Do I have a "Built" Tranny?

[prom8n]

Bought an old Baja Bug for parts awhile ago, which supposedly had a "built-to-the-max" trans in it. Pulled it last weekend and of course I couldn't see anything unusual; it's just an IRS unit with removable covers on both sides.

How can I tell if it's anything special? I could open it up, but I couldn't tell the difference anyway. How can you check gear ratios or super-diffs from outside?

[Bruce]

To check for a superdiff, you could turn it upside down and pull out the drain plug and have a look inside. Look over towards the clutch arm side of the diff to see if you can see the shaft for the spider gears. If there are 2 shafts perpendicular to each other, you have a SD.

To figure out the gears, go to this topic. There is a description in there how to determine the R&P. You could also post the trans code.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=207382&highlight=hockey+stick
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[prom8n]

Thanks Bruce. I checked the code, it was correct for a '71 Beetle, I think it was AH, but I don't have it with me right now. Anyhow, I bought the buggy from a local VW guy who was liquidating some excess stock. It was not much more than a shell, but still had some useful items.

A year later, I stopped at a local junkyard and was told by the proprietor (who knew the car) that it had a super-duper trans in it, "built to the max, man! Didn't the dude tell you?"

So now I wonder what's in this thing. Guess I'll crack it open and see.