Porsche Automatic Gearbox Conversion into my Caravelle

[Dueller]

Yeah I'm going to have to make something up as it's too close

[Dueller]

Today I finally got the autobox together

Tomorrow I will finish the differential, needs the new case vents drilling and tapping

Then I can join them together this weekend with luck

[Dueller]

Today I refitted the valve body and swapped the sump plate to the vw as the Porsche entry hole is on the other side.

Closed up job done

Then I realised I needed to change the accelerator arm and selector arms over too, bit of wd40 and away we go

Snapped the internal throttle arm that acts on the throttle body, so stripped it down again and pulled the good one out of the vw box, thankfully compatible

Swapped the parts over and all is good, thankfully the internals are the same, only a big 24mm nut to undo so pretty easy really

So that's an oil pump and accelerator arm I've broken on the project so far and I'm not finished yet, proper breaking new ground here but all swap out thankfully

[Dueller]

Tough day today, got the autobox and diff together finally

That campsite story about the guy that pulls the autobox off and reinstalls it under the van, he must be some kind of superman, what a terrible job to do on a workbench never mind that way

Got 6 litres of tranny fluid and also topped the diff off, 1.25 ltrs

Triangulated the bushes on the torque converter that I need for spacing. With a one piece adapter made of 10mm plate you wouldn't need these

Ready to fit onto the engine tomorrow and see how it locates on the front engine mount, I'm guessing it will need lowered an inch or two, we shall see

[Dueller]

After a struggle to get the engine and box together finally fitted the complete assembly into the van today, spun the engine over too on the starter to make sure it would. Just a quick turn as the autobox is dry but no strange noises so all is good

Had a home brewed engine roller bar fitted and my kid suggested for the gearbox we use the trolley that the engine came off from Wozza, as was well made, was like pushing a Mars bar across the table, went under the van dead easy thankfully

Then spent forever on the front gearbox mount as you'd expect, got it in the stock position in the end

The driveshafts are 100mm higher as the diff is flipped so need to work a fix here, even extended there's no way they will work, too severe an angle

Will drop Valerie back on all fours and see how it looks, likelihood is I will drop the box and motor 50-60mm but shall see

Proper pleased with it

Also got a pic of the tools on the welding table, incredible what's needed

[Dueller]

Not much to report today

Been wiring the starter motor back in, its a pain as all the wiring needs relocated so ive lots of bits to neaten up. Also sorting the autobox filler tube to clear the engine and driveshaft, removed the exhaust manifold for a port to be capped off

Lots to do still like the autobox cooler and filter system routing and the engine oil cooler ports repointed away from the engine to clear the exhaust

Hopefully driving on the weekend if the cables will fit on

Starter turned in the van and the immobiliser came on too so wired in

[Dueller]

Been busy reconnecting the wiring and also laid out the autobox filter and cooler

Will tap and fit a thermostat connection to the filter head

Looking good for a start this evening

[Dueller]

Got my exhaust back too with the additional port plugged

Makes no sense as can't buy a cap for it so had a mate TIG weld it closed

[Dueller]

Still not done!

Ran out of hose for the transmission oil cooler set up and went to Halfords but didn't have 12mm so tidied up instead under the van and put my exhaust manifolds back on, off to Bullseye motor factor's in the morning on my way in

If anything the starter now sits even closer to the exhaust downpipe so that needs to come off tomorrow for some heat and a dent to clear it I've decided

Can't believe the problems I'm finding but getting there every day

Good news is I drilled and tapped the oil filter head for a temp sender, usual 1/8 NPT so that's a job done well thankfully. Thinking about a pressure senser but unsure what it should operate at so maybe another time

Same jobs again tomorrow and hopefully figure out the driveshafts




I'm using a hydraulic filter too so should keep the fluid clean a bit longer

[Dueller]

Another mad day

Connected up my autobox filter and cooler so ran the engine up





Had to extend the shifter linkage eye after trying to make the mounting fit, modified it a bit and will do more to it tomorrow. To be fair if I had just extended the eye then I wouldn't have needed to mess with the mounting but it put too much tension on the cable that way





So started the velle and had a few teething troubles to sort as you'd expect. Then I noticed the output cups weren't turning, proper lost teddy at that point then my son pointed out we had this problem last time from low autobox fluid. Topped up some more, now at 5 litres, and the cups turned intermittently so more fluid to go

Stock fill from dry is 6 litres and I've got 7 litres to allow for the oil filter/cooler and hoses

More tomorrow I suppose and hopefully onto the driveshafts, need to fit my new cv joints too, got some Porsche ones to fit

[Dueller]

Today i topped up the cooling and all is good, thermostat opened 4 times as it idled

Also added another litre of autobox fluid and cycled through the gears leaving them for a few minutes at a time, worked perfectly, did this 4 times and all is great

PARK has a clunk when engaging, any ideas???

All I did was put everything back as it was so can't decide

I've promised myself I will do the driveshafts tomorrow after I finish making the gearbox front mount modification, still got the throttle linkage to sort out too as it's short

Dropped the whole lot 80mm, still have 200mm ground clearance so should be ok

Driveshaft angle is much improved

It's just bloody ugly and looks homemade even moreso by a nutter with a penchant for steel based chaos

[Dueller]

And still no driveshafts

Modded the front gearbox mount for the 80mm drop and planned out sorting the accelerator cable as its too short now

More Wednesday

[Dueller]

Finally started on the driveshafts

Passenger side swapped to the drivers side so just need to fit the new joints I bought, very chuffed

Passenger side needs one making up from a pair I have, one brand new

I used the clamp method to measure up and cut but I don't think ive allowed enough depth for the joint once fitted so will measure again and rethink. Will probably use half the new shaft and half the old one with brand new joints fitted

[Dueller]

Drove the van today

Built a driveshaft for the passenger side, ended up using a 10mm spacer on each side of the gearbox, leftovers from my engine dyno project luckily

Pics of driveshaft angle below, sitting on all fours again

Fitted 4x replacement cv joints too, so all nice and fresh

Had to sort the shifter linkage again and retension the throttle linkage, then went for a drive

Again it's incredible to drive, feels more solid than the last box, more sure of itself in how it behaves. Took another litre of fluid though, guess the torque converter is still filling up, had to push it to get it moving, like the last time as my son reminded me

All gears selected well on the drive

Had to cut it short as blew the rear main oil seal, it was already leaking a bit but proper blew, so out it all comes again

Driveshaft assembly pics below, decided to stick weld as more material available, cut down an old jack handle for additional strength plates, worked out quite well

[Dueller]

Engine rear main oil seal has arrived so fitment this weekend

All has to come out again

It's never easy