First is back and to the left. For many years I was driving both a 4 speed
2.1 and a 5 speed 1.6 diesel. Whichever one I had not been in for a few
days felt "weird," It didn't matter if it was a 4 or 5 speed.

Jim

On Tue, Oct 22, 2013 at 2:31 PM, ralph meyermann
<ralphmeyermann@gmail.com>wrote:

> It sounds like I would prefer the 5 speed for the gearing and pulling my
> small fishing boat approximately 1,000-1,200 #trailer and all. I am
> unfamiliar with the shift pattern, is 1st somewhere different and the rest
> similar or are they all different?
>
> Velma 82 1.9L AAZ td westy
> On Oct 22, 2013 2:10 PM, "mark drillock" <mdrillock@cox.net> wrote:
>
> > At least for a non-tdi diesel engine the 5 speed gearing is a benefit for
> > sure. The close 3/4/5 gearing is great for grades and headwinds. It lets
> > you hold higher speeds in varying conditions. Whether it outweighs the
> more
> > cumbersome shift pattern is another question and the type of actual usage
> > along with engine power band would be a consideration in that
> calculation.
> > If you have the correct front shifter to go with it the pattern isn't as
> > cumbersome and you certainly can get used to it fairly quickly. I have
> been
> > driving my recently converted 84 Westy that has a 1.9 diesel with 5
> speed.
> > I don't use low every time I start off as the clumsy 1st gear position
> > combined with the lower than usual 1st gear means I don't need or want
> to.
> > I did not install the 5spd front shifter yet as I am experimenting with
> how
> > necessary I will find that to be. I have a few more 5 speeds of different
> > models and not enough 5 speed shifters to go around so I want to see if I
> > can be happy using the stock 4 speed front shifter or will have to modify
> > it in some way or switch to the 5 speed stuff. The problem for me is I
> have
> > several vans I use frequently so when I switch from a 4 speed van to the
> 5
> > speed one I have to remember which I am in and the cumbersome shift
> pattern
> > is not natural to me each time yet. The gearing is a good match though
> with
> > 1.9NA, DX 5 spd.
> >
> > Mark
> >
> > ralph meyermann wrote:
> >
> >> A taller second and third would be nice
> >>
> >>
> >>
>