Gearbox date

[mabbo]

Hi,

Im struggling to find out if the small nut gearbox is the original box to my Dec 60 built bus.

The code stamped on the side is 5590753.

I searched the site but cant find out how to date it.

Cheers, Neil
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[PEPPE]

looks more a number of a slighty later beetle trans converted to type2 (reversed and longer 4th)

[BonTonRoulet]

....at least in the 67 transmission or gearbox that I installed in my 66, with the engine out one can see a date stamp in the bell housing, about an inch and a half above the bottom of the gearbox and in the center below the input shaft. Have you/can you look there?

[mabbo]

Thanks for the replies... Going from the link on the Technical section - https://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/info/chassisdating.php

It looks like my gearbox is Jan 60. My bus was built Dec 60. Whats the chances of it being the original box? Id have thought it may have been a month or 2 early but not 12 months?

Cheers
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[FarmerBill]

I think you're looking at the front axle numbers. Serial # 5590753 looks to be a 1963 box, if it was a 1960 the serial # would start with a "B".

http://oacdp.org/progref6268/h002.jpg
Looks like Feb.

[Lind]

Just look at the date that is cast into the case. It is inside the bell housing, and reads the same as an engine casting date.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=430442
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[mabbo]

Thanks for the replies. Your right... I was looking at the axle column

Bit gutted its not the OG box from the bus, but never mind. Would the internals and everything else be exactly the same as the OG box?

Cheers, Neil
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[Eric&Barb]

[FarmerBill]

Yep, unfortunately with old cars, unless you have a folder full of receipts from the day it was new, there’s no way of telling what’s been done to them over the years. I think your transaxle is from a 63 bus, if there is no letter (A or B) at the front of the serial # it wouldn’t be from a bug. If you look through “Progressive Refinements” you can find all the changes that were made over the years. It’s not particularly well formatted data set (types 1,2,&3 are all lumped together) but it will tell you exactly what VW changed and when. I printed out a copy and highlighted the bus rows for easier reference.

[mabbo]

Thanks for the replies.

Maybe I didnt word my last message very well but I was more concerned if the ratios would be the same and if there were any noticeable differences that may affect anything. From what I can see, the ratios are the same 59-63:

Cheers
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[Eric&Barb]

[FarmerBill]

VW also offered at least 4 different ratios of reduction boxes over the years, maybe more, I don't know what was offered for the 181. The only way to know for sure is to verify it. If your transaxle is out of the bus it's pretty easy to figure out ratios by putting it in gear and counting revolutions. Just start with the reduction boxes and then work your way through the gears.

I remember talking to a guy once that told me about a basket case bus he bought that had mis-matched reduction boxes, he didn't notice until he got it on the road and it became obvious something was wrong. So unless it's a running driving bus, you can't even assume both sides are the same anymore.

[mr white]

Do we have 1967 transmission serial numbers and gear ratios?