Aluminum Intermediate Housings

[71_vw]

I tried this on the Cal-Look forum with no hits so I figured Id offer this to you guys as well. I am going to bring my pattern I just finished for my aluminum intermediate housings to my foundry guy. Is anybody interested in some? I could have him cast a few extras. Its nothing to fancy just a beefed up housing made from aluminum. I will CNC them myself. If your interested let me know. Price I will do $200 shipped.

[Bruce2]

Which stock intermediate housing will it be based on?

[71_vw]

Its based of the early. Help me refresh my memory but are the early and late not the same casting with just different bore diameters for the bearings? If thats the case than I can cut either bore size in there.

I also got to thinking while working on another project that there was another intermediate housing that had longer supports for the shift rods? I think it was out of a autostick or somthing. Maybe I should consider modifying it some more if there is room to extend them. I will have to check on that later.

[Bruce2]

The castings are different to accomodate the different bearings. You should be able to design a single casting that could be machined for most configurations. I know of 5.

I'm pretty sure there's no difference in the supports for the shift rods. You can't extend the support for the 3-4 shift rod, the fork comes really close. You might be able to extend the support for the 1-2 rod, but it may not be necessary since the rod is supported at the diff end.

One thing you MUST do is to make the casting work with close ratio gears without the trans builder having to grind on it.

[Henryhoehandle]

Making them for the type 2 might also be a good idea.

[71_vw]

Thanks guys. I looked threw my junk pile tonight and found a few more housings. Bruce is right I see no way of extending the shift fork bosses. I am going to pick up a ssc case next week that should have the later bearings. I will measure that and make sure the casting can go either way. I have already modified it for the gear clearance.

Maybe when I get this one done I will see what I can do on a bus one. Dont most people use the Berg one to adapt to bug shift forks? Or do the offroad guys still use the factory bus stuff. Thanks for the help.

[Pablo]

There already is an aluminum housing for the 091/1 & 094 Type II. It's all I'll use for my Syncro rebuilds.

There's been a need for an aluminum Type I intermediate housing ever since Autocraft stopped making theirs. I wouldn't hold back on making a bunch of these ... they WILL sell, so long as the machining is accurate.

[71_vw]

they WILL sell, so long as the machining is accurate.

Is there such a thing as a new intermediate housing that is available to take measurements from? I would think finding a factory blueprint would be to much to ask? I do have several low milage boxes to use but new would be best.

[Pablo]

The Brazilian housing used to be readily available via CB Performance, but I don't think anyone in the U.S. carries these any longer.

The most critical (shaft-to-shaft) measurement is 65.65mm. You could measure a dozen housings and not arrive at this precise VW design measurement. (As a matter of fact, the most popular aftermarket VW gears are based on an averaged center-to-center measurement of 65.59mm.)

Drilling the 8mm interlock hole perfectly straight and perpendicular is probably the trickiest single step.

[71_vw]

Pablo. Thats very interesting. I have a CMM so I will check a bunch of housings. The dowl pins location is going to be critical as well for placement of the bores. I would assume they grind aftermarket gears a bit small to avoid running to tight? This all makes sleeving the pinion bore even more critical if you can center off the intermediate housing. IMO

[Pablo]

The dowel pin holes are the first holes drilled, as this is what locates the piece for all other machinework.

The center-to-center measurement is critical to gear mesh, independant of design backlash. The .06mm difference I mentioned was just to illustrate how difficult it is to calculate a working average from a bunch of housings. (I just happened to stumble across the design measurement in some obscure VW paperwork years ago.)

A new intermediate housing is critical to centering a worn main case in the Bridgeport. For steel sleeving a new main case, you obviously would just go off the existing bore.

The placement of the mainshaft bearing bore typically varies by as much as .002" in new housings. This may sound like a lot, but is actually well within workable limits. Far more important is the actual finished bearing bore size.

[raul arrese]

were these ever made ??? im looking for an aluminum one ???