914 V8 Transmission options, Will VW bus or Vanagon work ??? Options

[OHWOWBill]

I would like to run a VW trans for several reasons !!! Stonger and more gear options available cheaper than for the porsche !!! Has anyone done it and what box would be the best ??? Early vanagon w/6humps ???Flip the ring and pinion and put what ratios I want and have a stong 4 speed instead of a weak 3 speed ???

Bill

[Dr Evil]

With the shift linkage you would have to devise for a VW box you might as well move to a 915, 930, or G50. A 901 box from a 914 is rated at 300 ft/lb of torque. Torque is the box killer, not HP. This rating is subject to how well the box was maintained prior to your getting it. For high torque apps I would recommend an inspect/rebuild at the very least. Another consideration is the rest of the drive line. 914 CVs are the weak point in the equation if your box is healthy. Thus, if you put a lot of tq into the box and have fat meat on for tires you run the risk of shattering a CV joint when you get on it. You can fix that by having less meat on your tires, or by installing thicker drive shafts with beefier CVs (these options are discussed elsewhere). If you do install stronger CVs and axles though, you run the risk of blowing your box as you have now made it the weak link. This all depends on box health, though.