These days I'm driving Mike's 1970 teener since I broke my 73. With no radio I get to listen to the sweet sound of the 1.7L behind me and I get lots of time to think (probably a dangerous thing!).

So I got to thinking about transmissions and I remember someone commenting that there was a cable-shifter available from Patrick Motorsports, but that even though it is better than a stock side-shifter it still isn't as smooth as modern transmissions that were made to be cable-shifted. It being that Kennedy seems to make adapters to fit anything, is there a cable shifted transmission out there that would be a natural fit for a 914? (Of course you probably have to flip the ring gear.)

Subarus come to mind as a possibility just because they have flat-4 engines, but I have no idea about anything else about the cars.

Anything will fit if you have enough money...

I have heard less than complimentary things about the Patrick cable-shifter. This was quite a few years ago, now, and they may have gotten the bugs worked out of it. The install was on a 915 gearbox attached to a 3.0 Six, and the owner said, "I really should have just stuck with the side-shifter. Better shifting, easier install, and much cheaper."

You can try a Boxster trans. Rumor has it that it's the same as some of the Audi FWD ones.

Most other transmissions either turn the wrong way (e.g., 911 boxes), or do not have a differential in them (e.g., most RWD transmissions), or are set up to be transverse (e.g., most FWD transmissions). The Audi and Scooby trannies are the only ones I can think of that are FWD boxes mounted longitudinally. Saab might have some as well...

If you're willing to flip the R&P, then most of the 911 boxes will work. As will Bug/Bus/etc. Note than in many cases some machining to the inside of the box must be done. In some cases, most of the important parts of the box have to be redesigned... But it will work, if you throw enough money at it.

--DD

Hey Dave,,, great pic of you,,, just wondering where your eyes are, are they behind all that hair????

The more exotic transmissions are best suited for large HP motors. Stick with the 901 until you have to go differently.....unless you LIKE throwing money into something like that.

DD, that's your best side....

The FWD 97-99.5 tansmissions from a FrontWheelDrive Audi A4
or VW Passat are very similar to the Boxster transmission. Probably
cheaper to come by also. Gearing will of course be different to the
Boxster. Also the cable shifting gear will bolt right up to the A4
or Passat transmission and apparently the stock cables are very
nearly the perfect length so no modifications need to be done there.

I thought the Passat had a transverse drivetrain, like the Golf/Rabbit? If so, that wouldn't be such a great donor.

ZF made some transmissions for cars like the Pantera and other mid-engine'd cars with various motors. Some of them were transverse, but some (like the Pantera, I believe) were longitudinal. You might be able to hunt one of those down and adapt it.

But why?

--DD

I have a 911/02 (pull clutch version of a 901. MY's 70-71, 911) that I'm thinking of using in the GT project. I e-mailed Bruce Anderson regarding it and he stated that Chuck Stoddard used one in a 6 conversion:



I haven't gotten to that side of things yet. I'll probably need a little more info as I dig into it. In the end it's basically a 901 anyway. I have both the original side shifter and that tranny out of my 71, 911T to make things work.

If anybody has any insight on Chuck conversion I'd like to know more.

The '97 up Passat has a longitudinal transaxle (as does Audi). The 1.8T uses a code EZG (mostly) 012 transaxle, which has ratio's slightly closer than does the 5 speed Boxster. 5th gear (net) ratio's are the same for both. For the Boxster guys; where is the starter mounted on the 5 speed car? Fore or aft of the bellhousing?

Andy

Good thread!

I'm trying to figure out the best way to stuff a TDI motor in a 914 and have been wondering what would be the best tranny and gearing to use. Any guesses on how a Passat drivetrain would fit?

The Boxster tranny wont work. The starter comes in from the front of the bellhousing not from behind. Unless you run an engine in front of the tranny that has a engine mounted starter (on top).. no go.

The tranny on top is a 915.. the lower tranny is a BoxsterS 6 speed.

B

Here is a 944 tranny...

B

Are you saying a 944 tranny can work? How? Doesn't it output to a rear driveshaft?

No, it has input from a middle driveshaft. The 944 has the tranny in back behind a torque tube.

gotcha.

Brad,
Does this discussion relate to your desire for an automatic 914.....Im thinking if the Audi tranny fits....mmmm lots of cheap A4 automatic out the in the bone yards...

R

As far as a TDI goes, if it will bolt up to the boxster,Passat,A4 tranny
you could use that option but I am not sure that gearing would
be what you want with the diesel characteristics. Scott(SKSfrom
Audiworld.com) put in a 350hp 1.8t with an Audi A6 front drive tranny(similar to the A4's) and used the boxster cable shifter assembly and said that it worked out pretty slick.

Rich, those are just tranny's sitting around here that I snapped quick shots of.. The problem with all the Audi tranny's is the same as the Boxster, unless you run a Audi engine or 986/996 engine a starter solution is damn near impossible. They have NO provision for a rear mount starter. The KEP Audi automatic adapters are for V8 engines with (tada..: engine mounted starters)


B

If you delete the torque tube from a 944 engine/tranny would be short enough to fit in a 914?

cheers,

Jeroen

There is a UK company that uses the 944 tranny's in a replica GT40 with a V8 in front of it.

I think the 944 box would work fine.. I know it is a Audi box also.


B

I have to see an A4 tranny...Im thinking cut off the front of the bell housing and mount the front of a 914 bellhousing to it...
Sounds simple but I need to see a tranny to see if that would work..
I just watched RIDES the new TV show and watched them do exactly what I am talking about..
The guy band sawed off one bell housing, mad a plate and bolted on the other bell housing..
This would give us a place for the starter.

There are plenty of 914 tailshifters collecting dust, so bellhousing should not be a problem.

Then you could get an automatic 914....

If someone has an old dead A4 tranny, I would be glad to make up an adapter/bellhousing unit to make it work, then we will have an automatic 914 solution that is affordable.

If someone has a pick that would help..if not I will check the local bone yard and see if I can get a dead one.

R

Umm Richard... use a Bus tranny bellhousing. They unbolt and have the proper mounting for a 4 or a 6.


B

What I actually meant... would the tranny/engine combo (minus the torque tube) fit in a 914
That would be a cool conversion, with lots of relatively cheap power possibilties
(stock 2.5, 3.0 16V, 968 or even 951)

cheers,

Jeroen

Jeroen, the 944 engine is basically 1/2 of the 928 engine, to fit look at Rich 918-S's car. Youd probably be looking at a similar firewall remodel.

I don't think the 944 trans is much of a solution. While it does have Borg-Warner syncros, its strength is not much greater (if any) than the 901. They fail a lot (often the ring and pinion) in regular 944s (less than 150 hp). The 944 turbo trans adds a cooler and stronger gears, but I don't think it gains much either (I have heard of a lot of failures).

The ZF 6-speed from the 968 looks good, but there have been R&P problems with it.

Also, the input shaft would have to modified for a regular clutch on any of these, as they are designed for the torque shaft attachment. A solution to this is an Audi 5000 trans (same as regular 944 but with a regular input shaft) but you are getting the weakest of the bunch in that case.

Sean is correct about the 944 engine - same length as the 928.

Dayummm...

I think this might be the one you were referring to -









I think I need to talk to Scott

I also have thought about the 944 2.5L motor for a 914. Since I have 2 944's here...check out my signature...my donor is a automatic...I think may be this weekend we might pull the motor and the automatic trans and "play"...just to see what we come up with...150 HP is decent for the teener...but the 2.5 L has an ungodly amount of high end torque...this could prove interesting...especially since I have all the electronics...and plumbing already available...

personally I'm not looking for a dragster...but a reliable highway cruiser...914 seems to be the ticket...no officer I didn't mean your ticket....

the Doctor is in....

I hate to be single minded here BUT, what about a subaru tranny???? Just saw a new spec racer sport car mid engine config with a full boat wrx drive train...?????

I've been wondering about the subaru tranny.

There were some 2wd imprezas and other vehicles back in the day - so there ought to be plenty around, and I think they would be strong enough.

What would be hella sexy though would be the new STi 6 speed tranny - although that might cost more than a 915.

Maybe we should bugger off down to pick-n-pull and take a look at one - there are a couple of subarus down there that engines and trannys in there.

The 944 trans wil not work due to it having no provision for the clutch/starter/TO bearing & fork. That said, the Audi 016 is the same trans but with those provisions. Keep in mind, that the Audi was around 2900lbs with 160HP. Put that trans in a lighter car with less HP & torque, and it should last just fine. Still don't know what you'd do about the starter though.

I would speculate, that the Audi/Passat 1.8T with trans would make for an interesting 914 swap (modern drivetrain and EFI). They have good HP potential to boot. There's also a Tiptronic trans as well. The price of a used package ought to be quite attractive. Not long ago, there was a low mileage Passat tranaxle from a 2002 Passat 1.8T on Ebay for $300.......there were no bidders. BTW, Quaife makes an LSD for this trans.

Andy