lets talk about custom, skys the limit, tranny parts

[RoadWarrior222]

In the minivans it was rated for a GCVWR of up to 7000lb (Load plus trailer) which is rather trucklike, and torque from the 3.8 motor in the majority of AWDs was 240ftlb... So I wanna spitball and say you're good at twice the torque at half the weight for the AWD components (Trans side is up to you), so how many people are over 480ftlb and have a car heavier than 3500???

edit: Oh I guess trans/fd ratios that are wildly outside the AWD 604 will be a variable that will ruins that simple guesstimate.

[Ondonti]

Simplest would just be creating an adapter plate that actually lines up with the 5 speed transmissions instead of having to modify the plate. Super simple procedure. Also, recess the bolts so you don't have to remove material from the T case.

[Vigo]

Any kind of adapter plate between trans case and PTU is going to affect spline engagement from the PTU to the diff carrier and also give you less plunge travel on the passenger side inner CV joint. Possibly not even worth it if it creates too much in the way of other issues.

I could see a spool being useful for a few drag racers, but not very many. IF one were to start making AWD parts i think it would be neat to cut the AWD splines into an OBX diff housing and have a sleeve made for the outside to have it brought up to the bearing ID of the larger awd bearing. The only holdup there would be whether there is enough meat left on an obx to cut the internal splines for the PTU and have enough left. You would also need a ring gear spacer for an auto app, but not for a 5spd.

[zin]

The diff and ring gear are some other points of contention, I seem to recall Carlos flipping the ring gear on the diff, but that was on a 568, he also made a "sub plate" to adapt the PTU.

Mike

[Ondonti]

Any kind of adapter plate between trans case and PTU is going to affect spline engagement from the PTU to the diff carrier and also give you less plunge travel on the passenger side inner CV joint. Possibly not even worth it if it creates too much in the way of other issues.
.

Sorta off target here. The OEM setup uses an adapter plate instead of an extension housing. Instead of modifying the plate and the PTU, you could just create a plate with recessed bolt bosses that actually line up with 5 speed transmissions. I would also have some slight slotting in the holes to allow the adapter to rotate so you can get the PTU just where you want it. I hacked up one of my adapters to fit it to an a543.

[Vigo]

I didn't know a plate existed, i thought the PTU bolted directly to the case and had the pass-side diff bearing race attached to it just like an extension housing.. I admit i didnt go back and look at anything before assuming that.

[zin]

I didn't know a plate existed, i thought the PTU bolted directly to the case and had the pass-side diff bearing race attached to it just like an extension housing..

IIRC, the "plate" is also the passenger side bearing support, functioning like the extension housing would in a non-AWD trans.

What would be helpful would be a version of this that incorporated (if possible) on the trans side, the bolt patterns of the other possible transmissions our cars came with. I've eyeball-engineered it to a 3-speed, and it seems like it will just bolt right up, and I seem to recall that Carlos' (the 568 in the AWD Omni) bolted up with the exception of one hole, so it might be a pretty simple thing to do.

I'd be happy to supply a bearing support to the cause if this gets taken up as a project, even though I don't plan on using a stick, I'd be happy to help others along the path to AWD nirvana.

Mike

[RoadWarrior222]

I've eyeball-engineered it to a 3-speed, and it seems like it will just bolt right up,

Yah, that's what I got last time I looked into it, although I believe the case might need shaving for clearance a little above right of it, if you're looking in the end.

[Gaboon]

If possible, I'd stuff this Liberty clutchless 5 speed in my L body.

[bakes]

links not working

[Gaboon]

links not working

Can you see the pic of the trans? It's 5 speed pro-stock transmission. I didn't post a link.

[bakes]

nope pic not opening

[zin]

Can't remember what the liberty looks like, but a Lenco's modular design might be easier to produce, and has been used with torque converters... while we are at it, build a "serviceable" converter too! One with lock-up!

Mike

[acannell]

Can't remember what the liberty looks like, but a Lenco's modular design might be easier to produce, and has been used with torque converters... while we are at it, build a "serviceable" converter too! One with lock-up!

Mike

if im making a tranny from scratch I think id like to make a CVT that can handle drag racing!!

that way you could delete the torque converter entirely, and have the engine operate at peak power with no gearshifts the entire time

what bugs me is that apparently nobody does this so there must be some good reason for that....right?

[RoadWarrior222]

The CVT in my Versa Note has a 2 speed box on it, so there's kind of a low range and high range.

I think the problem is, that there's very little friction area in a CVT, a very thin line of "grab" as it were, and making the contact area wider, results in the "several gears at once" problem, in that on the one side it's trying to go faster and on the other side it's trying to go slower. Anyhoo, I would not have risked a CVT in a car any larger than this one, and only "sorta nearly" trust this one because it's their 2nd gen and put the same design in some larger models.

If you like swapping transmissions, there's a laundry list of larger (and some smaller) cars you can get dirt cheap with bad CVTs in, Ford Freestyle, Older Nissan Altima, Civic Hybrids off top of my head.... What is harder to sort out though is "real" problems with CVTs vs "It's new and different so I hate it, and I drive absolutely perfectly so it can't be my fault that I won't adjust" type crap.

But they are getting better, there's a bunch around nowadays that seem to hold up to 250-300ftlb motors.

I do like that about my Note though, all the power, all the torque, all the time, only about 110 of each, but combined with VVT on a 16V twin cam motor that revs very easily, in a light car, it feels like a sporty 150hp or so car. Drove Fiestas and Accents, and they may have had 20hp on it, but you had to "wind it up" to get there.

[acannell]

The CVT in my Versa Note has a 2 speed box on it, so there's kind of a low range and high range.

I think the problem is, that there's very little friction area in a CVT, a very thin line of "grab" as it were, and making the contact area wider, results in the "several gears at once" problem, in that on the one side it's trying to go faster and on the other side it's trying to go slower. Anyhoo, I would not have risked a CVT in a car any larger than this one, and only "sorta nearly" trust this one because it's their 2nd gen and put the same design in some larger models.

If you like swapping transmissions, there's a laundry list of larger (and some smaller) cars you can get dirt cheap with bad CVTs in, Ford Freestyle, Older Nissan Altima, Civic Hybrids off top of my head.... What is harder to sort out though is "real" problems with CVTs vs "It's new and different so I hate it, and I drive absolutely perfectly so it can't be my fault that I won't adjust" type crap.

But they are getting better, there's a bunch around nowadays that seem to hold up to 250-300ftlb motors.

I do like that about my Note though, all the power, all the torque, all the time, only about 110 of each, but combined with VVT on a 16V twin cam motor that revs very easily, in a light car, it feels like a sporty 150hp or so car. Drove Fiestas and Accents, and they may have had 20hp on it, but you had to "wind it up" to get there.

Hmm..

Its so tempting because it seems like something I could make a "one off" of for experimenting. Something that would be for racing and not necessarily daily drivers.

I can make a custom "chain/belt" with machined components. There has gotta be a patent out there for a CVT which can handle huge torques. Arent they used on buses or heavy equipment?

[Frank]

I think these ideas are awesome, however I will caution you on selecting gear ratios... knock. I do think that gear ratios can be refined but careful consideration on drivability for different stages of power to weight ratio as a rough guideline for the real factors such as bore to stroke ratio, cylinder head being used, modifications, etc.

[OmniLuvr]

What is harder to sort out though is "real" problems with CVTs vs "It's new and different so I hate it, and I drive absolutely perfectly so it can't be my fault that I won't adjust" type crap.

im not going to lie, I drove a rental 2012 dodge caliber with the cvt on a 10 hour road trip each way, it took a little bit to get used to. with that engine revving at like 5700 rpm from 10 to 60 mph I felt like the rods or flywheel wanted to fly through the firewall and directly into my crotch the whole time. I got "used" to it, but deff different...

but im still interested in all the awesome ideas floating around in this thread...

[Gaboon]

nope pic not opening

Odd, I see the pic in my post?

Here's a link to Liberty Transmissions. They make some sick stuff. In my earlier post I posted a pic of the "Equalizer"
http://www.libertysgears.com/index.htm

[RoadWarrior222]

Arent they used on buses or heavy equipment?

The ones I have heard of for heavy equipment are hydraulic based.... they sound like a fancy way of making a big high stall torque convertor to me...