Following is some email between Daryl Christensen and John Rodgers about
the gearing of the non-Syncro 5 speed compared to the stock 4 speed.

"John...here is what I know about 5 sp vs 4 spd gearing.

  Standard                               5 Speed
  4th gear -  .85                        5th gear  - .77
  3rd Gear -1.26                     4th gear  - 1.03
  2nd Gear  2.06                      3rd gear  -1.48
  1st Gear - 3.78                      2nd gear  -2.33
  xxx                                        1st Gear  -.4.11
  R&P     -    4.86                        R&P   -  5.43 for US diesel
and a 4.57 for most of the SA gas vans.
  ...many of the trannys brought in are pretty rough and most need rebuilt.

Daryl

  Daryl, can you give us a gear by gear comparison between the Standard
manual tranny, and the 5

speed manual tranny, beginning with the top gear and working down
through the lower gears. I know

this may sound a little fuzzy, but I'm trying to understand
  Do I under stand you that the first gear in the 5 speed is lower than
that in the 4 speed tranny???
  I have little use for that low gear now, why would I want with an even
lower gear.

  Inquiring minds want to know.

  Thanks,

  John Rodgers
  88 GL Driver

  Daryl Christensen wrote:

The std vanagon tranny with the tall 4th (.77) is the same as the 5 speeds
5th gear, but with a lower 1st (many don't even use it) and the 2,3,4 all a
bit taller. I am just reporting what I have heard from others...never having
driven one personally...
Daryl of AA Transaxle
Duvall, WA. (Seattle area)
1-877-377-0773 toll free
425-788-4070
aatransaxle.com"

Archives - a great place to learn things.

Sam

--
Sam Walters
Baltimore, MD

89 Syncro GL
85 Westy Weekender
84 Vanagon, original owner, soon to be retired, just too many problems

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