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Mon Oct 18, 2004 4:47 pm

Hey Everyone,
I, like everyone else who has taken it upon themselves to do the Type 2 tranny conversion into a VW Baja, have run into problems when trying to put it into a baja body. I am Running a 3rib bus tranny from 68-73, in a 71 Irs Pan. It is a nose cone shift, not a side shift. When I initially tried to install it, I came across the problem that there was not enough clearance for the tranny to be in its designated space, so i modified the sedan and cut out and reformed a hump in the back seat section. Then I noticed that the throttle cable and clutch cables sure enough ran straight into the the back up switch that juts out the trans case in the front. I then ground off the prongs, and cut away the metal that has the hole cut in it so the nose cone of a Type I can fit inside the chasis and bent the tubes so that they exited more by the side of the transmission. So then I noticed as I did the week before I even started to convert it, that the shift rod was inevitably going to be too short, even with the billet to bus shift coupler that you buy from a parts depot. Anyways that is my problem, I have thought that maybe by cuting the shift rod and then placing some steel stock on the inside and then replacing the piece that was cut off, then welding, I could make up this distance. I also thought of just getting two shift rods and making one long enough, by cutting and welding. But the problem still remains that the shift rod is too short. Is there a simpler solution to my problem? I have read many posts, websites, and Hibbards book and to no avail I can't find anyone with the same problem as myself. The Type 2 Bus tranny into a Vw baja Bug is lot more work than I expected it to be, which isn't a problem, but I had not even heard of having to cut out sheetmetal and reform a hump in the back seat of the car , have to shift the throttle cable and clutch cable over to clear the tranny, re-drill and counter sink a hole in the shift fork for the billet adapter set screw(set screw is not the same that comes of a stock one either), and then have to lengthen the shift rod. And that is only as far as I have got so far, I have heard that I have to still maybe change my motor to transmission mounting studs, Take out the center ring in the clutch pressure plate, and who knows what else...

What Needs to Happen:
People who want to do this conversion need an actual representation of the work invoved, as for when I started, it almost seemed drop in, if you bought the conversion axels, the bus-bug solid mounts, and the shift coupler. I soon Found that there was fabricaiton involved and others should be fore-warned and educated before doing this important conversion.

If People want to contribute their knowledge to this Post, I would highly suggest that only people who have succesfully done the conversion or have been there first hand should lend their knowledge to us, and not what is read from other sites, books, or even Moore's Parts Technical staff, as neither of those prepared me for this conversion.

This is What I know First Hand:
1. A section of the back seating area neeeds to be cut and opened so that the tranny can fit.
2.A new hole must be drilled on the top of the shifting fork to neccesiate the set screw for the bug-bus shift coupler.
3. I had to remove the metal plate where the Type-1 Tranny nose cone goes through the hole in the metal plate, in order to bend and redirect the outlet of the clutch and throttle cables.
4. The shift rod must be elongated to meet up witht the bus-bug billet conversion coupler.
5. Bus to bug stub axels should be used as the lenth of the axel is shorter, but I have not tried puting a bus cv on one side, and a bug cv on the other.
6. By measuring the studs on the vw motor( Type 1) and by looking at the distance on the transmission case and the 1/8 inch for the solid mount, it looks like it will work, however still yet un-tested, only tested without the mount, and it worked fine.
7. The output shaft on the bus tranny must be shortened, I measured the length of a standard beetle output shaft and then took a cut off wheel and made my bus tranny output shaft exactly the same length, this is an imparitive and crucial step, by not doing this the input shaft will press on the crank, and put pressure on the crank as well as the bearings, causing the motor to prematurley fail.
8. Having starter problems? Use a starter that came off an automatic beetle, they have no bushing with the rod so putting them in any 12v housing is no problem, and it held up for me better than a high torque starter did on my hi-compression motor.

My Situation:
1971 Ball joint Irs Pan/ with a 66 body
Type 1 1835 hi-po motor
'70 3 rib bus transmission with the acorn nuts on the side covers
Have Bus-Bug shift coupler, Bus-Bug solid mounts,and Bus-Bug axels.

Problems I Still Have:
Do I need to remove the ring on the clutch preassure plate?
Should I run the stock flywheel or a german lightened steel one?
Deciding whether the bus studs are neccesary.
Making up the distance between the shift coupler and the rod.

Alright I hope this is a succeful post and many people put up their challenges and solutions, and others take this knowledge and use it.

Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:30 pm

I just converted a 64 swing axle pan to IRS and am putting in an 091 tranny. It has proved to be quite a task also. As for as the shift rod and linkage I was told that the bug to bus billet converter pretty much sucked and that two u-joints would work perfect. My bug is stricktly off-road so I may just pull the rod out of the tunnel and run it on top. This way it will line up fine. I will send you some pics as soon as its done if you would like.

Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:38 pm

cool pics would be great...But what do you mean by 2 u-joints?

Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:40 pm

jaron_denson wrote: My Situation:
1971 Ball joint Irs Pan/ with a 66 body
Type 1 1835 hi-po motor
'70 3 rib bus transmission with the acorn nuts on the side covers
Have Bus-Bug shift coupler, Bus-Bug solid mounts,and Bus-Bug axels.

Problems I Still Have:
Do I need to remove the ring on the clutch preassure plate?
Should I run the stock flywheel or a german lightened steel one?
Deciding whether the bus studs are neccesary.
Making up the distance between the shift coupler and the rod.

*the 70 bus tranny should not have the collar on it, thus you should not have to remove the ring from your pressure plate (i believe the transition year was 1971)
*with an 1835, i would suggest a lightened flywheel
*the flange width on my 71 bus tranny match my 73 bug tranny. they should be the same length
*you may just have to extend the current rod (there may be another solution, but i have yet to do the conversion myself)

Mon Oct 18, 2004 5:49 pm

Quote: HamburgerBrad
*with an 1835, i would suggest a lightened flywheel
With 31 inch tires and the bus transmission, Wont it be better to have the inertia of the bigger flywheel so that the car does not bog under load like on a hill with big tires? Just a thought..
[/quote]

Mon Oct 18, 2004 6:00 pm

the bus tranny is geared low enough already. and an 1835 produces a decent amount of power anyhow

Mon Nov 01, 2004 4:23 pm

I Finally got to modifing the shift rod to extend it. I simply cut the shift rod and stuck a piece of stock steel inside the rod, and then re-welded the shift rod back in place to the stock piece of steel. One way of lengthening it I guess. I also found that I did not need the bus studs in my type 1 motor. That is all until my next weekend of work.

Thu Nov 04, 2004 6:00 pm

I did the conversion to my '68. I had to weld in the IRS pivot clips of course. I used I think a '77 091 tranny, which has a collar for the throw out bearing to ride on. So I had to remove the trust ring on my pressure plate. I also had to use the longer bus studs for my engine to bolt to the tranny. I hear all your stress dude! I had to go at it kinda in the dark too and learn as I went. I had to also butcher the rear of my car and bend the clutch and throttle cable tubes a little to the side. I have some pictures if you would like to see them. Feel free to message me through samba or email me with questions, or anyone else can too for that matter.