Hi. Doing the subagears gbox swap in my 89 syncro and I need a 4.86:1 front diff. (Mine’s a 5.43:1 like most Aussie syncros apparently)
Anyone got a spare they want to sell?
Thanks
Contact the gearbox guru Rudi Purkhart on Bribie Island. He would be a good source.
Peter
I did the same thing a few years back and managed to get a second hand front ring and pinion from Germany with the help of Arne ( a member here). Also needed to replace the VC with a solid shaft, the setup has been running great, just got to live without low range.
Is Rudi back in operation? When I tried to contact him a few years back he’d moved overseas.
I’ll try the German option too. I have some contacts there as well.
My only other option is to use an r160 suby diff in the front but that makes my final drive 4.44:1 nice and tall for the highway but makes 1st a bit tall for offloading maybe. I’m losing the “g” gear with the suby box but I’m sick of broken vw boxes
Truth be known, Rudi on occasion, takes a holiday overseas to visit extended family and friends. Period.
Hate to have to say it, but in terms of greatest economy, reliability and limit drain on hip pocket, always best to leave the syncro in stock standard form, as designed and intended and in most even mechanical balance by VW. To do otherwise, opens up the pandoras box. Do without “G” gear? Oh dear.
Rudi sure is in operation. I have just been up there as he has renewed my prop shaft. He also did a solid shaft for me last year before I went to Cape York. He has so much good original stuff in his garage. Worth contacting.
Peter
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I’ve been in contact with Todd from Subagears a bit since I swapped, helped him with gearbox mount brackets and a mod to the nose cone to fit within the cross member. He has thought about using the subi low range reduction gears that need to fit in the opposite case half, but it’s not a high priority for him. Its a 1.6:1 reduction.
He has designed the case half and even had a casting made late last year overseas, but quality was poor and refund not an option, obviously a costly exercise.
Hopefully at some point, the low range will come.
If it does then the subi 4.44:1 is not so bad for offroad.
Wow, a hi/low range Suby box would be amazing! I know the purists hate me but after running the ej22 in my syncro for 12 months I would never go back to that dinosaur wasserboxer it replaced. Given the low price and availability of Suby gboxes and diffs (saw a low km LSD for $250 yesterday!) I think a full suby drivetrain is an idea worth pursuing.
Sorry Ken old mate but economy??? Reliability?
You must own the unicorn of syncros!
My ej22 powered syncro gets nearly twice the mileage the old wasserboxer got, doesn’t require changing down 2 gears for small hills, it has never died inexplicably on the highway or otherwise let me down unlike the the other, spares are cheap and readily available etc etc.
Not for everyone obviously but it suits me.
Cheers
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Mmmmmmm … sounds like a real fun time is being had eh breaking down on multiple occasions with broken vw syncro gearboxes. Expensive?
Begs the question … did you ever stop to ponder, what am I doing wrong that’s the cause of so much inconvenience and angst?
So now I’m visualising what your final subasincvan configuration looks like:
Subi motor
High revs
Timing belt
Subi gearbox
No “G” gear
Not an offroader
No rear difflock
No front difflock
No decoupler
Aggressive VC
But it’s FAST!
And it looks outside … just like mine! Now there’s a win for ya old mate.
Not only have you lost G gear but your 1st gear will be taller. I have a Forester and am not a fan of Subaru gearboxes.
I think the diff that you want is the US spec. It may be cheaper and easier to try there.
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