I have spent some time looking over Helmut's web site where he details and
has pictures of his conversion (thanks Helmut!), and some questions stick
out. If I actually go and do this conversion, I would use a turbo motor (my
wife drives one, I love that motor). My main questions are the selection of
tranny and diff. I would have reservations in using either standard or
automatic vw tranny in this application, but linkages etc for Audi
transmissions can be worked out. My biggest question is the bellhousing and
diff. We'd need the correct bolt patterns for engine and tranny, so it
seems to me the one from Winkler's kit or a South African unit are
necessary to get the output shafts to mate up. Or are these things all "one
size fits all"? I was considering a note to Winkler, but perhaps someone
wiser here on the list can answer these questions.
Also, wouldn't it be possible just to lower the motor that extra inch or
two to keep from cutting the engine lid? Having a westy, keeping that flat
surface would be nice...

steve
kent, wa.
'85 westy (wanting more oomph)

Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 01:45:21 -0500 From: Patrick Dooley Subject: Re: Audi
Parts in a Vanagon (Frankensteinagon?) -----Original Message----- From:
David Marshall To: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM Date: Wednesday, March 04, 1998 1:29
AM Subject: Re: Audi Parts in a Vanagon (Frankensteinagon?) >At 14:05
3/3/98 +0200, Helmut Zeidler wrote: >>>I would be very interested to hear
more thoughts bout putting an audi >>drive >>>train in a vanagon. The
shifter mechanism would have to be fabricated >>along >>>with a trans
mount. And uh, if the trans width is different, the drive >>axle >>>length
would have to change. I'm going to the junky tommorrow to pull >>apart
>>>an audi 5000 trans and see if I can flip the diff.... >>I do have a 4+e
gearbox of an AUDI 200 as spare. It wasn't gone into >>the Vanagon with its
engine, still available. Do one like to have it >>for testing? But I guess,
it's useless for our application. >> >>Helmut >>'80 Vanagon, 5 Cylinder
powered (I like Vanagaudi) > >I like to tinker with it but we are 9 time
zones away from each other! I >am eagerly awaiting some news on this one!
David: I'm going to the junkyard today to take an audi box apart. I'll post
as soon as I know. PSD.