Club 80-90 Forums

It appears the van i am buying westy california 1.6 td 1990 has a 4 speed gearbox is this right or should it be a 5 speed?
thanks
nick
ps thats assuming that the gear knob hasn't been changed,emailed the seller again just to make sure

I would have thought a 1990 van would have been a 5 speed....

keith wrote:I would have thought a 1990 van would have been a 5 speed....

thats what i thought keith
just been on westfalia website and they only give a price out for a 1.6 jx td 5 speed

myself i would not drive a van with the 5 speed box fitted as they are weak expensive to replace, when they go wrong , and the dogleg gearchange is a pain in the butt , the 4 speed gear box is loads better and stronger and has the standard shift pattern and if it does go wrong about half the price of a 2.1 or turbo diesel 5 speed box , you need to find the gearbox code to make shure you dont have one of the low ratio 1.6 d boxes fitted

faggie wrote:myself i would not drive a van with the 5 speed box fitted as they are weak expensive to replace, when they go wrong , and the dogleg gearchange is a pain in the butt , the 4 speed gear box is loads better and stronger and has the standard shift pattern and if it does go wrong about half the price of a 2.1 or turbo diesel 5 speed box , you need to find the gearbox code to make shure you dont have one of the low ratio 1.6 d boxes fitted

The 5 speed box is fine.
Easy to drive...not a pain

If any gearbox goes wrong its expensive.

Mine was refurbed when I had my tdi....,I suspect it had lasted for the full 24 years before the upgrade.

Just my opinion...for balance.

If you want a late we sty.....you will have a 5 speed box....and it won't be an issue.

Your van will most likely have a 3h box....like mine....a STD fit with a jx engine.

Well excluding the woes of 5 v 4 regarding strength i would add the following
I have modified my stick box so I dont have to do this unnessesary left down back carry on , i simply move the stick to the left of the neutral gate and push just a touch more to overcome the dedent (which I have also modified) and back to 1st, coming out of first to 2nd is as natural as 2nd to 3rd in a 4 speed box, i have altered the reverse restrictor as well , so i have to use a touch more effort to engage but it would be nigh impossible to accidentaly go 1-R,
the number of vans i hop into with the std 5sp, to me .yuk but each to their own
mm

My tuppence worth. I think the dog leg box seems to feel more natural on a left hooker, not that I had a problem with it in my old RHD van it just seems to feel better sitting on the wrong (right?)side.
BTW my 1990 jx td California has a 3H

thanks for all your replys
what is a 3H box?

scar wrote:thanks for all your replys
what is a 3H box?

3H is the code, 5spd TD box

faggie wrote:myself i would not drive a van with the 5 speed box fitted as they are weak expensive to replace, when they go wrong , and the dogleg gearchange is a pain in the butt , the 4 speed gear box is loads better and stronger and has the standard shift pattern and if it does go wrong about half the price of a 2.1 or turbo diesel 5 speed box , you need to find the gearbox code to make shure you dont have one of the low ratio 1.6 d boxes fitted

I am surprised that you haven't changed your gearbox for an oldtimers 3 speed one! Nothing wrong with a dogleg 5 speed - just the same on my Merc bus.

the only way i am changing my gearbox is when i either save up the money or win the lottery so i can afford to have it rebuilt to my spec , as i could buy another t3 camper cheaper than a rebuily gearbox

How much do you think a rebuild on a 5 speed box is .....just out of interest.

The four speed box is technically stronger but there is nothing wrong with a good five speed one.
For balance the only box I ever broke having owned four wedges was a four speed one on my first van, all others were 5speed!!

the seller has got back to me it is a 4 speed (I even told him to ignore the gear knob and see if 1st gear was under reverse)
so what would be the trade off between 4 and 5 gears? I take it the engine would be screaming louder with a 4 speed or are the ratios altered to suit?

I keep going over all the pictures he has sent me there is 1 or 2 things that have been altered for 1 reason or another
should have big bumpers on, this one has got the metal ones with plastic end caps that don't meet up to the doors on the front and the wheel arches on the back,and the speedo binnacle doesn't have a rev counter it has a clock in its place,so thats been changed at some point,and the bed has been changed or recovered as there is no side arm rest cushion,the wooden base plate has been changed as the legs are visible on the bed so no id plate from westfalia on there
I have asked him to take a picture of the engine from the top so i can hopefully tell what engine its got