Club 80-90 Forums

...and here we go again

Time for another thread on my next evolution here, swapping out the porsche auto from my caravelle and fitting a flipped Audi box

Yesterday my son and I pulled the whole lot out again and considered another autobox swap but I just can't get motivated. It's OK to build them up but ideally they need testing before fitment as I'm on my 3rd box in the van. Would kill me to do all this only to find another dead box needing a swap

My v6 conversion has been a bit destructive so far, killed the original box I fitted it to and now this one won't always shift up, diagnosed as a faulty autobox pump

Yes I have spares and can swap it out but what a PITA that job is without a car lift, I'm lying on my back every time and it's lost the appeal. So now going to manual

I know I will need to swap the pedals out for manual ones and also run a clutch tube from front to back, there's a guy near to me breaking a van so will get some parts from him locally, like a working brake servo as mines dead, makes for interesting facial expressions as i develop a death grip on the steering wheel that's for sure

Today I collected a 2.7 tdi 6 speed box, no code as the sticker is blank, but the guy pulled it off the BPP engine while I was there and all the bolts still had factory locktite so am good with it being correct. My engine does 280lb of torque and this one 275lb so a good match

Of course I helped to release it all, wanted all them tasty extra bolts, clutch and flywheel assembly, driveshafts, shifter linkage and anything else going begging.

The clutch is the same size diameter as the Ford flywheel I have off a 2.5 v6, so that's a bonus

Question: can you use a DMF clutch and pressure plate on a solid flywheel??

Currently thinking I will get my auto flexplate joined to the DMF flywheel as my starter is matched to it so that's a help. Will see what my engineer says when I see him, proper loves me he does with the madness I bring him to make work. Was joined using 3x m8 bolts to the motor previously and they did alright.

Also still have the 2x 5mm steel plates from my last adapter that I made, the ones cut incorrectly to my pattern but the centres are good so will find the centre, make up a gearbox bellhousing template and get drilling some holes. There's an awful lot on the Audi box side to drill.

I've been on the gt40 kit car and other forums re a suitable box so hopefully it will go OK this time

Linkages I have no idea at this stage, will figure something out. Intersetingly out of the 3x rods connecting the shifter to the box, 2x are for stability and positioning, only one moves.

Pics to follow

I believe the box is an 0a2

Been busy collecting a Ford flywheel, it's on the left, Audi on the right





After I got the audi gearbox I measured the clutch disc in a solid ford flywheel off my first conversion and it's 280mm in diameter, so both the same size





Collected a ford DMF yesterday and started to measure up for the Audi gearbox. I need to machine 2mm off the Audi pressure plate and 1.2mm off the ford flywheel clutch face, normal refurb stuff I hope to resurface these parts. Plenty of meat on the pressure plate, the Ford pressure plate is thinner which surprised me









When I fit the Audi clutch disc and pressure plate there's no movement hence the need to machine some space as the Audi flywheel is deeper than the Ford





Assembled the Audi clutch onto the Ford dmf and fitted them into the gearbox bellhousing, about 3mm sticks out so a 5mm adapter plate will do me fine I think. The standard Audi assembly is flush to the gearbox for about 0.5mm gap





Feel I can use the above and make it work

The engine and box are rated at 280lb of torque more or less and the Audi can be chipped to 300+ bhp and the Ford 280 bhp using std parts so these mods so my clutch mod should be ok

If I were doing this, I would keep the complete standard Ford DMF on the engine and tweak the overall length with the adaptor plate or extend the release bearing to bring it into working range.
DMF's aren't made to be reworked, fit and forget then replace when the bearings or springs fail.

Yeah Silverbullet I did mock it up using the ford dmf and pressure plate using the audi clutch plate but it didnt sit right

And since I last posted I've rethought it all

I haven't got the Ford release bearing to work with so can't do what you suggest

I've decided to make a spacer for the audi pressure plate onto the Ford DMF to give me the clearance I need

Will see tomorrow when I get it all back

Cheers

Got my parts back and laid things out to measure up

Fitted the Ford DMF, Audi clutch plate and pressure plate together with a machined 2mm spacer





All is good so got on with making the adapter plate for the engine/gearbox, using the laser miscut 5mm plate from my last project and added a 2mm spacer plate from my first project to space it all out correctly

Drilled out the gearbox side tonight and as so thin I've no space for a nut and bolt arrangement like the previous sandwich type adapters I made

So have welded 10mm threaded bar cut to length through the drilled holes, it all works welded through the 5mm plate

Wednesday I'm back at it and will complete the engine side, struggled to get it all apart as the aftermarket exhaust headers block access to a couple of bolts. Have drilled most of the holes already but have decided to do more for strength

More pics next time

Been busy tonight

Finished the drilling and studding of the plate so slides into place easier. Had to cut a slice off the plate as the water pump was in the way, also repositioned a hose clamp to clear off the thermostat housing.

Didn't quite position one of the bolts in deep enough and it popped free, spent forever drilling out the weld

Other than that it went well

Next problem is the starter motor position, need to assemble the clutch and flywheel onto the engine and slide the box on

It's getting there

Got the gearbox and engine connected up tonight, bit of a struggle and bent a few studs so made it more of a struggle than it needed to be

Also snapped a few studs off when tightening them together, bloody thing

Took it apart after admiring how good it looked

Rethinking the adapter plate as didn't have this problem before

Logically I think I will reuse the last sandwich adapter from the flipped Porsche box. If I do I need to break the welds for the gearbox side only and follow the same process as before and the plate is already drilled and centred correctly for fitment, at least it was strong. Then I need a flywheel spacer making up, so will reevaluate the clutch system of Audi or Ford.

All fun and games but yeah it slid straight on to the input shaft, was proper chuffed

So after my last post, which all seemed so easy just to throw money at it, turns out I can't buy the flywheel to crank bolts so problem there







Decided to remake the adapter plate by drilling out the stud holes again. I previously used an unknown length of m10 threaded bar and thought it may not be the best to weld so this time I cut some m10 bolts down and what a difference . Welded on way better as a denser metal I guess, did turn the welder up a bit too, melted the adapter
plate a bit but all is good











Got VERY lucky with one nut as needed to have a reduced socket size and it was the first one I chose from my box of odd m10 nuts! Proper dancing on that one, it was one of those moments...





Joined the engine and box together tonight, got 2x bolts to sort still but other than that was a way better procedure compared to the scream last time round. Also did it on my own this time so must have been easier to do! Bloody big lumps of metal but it's together







Tomorrow I will plan the starter fitment but its 20mm closer to the front pulley and my exhaust header got in the way last time, we shall see. Did look at another starter but really need it to sit on the side of the engine, the ST220 fitting is over the gearbox but that's not an option for me here

More tomorrow

Been busy with this







Remade the adapter plate as discussed previously and fitted the engine and box together, got them under the van and started the fitment process, starter has a good amount of room so that's a bonus

The gearbox just fits inside the frame, very pleased as can tuck it up a little inside, engine just clears the rear panel

Will be using the Audi gearbox mount as its perfect for my fitment, just working out a crossbar system to attach it to and centralise

Also more mindful of the driveshaft angle this time, should be below 17 degrees

Progress at last

Waiting on my linkage guy, hope he comes through as will need it for next week to start that nightmare