VW Diesel Swap

[nitro_rat]

What transmissions are suitable for use with a VW motor? Standards only. What tranny did the VW powered Omnis use? It's a 4-speed right? I think the VW and the Mopar engines share the same bellhousing pattern...is this correct? I would like to use a newer 5-speed that can later be modified to accept a Caravan PTU for AWD.

The plan is to use an early VW diesel in a Rampage with Omni VW motor mounts, 5-speed, Caravan PTU, and third member with a fabbed or modded axle beam.

[RoadWarrior222]

Yyyyyyyyyno

There was a Volks 4 banger in early L bodies, that had a 4 speed and also an A404 auto available, the 4 speed was VW sourced, and the extension housing and diff is likely to be so substantially different that the caravan PTU will not mate up with 10 pounds of JB Weld. The A404 would have had a small and older design diff which will make things difficult also. The bellhousing is not the same on transmissions designed for the K motors.

So, using the diesel with the 4 speed is probably straightforward, using the diesel with any later trans probably means you need a bellhousing adapter... however... hacking the bellhousing off a 404 and welding it to a later manual might be possible

[Vigo]

RW, do you have more info on the manual trans? It's hard to find anything on it.

[black86glhs]

Should have been the A-460 used behind the VW engine.

[RoadWarrior222]

The VW trans is the A-412, the A-460 is a Chrysler trans similar to others, BUT, I've never been able to conclusively confirm that it was in fact used with the VW 1.7, since that trans number is the one used by the peugeot 1.6 motor... so IDK if the info is confused or what.

Don't know much about the A-412, other than the CVs attach with bolts to drive flanges.

There's some cutaways here....
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/repairguides/Dodge-Omni-Horizon-Rampage-1978-1989-Repair-Guide/Manual-Transaxle/Transaxle-Assembly/_/P-0900c15280064bcf

in that, eyeballing the A-460, that bolt pattern looks similar to K motors. Starter on the A-412 appears to be up front. If anything then, the mitsu V6 bolt patterns might be closer.

["Top Fuel" Bender]

the vw auto was basically A-413 guts in a case with a vw bellhousing
vw does have their own auto in the german cars too but...
if your looking for a stick awd then you want a quattro trans (motor will face front to back)
or a syncro setup (transverse setup)
since your working with a diesel ANY, 4cyl vw trans will bolt up
then syncro trans isn't cheap but the fab work was done from the factory

[RoadWarrior222]

I think the synchro parts are insanely uncheap.

[Vigo]

Here is the bellhousing for the a404 auto.

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk124/Vigo327/a404diag.jpg

[black86glhs]

Poop, I forgot about the 404.:(