engine.

What happened to the tranny that came with your Bus??

Sun Mar 23, 2003 4:24 am

I hate to disenchant you Chabanais, but the bus trans and the beetle trans are the same trans except for the bus trans spins backwards and the gearing is lower. The reason guys use them in "buggies" is because of two things. One, they are lower geared, which means more out of the gate. Second, they had reduction boxes on them which makes them even lower geared and also raises the vehicle about 3.5 inches over a stock beetle setup.

VeeDub Girl, if you want a trans that will give you the conditions you asked for, then find a 67 or 68 beetle trans and use a straight axle kit. This will lower the bus 3.5 inches but if you want the stock height you can adjust the spring plates.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 5:44 am

OD, I am sorry to contradict,but what you're saying isn't totally right, with a straight axle kit you'll never be able to raise the bus to stock ride height, from 3.5 inches drop the more you raise it the more the camber will increase tremendously.I'm not even sure you'll be able to bolt the axle to the springplate. JP

Sun Mar 23, 2003 10:35 am

My limited understanding of the Bus trans is that it is geared so low in order to compensate for a small Bus engine and a heavy load. Why would you not want this feature? Why use a Bug trans if VW made them different?

Sun Mar 23, 2003 10:40 am

Im just wondering because I will have a engine with more horse power than the stock 66 1500cc.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 12:52 pm

i have a 63 camper with a 1679 and a webber carb and i like it with the stock tranny i can cruse at 65 all day and go all the way up to 80 to pas

Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:04 pm

hey veedubgirl, im assuming you want your bus to be stock height? if you do want to keep it stock height then i would say to keep your stock style tranny with the reduction boxes and have a good VW tranny shop like rancho put a 3.88 ring and pinion in your tranny. it will keep your height where you want it, it will keep your wheels straight and will keep your gears evenly spaced and you 1600cc will push it just fine.

jeff

Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:28 pm

VeeDub Girl, you said you will have a stock 1600 engine with a muffler that will give you extra power. Maybe this muffler will provide 2-10 horsepower (probably like 3-5). Even if your engine is putting out 90 horsepower I would say that a stock Bus tranny would more than be able to handle this unless you are trying to do burn-outs.

I don't think you will want to drive your Bus faster than 65 mph anyway because your engine will get too hot and your engine will be revving as high as it should. My understanding is to get higher mph you need to deal with the cooling problem (like an external oil cooler), put in a 5 speed (to lower the RMP), and increase the horsepower maybe.

Like I said, I have a 1776 engine and I can go at 65 no problems but to keep the engine happy I only go to 70 or above for passing. Even with my larger engine the Bus won't do more than 80 on a flat road (and only for a short time because the oil temp creeps up there).

Do yourself a favor and install an oil temperature gauge, too. Very important. Put a deep sump on there (add 1.5 extra).

But I don't know why you would think a different tranny would be better for you.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:38 pm

hey Chabanais, i dont think she is in the least bit worried about breaking her tranny for too much power! what she wants to do is raise her gear ratio without under powering her bus, which is why i reccomended going to the taller 3.88 ring and pinion.

it has been proven that deep sumps do NOTHING for cooling.

when you raise your gearing the only time it would raise your temps is if you continued to go the same speed as before. example... you raise your gearing 7% you then go 7% faster on the freeway... presto. same cooling, your fan is turning the same speed as before but you are going 5mph faster.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 4:20 pm

Freeway Flyer 3.88 tranny is definitely the way to go. Your engine has more power than stock, which was geared for traveling at 60mph with the large nut redux. boxes, so the Flyer gear ration should get you cruising all day between 65 and 70.
I have a '64 with the small nut redux. boxes, meaning even slower running at a given rpm than your bus. It used to be happy at 55mph, and really start to wind out at 60mph.
With a 1600dp upgrade and the 3.88 flyer, my bus runs great at 63-65 mph all day, with sprints up to 70 for merging and passing (which I try not to do much).

I don't care what setup you have, at speeds over 75mph, splitscreen buses start to become airborne, so the engine you are talking about with the 3.88 flyer should be cool.

Sun Mar 23, 2003 4:24 pm

By the way, riggaz, I never did the math, your statement about 7% really adds up. That number agrees really well with the results I got.

Mon Mar 24, 2003 3:17 am

JPK , HOW MANY BUSES HAVE YOU BUILT? ANYONE WHO HAS DONE A SRAIGHT AXLE KIT KNOWS THE PROCEDURE. AS FOR LEAVING IT STOCK HEIGHT SHE DIDNT SAY ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. YOU CAN ADJUST THE SPRING PLATES IN ORDER TO GAIN HEIGHT AND AS LONG AS YOU DONT GET RETARDED WITH IT YOU WILL BE OK. I ALSO AGREE WITH JEFF ON IF SHE WANTS STOCK HEIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN DONE A BUNCH AND REALLY WORKS

Mon Mar 24, 2003 6:54 am

OD just to let you know I know what I'm talkin' about, I have worked on many busses mine included.With a straight axle kit yes you can raise the ride height from 3.5 inch drop but never to stock height, the camber increases too much and if you bolt the axle tube to the springplate, this one will twist too much.Never heard of busses with sraight axle kit and stock height.Sorry
JP

Mon Mar 24, 2003 12:05 pm

The "bus box" in the context of off-roading racing is of course the '68 & later series 002 & 091 --- usually combined together, using the strongest parts of each type. Using the early bus tranny with reduction gears in a buggy can be a lot of fun because of the added ground clearance (usually in tandem with an early bus front end installed to raise the front), but certainly is not a particularly "strong" transmission.

The '66 bus came with a stout 4.37K R&P, which is well matched to the added weight of a camper van. If going to the 3.88 R&P, you probably should use the bug 3rd & 4th, which would give about 4 percent overall taller cruising speed. (I wouldn't go with the bus 4th gear & 3.88 given the added weight of a camper.) 70 mph will be easily obtainable, and is about the limit safety-wise in these older vans, anyhow. You will be able to hold 70 over slight grades more easily than if you went with 3.88 & .82 bus 4th -- and cooling won't be as much of an issue when holding in 4th up a longer grade (such as from Portland heading toward central Oregon).

I am a huge fan of the reduction gears in the older vans. They give added ground clearance, and somewhat better traction than straight axles --- although the straight axle kit is great for lowered and/or customized vans.

Paul
21 vans owned, many with custom gearing

Mon Mar 24, 2003 12:13 pm

Hi sorry to but in , my 64 kombis got IRS a type 3 gear box a stock 1600 dp and I sit at 70mph all day on the motorway with good reliability, you guys reakon this is too quick??

Mon Mar 24, 2003 6:50 pm

Hi VeeDub Girl,

Interesting post...not more than an hour ago I ordered a rebuilt transaxle from Rancho Performance with a 3.88:1 'Freeway Flyer' ring and pinion, with the bus fourth gear. I'll be staying with the stock ride height, reduction boxes, axles,etc. It's going in a ground-up restoration '67.

I'm planning on rebuilding a 1600dp, most likely with 88mm bore and mild cam for starters, with dual Kadrons...1679cc total displacement. My goal is to be able to comfortably cruise all over the country side while not overheating and keeping things reliable...I'm also here in Oregon (P-town). At this point we'll see how it goes...

I've currently got the reduction boxes and axles cleaned up and re-painted (with new bearings) and awaiting arrival of the new center section. I'll try and keep ya posted on the install if yer interested.

Good Luck!
Benfalia

Mon Mar 24, 2003 9:15 pm

Benfalia,
That's the setup!
Good Luck with it.

Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:53 am

I have a friend with a 63 Delux, he had a stock 1600 single port engine ballanced and can cruise at 75 simply because a ballanced engine can turn more rpm than a stock without any damage.

Wed Mar 26, 2003 11:38 am

i have a 65 westy with stock engine and transmission and i can do 65 for 3-4 hours just fine, without overheating. the farthest ive gone with it is 4 hours but im sure i could go longer. if your doing alot of freeway driving id suggest a freeway flyer but in my experiance they dont make for good around town driving.