Alternative gearbox for X1/9 from VW, Audi (WAG group)

[Dr.Jeff]

I have a contact in the UK that have MR2 shifters if interested. I've heard they should work well but I have no experience. They are impossible to get at the junkyards here.

"They are impossible to get at the junkyards here."
That is the problem here, some of the good donors for such parts are not widely available - at least not cheap.

I had the same issue with another project vehicle. I was interested in doing a complete drivetrain swap and convert a FWD vehicle to RWD in the process. But all of the better donor choices were either low production models (and costly even when new), or the "drift" crowd has deemed them desirable and dried up the market - driving up prices.

 

[Janis]

This is how much is needed to be cut off of the housing.
It can be slided into tunnel through rear end.

Size of the hole depemd where You want to postion the housing.

Holder of something, in my case it is speedw cable, must be cut off or wiggle it till it snap off.

Cables might be correct length, will know later this week most likely.

Will modify stick angles more to the right side. If Your car is RHD this might be excellent position for You.

Shifter housing will be secured into tunnel with bolts or screws through left and right side of tunnel.

 

[Janis]

Also piece of left side mounting tab that holds in my case throttle cable, a section of it on top myst be cut out so cable tube can be bent a little bit closer to the wall of tunnel.

 

[Janis]

It is still posible to fit drivetrain trough top
Next will need to figure out how to attach cables to levers. So far everything without issues.

 

[Janis]

I think this thread should be moved to workshop forum.

 

[Janis]

Will post some more details later today.
But for a hour couldn’t understand why can’t shift into R and 5th.
Because I missed something and pattern is upside down now

 

[Janis]

VW has 13mm balls on levers.

DIN 71802 is the thing You need to make Mazda cable work with VW box.
New Mazda cables are expensive ~230€, I think better buy used ones together with shifter. If You like upside down pattern or weld the ball on the opposite side of lever on gearbox, not like I did.

1. take off plastic ends of mazda’s cables on gearbox end

2. cut off where are grooves

3.weld M8 threaded rods

4.take measurements and cut them off, or just take measurments of my pictures

5.drill D6.5 holes throught the tunnel sides where and use M6 threaded rod

And last You need a bracket for cables, maybe mazda’s one can be used and modified, have no idea.

About upside down shifter, most likely I will fix that Don’t need extra reason to get some deep checking at MOT station.

Feel free to ask for STEP or any other format for adapter plate. (FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY). Or I can make You one.

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Regarding the reversed shift pattern. This is where I was confused before. The only Mazdas that I know of here in the US were FWD. And a FWD car will have the shift pattern backward when turned around to use on a mid or rear engine car. So was this shifter from a FWD or mid engine Mazda?

 

[Janis]

from

Regarding the reversed shift pattern. This is where I was confused before. The only Mazdas that I know of here in the US were FWD. And a FWD car will have the shift pattern backward when turned around to use on a mid or rear engine car. So was this shifter from a FWD or mid engine Mazda?

from FWD but I will correct that, I think that I didn’t think when modified that lever
I will place it on opposite side and everything will be normal

 

[Dr.Jeff]

That sounds more like it, the cables will need to be "looped around" somehow. I like your approach to do it at the trans selector levers and not at the shifter mechanism inside the car. You should be able to make a mechanical linkage arrangement to allow it to work without having to actually loop the cable 180 degrees. I think it has been done with the Honda shifter for K20 swaps? Maybe see if you can find an example of how they did it for ideas.

 

[Janis]

NO LOOPING is needed.
Just move this point on opposite side.

I tought that already posted these pictures but appeared that didn’t.

Both levers have to be modifed, cast iron one I welded on wrong side, it has to be as in first picture in this post with yellow line.

 

[autox19]

NO LOOPING is needed.
Just move this point on opposite side.
View attachment 60875

I tought that already posted these pictures but appeared that didn’t.

Both levers have to be modifed, cast iron one I welded on wrong side, it has to be as in first picture in this post with yellow line.

View attachment 60876View attachment 60877View attachment 60878View attachment 60879View attachment 60880View attachment 60881View attachment 60882View attachment 60883View attachment 60884View attachment 60885View attachment 60886View attachment 60887View attachment 60888

That's what I did.with my 2.2 turbo swap I did in the 90s. Easy peasy

Odie

 

[Dr.Jeff]

NO LOOPING is needed.
Just move this point on opposite side.
View attachment 60875

I tought that already posted these pictures but appeared that didn’t.

Both levers have to be modifed, cast iron one I welded on wrong side, it has to be as in first picture in this post with yellow line.

View attachment 60876View attachment 60877View attachment 60878View attachment 60879View attachment 60880View attachment 60881View attachment 60882View attachment 60883View attachment 60884View attachment 60885View attachment 60886View attachment 60887View attachment 60888

OK, now I see what you mean by "the other side". Sorry I misunderstood earlier.

By chance does that make the pattern correct for "forward and backward" movements, but inverted for 1/2 and 3/4 positions (i.e. 1st is on right side)?

 

[Janis]

OK, now I see what you mean by "the other side". Sorry I misunderstood earlier.

By chance does that make the pattern correct for "forward and backward" movements, but inverted for 1/2 and 3/4 positions (i.e. 1st is on right side)?

No, it only is responsible for forward/backward motion.

This one is responsible for left and right

 

[tony x19]

Great work , will be nice to have an option for trans , what car is this out of ,

 

[Dr.Jeff]

Thanks, that makes sense.

So by modifying the levers like that (to reverse the movements), then I'm assuming a VW shift selector assembly could be used? What I mean is, not in your situation but if someone else were to do a complete swap with the VW engine and trans. And they could get all the needed parts from the a complete donor car. Then the original shifter from that car could be used along with the VW cables, clutch parts, etc. That might make for a fairly simple swap into the X; no need for custom axles, special shifter parts, or anything other than modifying the engine mounts.

 

[Jonohhh]

Will post some more details later today.
But for a hour couldn’t understand why can’t shift into R and 5th.
Because I missed something and pattern is upside down now
View attachment 60861

It's often said that manual transmissions are a good form of theft prevention these days, but this one would really do a thief in!

 

[Janis]

Clutch feels much softer than with stock gearbox, but it works and is bleeded, took 2 hours for one person without any special tools

Might redo mazda shifter, as it is used and have some wear, but it is prety simple to replicate it in metal and use knuckle joints from store.

On this week might start the engine and do a test drive

 

[Janis]

Thanks, that makes sense.

So by modifying the levers like that (to reverse the movements), then I'm assuming a VW shift selector assembly could be used? What I mean is, not in your situation but if someone else were to do a complete swap with the VW engine and trans. And they could get all the needed parts from the a complete donor car. Then the original shifter from that car could be used along with the VW cables, clutch parts, etc. That might make for a fairly simple swap into the X; no need for custom axles, special shifter parts, or anything other than modifying the engine mounts.

And do a cut in left longeron to make room for gearbox.

VW shifter movement ‘left to right’ would be mirrored, it could be modifed at gearbox end but not as simple anymore.

Also VW shifter box is, if recall correctly, a bit bulky, it won’t slide into the tunnel I think, and making cuts on side walls of tunnel to place a shifter I don’t think is best idea.

Mazda shifter is way to go

also I don’t know how long ar VW cables, most likley ~20cm shorter than mazda ones, I am just guessing- it can be checked on google.

But the verdict is Yes the one where I think that 1.8t swap from WAG is a way to go. Or after few years electrical motor conversion..

 

[Bjorn Nilson]

A Norwegian friend is using a shifter from a Fiat Doblo (transporter car) with success. He has an Abarth 500 engine and transaxle.