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jbart Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2011 Posts: 76 Location: sunny Eugene, Oregon
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:48 am Post subject: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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I've heard the down side to vanagon automatic transmissions in general. I have also heard VW improved them in '89-90.
thoughts out there on 1990 vanagon automatic transmissions? yea? nea? stick to shifters?
thanks |
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szegedin Samba Member
Joined: February 26, 2010 Posts: 21 Location: San Francisco, CA
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 1:06 am Post subject: |
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I have a 1990 automatic, and it's hanging in there at 193k miles, although it makes a godawful grinding/winding noise. People say it's a very durable trans.
I drive extremely right-lane and mellow so it works for me -- I could give a toss about acceleration. And considering it's a three speed I get respectable gas mileage - 21mpg on my long 52mph highway trips.
Sometimes I miss driving stick, but a vanagon is no ferrari so you're not missing out on a lot of tear-ass driving excitement. The auto trans is good if you drive the vanagon like a vanagon wants to be driven. Mellow. My two cents. |
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BenT Syncro Samba Member
Joined: January 07, 2005 Posts: 1085 Location: San Francisco
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 5:50 am Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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jbart wrote: |
I've heard the down side to vanagon automatic transmissions in general. I have also heard VW improved them in '89-90.
thoughts out there on 1990 vanagon automatic transmissions? yea? nea? stick to shifters?
thanks |
Love my autos as much as my manuals. Have one with 2.2 Subie behind it. Shaved governor weights to change shift points. In such higher HP applications external cooler will be needed or seals will fail due to excessive heat. On my 88 Doka, converted from 4-speed to auto. Have ABA 2.0 inline-4 behind that. No issues. No cooler needed. Just for laughs, I left the clutch pedal in place. Have owned at least 6 auto in over 30 Vanagons owned. Besides the lack of lock-up torque converter and perhaps taller ratios, I find them more than satisfactory for the job. Autos in this application are known to be more robust than the manual trans models. No 3rd/4th synchro slider to break. |
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 9:08 am Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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<<I've heard the down side to vanagon automatic transmissions in general. I have also heard VW improved them in '89-90.>>
May I ask where you "heard" this stuff??
You heard it through the grapevine --right? _________________ T.K. |
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Corwyn Samba Member
Joined: December 29, 2009 Posts: 2225 Location: Olympia, Washington
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:00 am Post subject: |
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I drive the Automatic Vanagon that VW designed. No "Subie", no turbo, no nitrous. A true Camel that will get you there in no hurry. 152,000 miles and plodding . . . _________________ '90 White Westy ("Knarr")
FAS Gen V 2.0
The Annual Baja Rally
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=604813&highlight=baja
"If anything's" gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there"
~ Captain Ron ~ |
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Terry Kay Banned
Joined: June 22, 2003 Posts: 13331
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:22 am Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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<< Just for laughs, I left the clutch pedal in place.>>
And you got me laughing out loud here Benny---
Tell the truth--
It's more like you didn't wanna pay to have the pedal taken out by your mechanc buddy,or you didn't want to locate and unload the denaros for an automatic pedal assembly---and have that installed.
Your senorita probably has all of your spare cash tied up--(or you) _________________ T.K. |
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twintech Samba Member
Joined: February 16, 2011 Posts: 16 Location: Enid, OK
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:41 am Post subject: |
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I have an auto... All my other dubs have been sticks... I was a firm believer in Manuals, but for some reason I Love my Vanagon as an Auto... Its not the slug that I expected, but smooth and comfortable... Climbs grades great, no need to shift all the time... Gives me more time to relax and enjoy the veiws as I drive...
Some of my favorite reasons to get a manuel (push start, raceing, and maintence reasons) dont seem to apply with my vanagon... Reliability wise its got 210K miles on it. Works like a dream...
~Larry |
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danfromsyr Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2004 Posts: 15119 Location: Syracuse, NY
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 12:06 pm Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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ALL VW & AUDI Automatic Trans from 76 to 93 were essentially the same "transmission" section the VW/Audi 010/090 with variations in the mounting studs & dipstick location, so in vanagons, there's none any better than another,
Audi 5000 Turbo automatics had 1more planetary gear & 1 more clutch friction plate to handle the 165+ hp.
Aircooled vanagons didn't have a AT trans cooler
these AT trans are VERY serviceible and (in the trans world) very easy to work on. parts are still available,
drawbacks is only 3speeds, and the final drive rpms are a tad high.. but that keeps engine at a rpm to match torque vs expected load.
we put a AT section from a Quantum into my brother's van when he had an issue.
jbart wrote: |
I've heard the down side to vanagon automatic transmissions in general. I have also heard VW improved them in '89-90.
thoughts out there on 1990 vanagon automatic transmissions? yea? nea? stick to shifters?
thanks |
_________________
Abscate wrote: |
These are the reasons we have words like “wanker” |
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hdenter Samba Member
Joined: October 14, 2008 Posts: 2749 Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
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Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2011 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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The "improvement" for '89 and later vans you heard about most likely refers to the slider hub improvement on manual trannys. Until the later manual trans, the slider hub for 3/4th had a tendancy to crack and lock up the tranny.
hans _________________ '79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender |
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jbart Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2011 Posts: 76 Location: sunny Eugene, Oregon
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Posted: Mon Feb 21, 2011 6:14 pm Post subject: |
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thanks for the replies. looks like I am going with the shifter as the body is rust free. the automatic has just too much rust on the body. |
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Uturn Samba Member
Joined: March 12, 2012 Posts: 3 Location: Portland
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Posted: Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:53 pm Post subject: |
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Ok I have a problem with my 87 vanagon's automati trans, I bought it with the transmission only working in Reverse for about 6k. It has a KEP adapter plate, mated to a subaru ej 22 engine
The van pulls just like it should in reverse, but when its on the ground, and in any of the forward gears, the van will not move. I put the van up on jacks, and did an op check with wheels off ground, and the drive wheels would rotate in the forward direction when shifted to any of the forward gears. The one thing that i thought might contribute to the lack of forward movement when the van has weight on wheels is that the left rear wheel brake seems to be sticking enough that when weight is off wheels, the left rear wheel will not spin when shifted to any forward gears. When I tried to move the left rear wheel by manually rotating it with my hands it would move, but it would take a good amount of force to break it free. Also when the weight is on wheels, and you shift from park to reverse, you can feel the transmission engage and "pull" on the vehicle. When the transmission is shifted to forward gears, and the weight is on wheels you can't feel that same "pull" as you do in reverse. Does anyone have any thoughts on what might be the problem? The transmission is a 3 speed automatic. |
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Smiro Samba Member
Joined: July 11, 2009 Posts: 113
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supergonzo Samba Member
Joined: May 16, 2015 Posts: 4 Location: new york
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 12:24 pm Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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What is the Vanagon Auto transmission that bolts right up to a type 1 60's 1600?? A Beetle motor as an example
I have seen Buggy's with them I think. They are not autosticks, But I heard they are vangon trasmissions.
Is this correct? |
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avernon82 Samba Member
Joined: July 07, 2015 Posts: 292 Location: Richmond,CA
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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What's a planetary bias locker? |
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chase4food Samba Member
Joined: February 27, 2016 Posts: 636 Location: PNW im Amerika
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 3:52 pm Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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avernon82 wrote: |
What's a planetary bias locker? |
That is when the Catholic church decided that Galileo's heresy should not get out to the people. _________________ - Vince 飲食玩睡
what Isolde wants Isolde doesn't always get, 4 I know what is best for her - Liebe macht frei |
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Abscate Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014 Posts: 22503 Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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Posted: Fri Apr 22, 2016 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: 1990 Vanagon automatic transmission? |
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Terry Kay wrote: |
<<I've heard the down side to vanagon automatic transmissions in general. I have also heard VW improved them in '89-90.>>
May I ask where you "heard" this stuff??
You heard it through the grapevine --right? |
Not much longer would fourth whine .... _________________ .ssS! |
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