rockbender
Adventurer
Congrats on the baby girl!
You can't beat a poptop van for making family travel more fun.
You can't beat a poptop van for making family travel more fun.
Screwing around with a Eurovan!
- Thread starter Cole
- Start date
Cole
Expedition Leader
So these were available in the UK with "syncro" and a rear locker. Unfortunately it might only be possible with the manual transmission and the diesel. ....sorta!
The rear differential and transfer box come up for sale occasionally on ebay UK, usually for crazy money and/or they just refuse to try to ship one to the USA.
I"m not overly worried about the rear axle, there are all sorts of solutions for that. Could probably mount up some sort of independent rear center section and just match the shaft and gears to the front. (3:90 final drive)
The transfer box to make the transverse mounted transmission was never made to bolt onto the autobox (the manual transmission was offered in like 5 of these cars in Germany and is unobtainium...I've tried HARD)
So if anyone knows of a transfer box that I might be able to mount divorced to transfer power from a transverse to longitudinal that would be great!!!
While I had the transmission out I measured around for an engine swap and the short answer is that there is a lot of thing in the way to convert it to longitudinal with something like a LS motor, etc.
Ideas to make this 4x4 would be great!
The only proven option is to swap in a 1.9TDI available in the USA and eventually source the syncro parts from Europe when I find someone willing to ship. Ideally I'd like to find a domestically available solution, even if I have to custom build it.
I don't need it to be a crawler, just don't want to get stuck trying to get to a sandy campsite on a beach or muddy one up in the PNW.
Ideas?
The rear differential and transfer box come up for sale occasionally on ebay UK, usually for crazy money and/or they just refuse to try to ship one to the USA.
I"m not overly worried about the rear axle, there are all sorts of solutions for that. Could probably mount up some sort of independent rear center section and just match the shaft and gears to the front. (3:90 final drive)
The transfer box to make the transverse mounted transmission was never made to bolt onto the autobox (the manual transmission was offered in like 5 of these cars in Germany and is unobtainium...I've tried HARD)
So if anyone knows of a transfer box that I might be able to mount divorced to transfer power from a transverse to longitudinal that would be great!!!
While I had the transmission out I measured around for an engine swap and the short answer is that there is a lot of thing in the way to convert it to longitudinal with something like a LS motor, etc.
Ideas to make this 4x4 would be great!
The only proven option is to swap in a 1.9TDI available in the USA and eventually source the syncro parts from Europe when I find someone willing to ship. Ideally I'd like to find a domestically available solution, even if I have to custom build it.
I don't need it to be a crawler, just don't want to get stuck trying to get to a sandy campsite on a beach or muddy one up in the PNW.
Ideas?
Cole
Expedition Leader
Thank you! She is AWESOME!
The Subaru drive train is great for a Vanagon but the wrong orientation for the Eurovan.
heehawhardy
Adventurering
This is just too cool. Congrats on the kiddo. Loving the concept of the Eurovan you have going
Cole
Expedition Leader
Many do, I was hoping someone might be able to point me towards one with a divorced transfer box.
Cole
Expedition Leader
The transaxle is mounted on the drivers side with a long two piece axle shaft running to the passenger wheel. The first part of this is about 15" long and mounts solidly to the block with a bracket. The VW transfer bo normally just replaces this shaft. The transfer go from vw seems to only be available for the manual transmission and shares fluid with it when bolted up. It's possible that it "might" actually fit n the autobox or be made to work by rigging up an external oil feed. I honestly just don't know.
Any divorced unit that could fit in that space could be mounted up with custom shafts.
I'd be happy to play with it and see if I could get it to work but they aren't just laying around the states for me to pick up and experiment with. Seems it could cost me around $1000-1500 just to get ahold of one.
There are the more modern Haldex 4Motion units available in the USA but I have not been able to I figure out if I could fab on of those to fit and it seem the final drive ratios are all wrong anyway. (With no option to change it)
Which brings up yet another issue is that I have not been able to confirm that it can get a Syncro rear diff in the right ratio since they were only on the diesels.
That is why fabbing in a center section like an 8.8 or something else with large domestic aftermarket support would be useful. I could then put in any gear ratio I need.
bknudtsen
Expedition Leader
This Ford Escape transfer case looks to be a sealed unit based on the input and output shafts and drain/fill plug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/01-02-03-04...Ford|Model:Escape&hash=item4abcb664d9&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/01-02-03-04...Ford|Model:Escape&hash=item4abcb664d9&vxp=mtr
Cole
Expedition Leader
Thanks. That may require further research!
Cole
Expedition Leader
Original owner fed up with repairs and the prospect of a $5000 job. It wasn't too hard. Just timing.
Overland Hadley
on a journey
Great project! Congrats on good timing and hard work paying off.