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auto trans ?
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kurt vonnagon
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:20 am    Post subject: auto trans ? Reply with quote

I have a chance to buy a vanagon with auto trans. How bad are they?
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bjrogers86auto
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:46 am    Post subject: transmission Reply with quote

Are they bad? No one told me. I have been driving one for 3 years and 36 thousand kms. I had a reseal done last spring. It works like a dream.

Brian.
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rcook52459
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 6:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

i like mine.i did put a gowesty trans cooler on it.
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kurt vonnagon
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A friend had one. tranny went bad. Their was no fixing it. He didn't have much luck finding a used one at a reasonable price. He ended up scraping the van. gas mile's ? going up hill's ? resell ? Oh he did buy an other vanagon and swore he would never buy another auto
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indytriple
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:55 am    Post subject: Re: auto trans ? Reply with quote

kurt vonnagon wrote:
How bad are they?


They aren't bad at all. In fact, for a 25 year old transaxle design, they're pretty darn bomb-proof. They were used in lots of VW and Audi applications for years and years.

Here's two articles that you should read:

http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=116

http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=305

To quote from one of these articles, "the AT offered in the Vanagon is wonderful. It is a very simple, robust design that VW/Audi has used practically unchanged for over 25 years, in a dozen or so different vehicle models. And, contrary to popular belief, the AT Vanagon will actually outperform a 4-speed Vanagon on highway grades, with the stock 80 hp 1.9 liter, or stock 90 hp 2.1 liter engine."

I have two, and I've never had a problem from either one.
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r.e.wing_fc3s
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

and if there are ever problems the trans can be disassembled with a flathead screwdriver and 10mm socket wrench. very straightforward.
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purplepeopleeater
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:02 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think they are better then the manual trannys
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seanjenn
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 11:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 82 was an auto and it kicked ass.
A friend of mine has about 200k miles on his auto Westy, mostly put there by him. He's hard on his van, hasn't been nice to it at all. His auto tranny is still plenty strong. In fact, when taking off from a stop light, that goes immediately up hill, he can drive away from the rest of us. For a little while anyway, we usually catch up part way through the climb.
I do get better MPGs than he does. Cool
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ursaworks
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 12:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

got one love it, I did put in an external cooler just to relieve my mind on the intermix of at fluid and engine coolant. runs great I am concidering doning an lsd for it this summer.
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morymob
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My 3rd wbx was a '84 auto, rescued from a mostly vw junk yd, got some brakes on it and usual fluid changes. Drove 2 1/2 yrs , no troubles and i liked it better than the 4spds.Smooth shifting and would out run the 4 sp's from a stop. Someone wanted it more than me(cash in hand) so..........
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scottf3334
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 2:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are 2 auto vanagons in my family. My 1.9 and my moms new 87 bostig Cool

Autos fit the vanagon lifestyle for us.

All my other cars are manual, so when I get in the westy, time to just point and go. Nice relaxing drive.

Plus, when I'm in the mountains, no need to use the emergency brake, gas, clutch and foot brake to try to keep from drifting into the car that pulled 2 feet off your bumper at the stop sign(what Camry driver has any clue about manual transmissions?)

Never have done anything to either transmission other than filter and fluid changes.

If I had to chose between a manual vanagon and no vanagon, I'd be shifting. But if the choice was manual or auto, it'd be auto.
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indytriple
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ursaworks wrote:
I did put in an external cooler just to relieve my mind on the intermix of at fluid and engine coolant.


Did this in my Westy with the GW unit. Good investment with an A/T.
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Popsvan
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 4:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I enjoy mine in an 82 A/C westy. Live in the hills of SE PA and it does well.
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kurt vonnagon
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 5:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you for all your post . I just got back 200 mile drive. I did stop at every state park and cool place to see on the way back. Here is the deal 91 kind of a plane jane but has skirts the hole way around. Alloy Rims rims no chrome on window's and black trim. The good pretty much rust free i have owned a lot of bus's this one is dam good. Now the bad owner said someone stole the battery i brought my own. Didn't start it eurghed but didn't eurghed eurghed something's tight. It has bin painted two times . No start its a parts van to me. This is the craigs list link. If i can help. You can PM me with your phone number. Again thank you all Kurt. PS i didn't know how to spell eurghed but i think you know what i mean. http://winchester.craigslist.org/cto/2785939571.html
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mtwrench540
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 8:31 pm    Post subject: a/t Reply with quote

one of the best things you can do for your a/t is to have synthetic fluid due to it's much higher tolerance to temperature,check it out on google! amsoil has the highest rating but is pricy! i know from experieance on my 86,if temp out rose above 95 van no go till evening when cooler! dam i can't spell anymore!
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