Splitcase trans.... lets talk!

[mightymouse]

This thread interests me, as i still have the split case trans in my 57 panel, and it will have near 80 hp soon. Ive been wondering how well it will hold up offroading. I guess i will soon find out. I also have an extra one in case.
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Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
Thomas Jefferson


Note to EVERYONE.
Know your ZDDP levels or you WILL lose a cam and lifters.

[DANP85]

Just putting this one back out there to see if anyone has anything to add…

[esde]

What are you looking to do with it?
They're pretty tough for as simple as they are, but most of the parts are NLA. If you're planning to beat on a transmission at all, I would use a 61 or later tunnel style transmission, as parts are still available from Weddle
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[Bub]

[BulliBill]

Okay, back in 1999 I along with the other eight invited USA owners were invited and then drove our pre-1957 splitcase transaxle equipped Vintage Volkswagens from the Pacific Ocean in L.A. all the way across the USA ducking into Canada and then to the Atlantic Ocean in NYC, then we shipped them by container ship to England. We flew to London three weeks later, has a dinner with Major Ivan Hirst, and then we drove them all around Europe attending Vintage VW events, and then back to England, then we hopped in these old cars again on the East Coast and drove the car back home (in my case to Missouri). Look it up, the adventure was called the "Return To The Fatherland Tour '99".

The point of all this is that I drove my 1955 Deluxe Sunroof Beetle 6,631 miles over 28 driving days on that Tour adventure, and neither I nor any of the other owner/drivers suffered any issues with our splitcase transaxle equipped Vintage VWs. None of us! There is nothing inherently wrong with these transaxles if you drive reasonably and keep up on normal, simple scheduled maintenance. We're living proof!

'Nuff said!

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[[email protected]]

[BulliBill]

Here is a Samba.com discussion thread about a possible 20 year reunion/re-enactment of the "R.T.T.F.T.'99" which has discussion about the original adventure and some nice photos from the 1999 Tour.

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=702944&highlight=return+to+the+fatherland+tour

Who knows, maybe one of these days some Tour participants will come up with a coffee table book about this incredible adventure...

Bill Bowman
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton

Thanks for any help!

[TXHCBeetle]

Someone mentioned to me that split-case axles are lighter than tunnel case axles and fit on a later tunnel case trans.....are the split case axles decently strong? Obviously I wouldn't build a dragger with them, but if they save weight...could be useful...plus keeping more original parts with my car is a plus.
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In Progress:
1958 Beetle Sedan - L243 Diamond Gray
1967 Beetle Sedan - L456 Ruby Red

[esde]

They're pulling your leg. I have a pile of split case and tunnel style axles, and they're the same. I mean, I haven't taken a micrometer to them to compare, but they look the same (assuming short axles)
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[TXHCBeetle]

Hmm...I wonder if the axle tubes were what they were referring to..
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In Progress:
1958 Beetle Sedan - L243 Diamond Gray
1967 Beetle Sedan - L456 Ruby Red

[esde]

Tubes are the same too, except for maybe the shock mounts changed (straight or curved)
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modok wrote:
Bent cranks are silent but gather no moss. I mean, ah, something like that.

[RolandD]

The oval split case brake drums may be smaller, and hence lighter, than the later tunnel drums.

Roland

[TXHCBeetle]

I asked the original source to elaborate, this was his response:

"I race formula vee and in our community it isn't super well known but you can visually see the split case axles have less material. I have around 20 axles in our shop and have weighed all of them. They're skinnier than the later ones out towards the threaded end.

We're not allowed to do any machining on the axles so you're stuck with how they came from the factory. The split case axles can be a pound or more lighter."

Very interesting!
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In Progress:
1958 Beetle Sedan - L243 Diamond Gray
1967 Beetle Sedan - L456 Ruby Red

[nbuscemi]

Wow... I can't believe this tread is still alive. 14 years old! The car in question was my entry into ACVW. Split-Case trans... what the heck was I thinking? Now I have a 68 Sedan and a lot better understanding (while not perfect) of these cars!

-Nick-
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-Why buy it when you can BUILD it?-

[grueni]

Maybe Some usefull informations:
IT has it's Limits. Ring and pinion ist on the small Side.
I used this Transmission on my daily for 20Tkm with about 80hp 165nm but hard beaten all day Long plus 1/8mile runs. hp is not intersesting, Torque is.
it is very easy to rebuild.
And yes the Drums are more than 1 kg lighter each than the later Versions still use the Breaks in my current drag all around oval Beetle Drums. Machined and changed to 40mm wide shose. I never Had a Problem with the Transmission Just out poppins Gears on the begining, traction bar solved that Problem. The Transmission was used before i never opened IT, Just years later starting to rebuild also split Case Transmissions. But i did Not weight them sadly but i Bet they are lighter than later ones.
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1960 1584cc turbocharged, 35,5/32 (11,117s 1/4mile )

[gears]