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high toned son of a bitch
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: ohio
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 Posted: Sat Aug 18, 2018 9:28 pm Post subject: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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Hi all, i am new to the bug powertrain stuff, please use libe on me🌭..
I have a rail with a 3 rib bus trans. My daughter was driving it on the road and started to have problems shifting. So in her 14 yr old wisdom she decided to start jammin gears and keep driving. It got to the point of getting stuck in first, no matter where you “tried” to shift it.
So i have an extra car trans, i went ahead and swapped in, to get it back on the road for my wife (its street legal).
Totally installed, i made a new bracket for the clutch slave cylinder (different than the bus), got it all hooked up and what do ya know, the axles dont bolt up...
Looks like the pattern on the cv’s is larger on the axles that are already in it (that were previously used on the 3 rib).
Does anyone make an adaptor so i can use the “bus” axles with a car trans, maybe 1” thick or so? I can raise it up more if needed, it’s currently on 32’s.
Just trying to do something temp to get it back on the road so i can get the 3 rib fixed and put back in. I have 1 million trillion billion other projects i gotta get buttoned up, hence the “temp fix”.
Thanks fellers |
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tripicana
Samba Member
Joined: February 13, 2003
Posts: 1164
Location: colorado springs
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:31 am Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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What might be easier is to get a pair of bug cv's, or a "half shaft" from the parts store, and run the bug cv joint on the inner side of the axle, and I assume type 2/4 on the outer.
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foam cowboy hats aren't good helmets. |
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Mal evolent
Samba Member
Joined: March 31, 2009
Posts: 2912
Location: San Antonio, Nuevo Mexico
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 9:49 am Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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not entirely sure if he's talking about CV flanges, or 15 5/8" axles. bus trans is wider than type 1 trans, so there are two things going on here
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats
Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index |
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GjMan
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2004
Posts: 822
Location: Grand Junction, CO
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:14 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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| Welcome to The Samba! As you noticed, the Bus CVs are larger than the Beetle's. Also, the drive shafts are different lengths. I would want to retain the larger/stronger Bus CVs in that rail, so I'd get a pair of Bug-to-Bus adapter output flanges for the trans and a Bug-length pair of drive shafts w/splines cut for the Bus CVs. Shouldn't be all that expensive. |
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GjMan
Samba Member
Joined: June 05, 2004
Posts: 822
Location: Grand Junction, CO
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 2:29 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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Edit: just noticed you're looking for a temporary solution. My views are still the same. When you get the Bus trans back in you can sell the adapter flanges and axles on the Classifieds. About the only alternative would be to get Bug CVs, drive axles, stub axles, and brakes. That would be a lot of work, and probably more expensive in the long run.
Another possibility would be getting a pair of Bug drives shafts, two Bug CVs, and having the outer ends of the shafts machined to take the Bus CVs, but I don't know what that would cost. |
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Krochus
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2017
Posts: 892
Location: NW Arkansas
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 4:29 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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I have made this conversion due to gearing myself
Other than the inner cv diameter being different the axles are completely interchangeable
There’s some nominal width difference but the stock bug axles have enough spline length to accommodate. You can get a pair of cv’s pretty cheap or buy one axle at the parts house for the two bug cv’s. As to CV strength I would not worry about it in the slightest it’s not enough to amount to a hill of beans.
I’m pumping more horsepower and boost through stock bug cv’s than a 1900lb pressure plate can hold without slipping. |
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high toned son of a bitch
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: ohio
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:37 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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Ok so i “should” be able to
1. buy one bug halfshaft/axle/cv shaft
2. Take both cv ends off
3. Take each inner cv off the bus axles already in the buggy
4. Install the bug cv’s onto each inner bus axle (the bus and car axles are the same diameter?)
5. Bolt them up and rock an roll?!?!
That sounds too easy👍🏻 |
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Krochus
Samba Member
Joined: January 01, 2017
Posts: 892
Location: NW Arkansas
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:53 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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| high toned son of a bitch wrote: |
Ok so i “should” be able to
1. buy one bug halfshaft/axle/cv shaft
2. Take both cv ends off
3. Take each inner cv off the bus axles already in the buggy
4. Install the bug cv’s onto each inner bus axle (the bus and car axles are the same diameter?)
5. Bolt them up and rock an roll?!?!
That sounds too easy👍🏻 |
Easy peasy unless you have some extended swing arms with no extra spline length on the axles |
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high toned son of a bitch
Samba Member
Joined: October 19, 2016
Posts: 3
Location: ohio
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| Posted: Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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| Krochus wrote: |
| high toned son of a bitch wrote: |
Ok so i “should” be able to
1. buy one bug halfshaft/axle/cv shaft
2. Take both cv ends off
3. Take each inner cv off the bus axles already in the buggy
4. Install the bug cv’s onto each inner bus axle (the bus and car axles are the same diameter?) nevermind i went back and re-read what you put before👍🏻
5. Bolt them up and rock an roll?!?!
That sounds too easy👍🏻 |
Easy peasy unless you have some extended swing arms with no extra spline length on the axles |
No sir, factory rear swings. Thank you to all, i will get my stuff ordered tomarrow and get it done, this easy fix is exactly what i was hoping for.
On a side note..
When i get time, what should i look for first on the 3 rib? It is stuck in first gear, the shift rod wont turn or slide at all. Fluid is good, i gave my daughter the 3rd degree interrogation and she said it was getting harder and harder to get into first and 2nd. Then reverse was hard to find. Then she stopped on the road to talk to a friend and could only get it into first.
I was gonna pull the nose off and see if it is just a “internal linkage” problem, hopefully not a “interna shift rail/gear issue”.
i dont really know how these work, but it cant be more complicated than a zf6, amirite, lol
Thanks all🤗 |
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pullstart
Samba Member
Joined: August 23, 2016
Posts: 599
Location: Middleville, MI
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| Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:59 am Post subject: Re: Swapping out a 3 rib bus for a car trans |
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You said she’s 14 and was on the road? Anyone with her that you could ask what happened?  That’s great that you have her driving a stick, let alone a buggy! Stay safe, I can’t imagine one of my kids driving my rail alone any time soon!
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4 seater Appletree buggy, road legal with 002 IRS, 3x3 Appletree kit, 6" over Dan's beam with 10" towers and Fox 2.0 shocks, '00 Subaru EJ25 with KEP stage 3 clutch and KEP adapter plate.
my build page: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=662104&start=0 |
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