Has anyone put a later ‘80s (’86) auto transmission into an ’82 aircooled Van. I know I have read of people doing it, but can’t find where. (I have a Subaru EJ22 engine in my van)

I am about to do the swap at the weekend and have been doing some checking.

The mounting bracket on the rear end of the auto box (i.e. forward in vehicle) is different for the two cases. The reason is because in the later vehicles there is the transmission cooler which needs space, so VW made a sort of stirrup bracket that bolts on to the transmission and it is through the ends of this bracket that the large transverse bolt goes that secures the transmission to the rubber support bolted to the cross member. In the earlier van, this mounting bracket was different. ONE of the differences is that for the later van, the bracket is longer than for the earlier one.

If I use the later bracket (which looks as though it will fit), it will not bring the bolt holes (for the large transverse mounting bolt) anywhere near the rubber mount. It brings them further toward the front of the van (by 40 or even 60mm, not sure yet).

IF I used the existing bracket from the end of the existing auto trans, I could mount the trans OK, but I could not have the cooler in place – OR get at the holes to put in an adapter from an external cooler (or even have something screwed into the lower hole).

It APPEARS that if I were to reverse the plate that secures the rubber mount to the cross member (possible as the plate has 4 bolt holes), I reckon the rubber mount would be in roughly the right position to allow me to put in the bolt. That is, the mount would have moved about 40mm toward the front of the van.

Has anyone faced this before please?

I suspect, though it surprises me, that the cross member in the watercooled vans may have been moved 40mm or maybe more forward compared with the aircooled van. This seems curious to me, but something sure seems a little odd. Then again, the 'firewall' has changed location a bit.

I’d be pleased to hear from anyone at all who has comments on the issue.

Thanks

Dave

Is you hot mail cleared for photo ? ok off line

this a mount I made for type three *you can do the same for your adaption .

I have used a spring bush from a toyota ute ,the other half this goes into is a U shape mount this bolts up the the torsion bar . There is a sleve in side the bush so the it does not crush the mount up . These work very well have done many now and have the same for motor mounts in my trike with the ej20 .:beer

[Edited on 11-8-2004 by seagull]

[Edited on 11-8-2004 by seagull]

one more

[Edited on 11-8-2004 by seagull]