recently completed an engine change in my 1986 VWLT35
OUT: 2.4 / Petrol 6 cylinder / 4-gear box
IN: (130k) 2.4 Turbo / Diesel 6 straight / 5-gear box (and i used the prop from the donor van too)
wow... learning curve or what!!!! haha...
anyway...
that was about 4 months work (juggling a few other projects too!)...
almost at the stage where i MOT the beasty and work on the cosmetics!! I love the chunkyness of the LTs... they kick... but the petrol engine was way too fuel guzzling... i swear in the 6 years of use of the petrol engine, i could sometimes see the guage going down!!! I spose its my love for the van body that made me want to keep it!! And the desire for an educational experience made me want to do the engine change!!! I got that for sure!!
anyway... cant help rambling.... and im holding back... i mean there is soo much i could go into on this subject!! have been looking for a forum like this for a while.... those funky LTs seem to have been missed by many... and so this LT specific forum is quite rare i think!!! heh...
so... my main question here is:
- given that i have gone from a 4 speed gearbox to a 5 speed... there are some gear ratio differences.... and i didnt know this before i took on the project!! (i was no mechanic then... reluctant one now!!)... so whats my best way forward?... i really dont want to change the whole axle (i dont really have access to the donor vehicle anymore - although may have access to the prop & gearbox from the petrol one...
... would anyone be able to advise me of what wheels i may be able to use to increase performance? In 5th gear the turbo kicks in way too readily at about 48 - 55mph (and the speedo could be out a bit as well i spose)!!! *maybe i could be just whimping out on pushing her... i mean theres definitely more punch in the engine... its just at the time i was worried that i wasnt accessing 5th gear (because although i changed the gearbox... i didnt change the selector or gear stick!!! haha) and seeing as this was one of the only runs in about two years that the diesel engine had been given, i was cautious. (I have since discovered that it is 1st gear i dont have access to - unless i push down the gearstick and left and back!!!).
Anyway, I currently have twin rear wheels with 6 studs... i will post the current size in a day or so (but its safe to say they ARE the small and standard ones... heh!!!)... any ideas??? any knowledge???
its been a pain also because i havnt been able to get a workshop manual for the beast... Apparently Haynes never did one!!!
oh so many stories of learning about this vehicle!! but anyway... peace all... hope to interact again soon...
mulch...
Edited by mulch