Automatic drag transaxle

[miller brothers]

checking on the automatic scene. Just browsing again to see if anything going on.

[fabricator john]

i know it turns the wrong way , but what about a corvair auto , its a powerglide and i heard it shares alot of the same parts minus the pump,,ie aftermarket gearsets in alot of ratios .trans brake ,etc.... a reverse rotation cam and a few small thing would be cheaper if you could hammer the trans as is .. just a thought,, plus the drive axles have u joints like a folts setup ... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... sc&start=0 heres a custom buggy install (with the corvair engine ) just to make some wheels turn ................................................fabricator john

[miller brothers]

i still like coming to this site to check on things here. Wishing everyone the best of luck in all you do.

[LIFE IN THE LOW LANE]

There is a guy here in Australia who is building autos for drag racing applications. Using kombi autos with tricked up bits and pieces from audi's etc etc. his wife's car was the test bed to see if they worked. 71 type 3 square back with rotary 13b turbo. 385hp atw and it broke. So rebuilt and changed some things and it's tough as now!! He has built a couple of autos for guys in Canada for drag bugs and they love them!! His current project is a 60's type 3 notch that is basically a tube car with kombi auto and twin turbo 13b rotary. Some people opt for higher rpm stall converters and some don't. He is definately out there on his own with autos as nobody else here is Australia is mucking around with them!!

[560]

Thanks for the latest updates and info, great to read and learn.

Mike

[Frallan]

There is a guy here in Australia who is building autos for drag racing applications. Using kombi autos with tricked up bits and pieces from audi's etc etc. his wife's car was the test bed to see if they worked. 71 type 3 square back with rotary 13b turbo. 385hp atw and it broke. So rebuilt and changed some things and it's tough as now!! He has built a couple of autos for guys in Canada for drag bugs and they love them!! His current project is a 60's type 3 notch that is basically a tube car with kombi auto and twin turbo 13b rotary. Some people opt for higher rpm stall converters and some don't. He is definately out there on his own with autos as nobody else here is Australia is mucking around with them!!

Life in the low lane, any contacts to the "Auto guy" in Australia?

[nbturbo]

Good day Frallan-good to see you are still around these Forums.Aaron is the Bloke modifying the autos here and he opens the convertors and does his own mods to them.When you visit Aussievdubbers look for 20bturbo's posts.My trans is in the car at last,but I still haven't run it yet.I have started my engine and run it to bed the cam and rings,but something went wrong in the bellhousing.I sheered the 8 crank pins and the crank nut came loose and drove the convertor into the front of the diff.I have made a new crank hub and a new rear engine mount plate-all to give me 2mm more end float for the convertor.The rear engine plate is now 18mm thick at the engine mounting face-the original Autocraft plate is 10mm thick.I am just waiting on new pins and crank nut to arrive from Autocraft and I can get it going again.I bought everything for my auto from Jeff at Transaxle Engeneering which was new chrome moly clutch hubs,C/M main and oil pump drive shafts,C/M pump flower and a new billet manual shift,reverse pattern valve body.It all came to about $2,000 which I thought was good value.Will keep you posted as to how the trans works when I start racing.

[Frallan]

Thanks!
My company keeps on moving me around and now my Dave Folts trans is gathering dust.
2014 is the target for now.
I might need another converter. I am not foreign to buying from far away........
Have a factory new one lying around ready to be rebuilt.

[michaelnofziger]

hello guys this whole topic has been very informing but i hope this is a ok place to ask a question as i am new i am wanting to put a stock 003 auto from a 69 fastback into a sandrail with a 2332 about 175hp will this tranny hold up to playing in the sand dunes. im paralyzed from the chest down so a auto is my only option thanks

[Frallan]

Hi!

Yes I love this topic.
Yes but no.
I think it will need a good professional overhaul and by someone who knows how to strengthen a bit, raise line pressure.
Not sure how difficult it is but oil cooler will also be one determining factor if it will hold long or not.
In the dune.....to me a must.
Then yes, I think it will hold quite well.

My choice would be the 090 though. Heavier but very durable in stock mode.
I ran it for a couple of years as my daily driver and approximately 200 hp on a 2,7 liter TIV.

I had a Danish VW racer friend come over and copy what I had done as he had a stroke and pretty much half of his upper part of the body was not working well. The only good option was automatic trans.

[michaelnofziger]

what in the 003 would need to be strengthened? what is going to be the weak point of this transmission for use in the sand? do you have any idea of how to raise the line pressure? and i was looking into the 090 from a vanagon but i was unable to find conclusive info on it it would bolt up to a type 1 block or not and if not what would need to be done to make it work? and if it will bolt up what would i use for a flex plate? sorry for all the questions i am not used to the vw auto as i have never had any reason to use them until now lol. also right now my sand rail has a bus 091 in it now are my axles going to bolt up to the 003 flanges and also will they bolt to a 090. again sorry for all the questions but this is the only place i have been able to find any info on these trannys and this is my last hope at riding again thanks

[Ian Godfrey]

Michael, it may take a bit of time to get the answers as this thread only gets updated every few days. The people with the knowledge are dotted across 3 continents and I'm not one of them.

[nbturbo]

Because all the mounts have to be fabricated-it won't matter which trans you use.Having said that-the Bus trans is much stronger and has a better final drive ratio to allow you to fit bigger rear tyres.I have a 2.7lt Type 4 bolted to a Type 3 auto trans (003 auto) in an Oval Beetle, and it fitted straight up using a Type 4 flex plate.The convertors are all the same in the 3 bolt mounting lugs.The only problem you will have using a Type 1 engine will be the 3 convertor bolts.You will need to drill a hole in the case to get the bolts in.I am now building a Drag Car with an Autocraft engine on a Vanagon auto trans,and I had to drill a hole in the engine mounting plate to get the convertor bolts in.I had the Type 3 auto in my Oval overhauled by a Bloke that beefs them up in Busses that have a Suby conversion.Any auto trans place should be able to handle that work.

[michaelnofziger]

well looks like i am in luck i have found a shop that can take care of the 003 for me they are going to rebuild it trans and diff in trade for my 091 and maybe a lil in cash but it turns out this guy is the one who was building the transmissions for the pizzo bros back in the day and he really know his stuff so i should be all set up now he knows what it is going into and is going to build it accordingly including a custom converter

[Frallan]

Pizzo???

Very funny coincidence.
They got me in to automatic.
Check this thread. It has 99% of what you need to know...and videos.
I met them and was invited to their house.
http://www.cal-look.com/forum/vw-drag-r ... ?topicseen