>What gearing is best for a Subaru/Vanagon?
>And most importantly, how does the bus drive?
>Is first gear extra low, or is fifth like an over drive?
>Or does it drive like a regular five speed that
>you`d find in any other car?
>Thanks for the help, everyone !!!
>What a cool site !!!
>John C...

Taller-than-stock gearing would be best, to take advantage of the extra
power and torque of the EJ engine.

The stock VW 5-speed has a crawler 1st gear, so that you end up using 2nd
to take off. Also 1st is left and back, directly behind reverse; just where
it shouldn't be. The only time I ever used 1st was taking off on Dunedin's
ultrasteep hills. And then the 5-speed failed and lies in bits... it won't
be going back in.

Hopefully Weddle offers choices of ratios for their 5-speeds. Certainly
aftermarket gears are available from Albins Gears in Australia

www.albinsgear.com.au/product.html

For about $1300NZ (~$530US) you can have a full set of the strongest gears
made for VWs, with a thicker mainshaft. Try a top gear of 0.62.

Andrew Grebneff
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Phone: 0064 (3) 473-8863
Fax: 0064 (3) 479-7527
165 Evans St, Dunedin, New Zealand
Fossil preparator, shell collector, Macintosh and VW & Toyota van nut
1984 Volkswagen Type 25 Caravelle GL (to be fitted with Subaru EG33 engine etc)
1986 CE80 Toyota Corolla DX diesel 1.8 sedan
1989 CE96 Toyota Corolla DX diesel 1.8 van
1989 CT170 Toyota Corona Select 2.0 diesel sedan
1992 CXR10G Toyota Estima Lucida 2.2 turbodiesel (=narrow-bodied Previa)