As this is the 2nd response like this, perhaps I should clarify.
Yes, and no. In fact, Porsche started out using VW cases, but with
their own gear sets. After only a few years of production, they
switched to a Porsche designed case, of the tunnel variety, long before
VW made the same change. The ring & pinion are different enough to make
this operation a royal pain. In the VW splitcase, 1st has no synchro,
and reverse is buried deep in the case. In the Porsche splitcase, all
gears have synchros, of a better design, and reverse is stuck under the
end cap. Putting reverse out in the end cap makes the pinion shaft
longer than the comparable VW unit. I asked about using a VW pinion
shaft, and giving up reverse gear. The transaxle guy was dubious. He
suspects the splines on the VW shaft will not mate with my Porsche gear
clusters. The jury is still out. My particular unit appears to be a
genuine VW case with Porsche gears and some of the Porsche mods "copied"
over. This would have been consistent with FIA Formula Junior rules.
Unfortunately, so was the first model Hewland. The builder (Bourgeault)
was opinionated enough not to swap it out for a Hewland even after it
became obvious that was the box of choice in Formula Junior.
> This is probably a REALLY dumb question, but do Porsche and VW
> transaxles of this vintage share any parts; I ask because I have
> (because of a packrat affliction, for which I'm being treated <g>) an
> old splitcase VW from a long gone car.
I guess I must be worse. I have two. ;=( Actually I went out of my way
to BUY these relics, just so I'd have spare cases. If the VW r&p would
work I have 2 to choose from. Some of the bearings are actually the
same, but there also seemed to be some variation from year to year among
splitcases as VW worked out the bugs. Mine is apparently a VERY early
case. The other two I bought are later castings.
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