@Michael McKelvey posted:Isn't keeping the .89 and using a 3.88 R&P also considered a freeway flyer? It doesn't have the 3-4 gap.
It's actually stock gearing for the Karmann Ghia, Michael- it was more aerodynamic than the Beetle, which had the .93 (.94?) 4th gear with the 3.88, so the Sainted Engineers at Wolfsburg were able to give it longer legs As Rick said, Transform coined the term back in the early '80's. I'd never heard of the 'double flyer'.
@LI-Rick posted:Transform, the company that coined "Freeway Flyer" back in the 1980's, used the term to denote a .82 fourth gear, with the 4.12 r&p. If you added the 3.88 r&p and the .82 fourth gear, it was a "double flyer". All marketing BS.
Imho, when using engines with double the horsepower of a 1600, there is no need for a 3.80 first gear. VW did this to move a 1600 lb car with 60 hp. I believe the trend should be to change the 1-2 mainshaft, to a 3.11-1.93 or a 3.44-1.93 and use taller gears in 3 & 4, like 1.26 and .88, or 1.21 and .82, depending on your desired cruise speed. The one downside is cost, as a mainshaft change is about $1200.
I had a weird revelation the other day. I’ve always hated my first gear, shifting 1-2 at 18 mph unless I rev the bageezus out of it. If I’m pointed even slightly down hill or barely rolling, I’ll start in second gear.
The other day I watched the tach in my Smart and I shift 1-2 about 18-20 mph and it’s never bothered me.
Maybe I’m spoiled by my 968 that’s so torquey I can also start in second get and pretty much drive it like an automatic in 3rd unless I come to a complete stop. Pulls fine from 1500rpm up.
ps: I think Danny has trans specs down and IIRC, its what Greg is putting in his Vintage Spyders, as well. When I was fantasizing about building a trans (prior to pricing the bits and pieces) I wanted to replicate the original 550/Speedster/Carrera BBAB Porsche trans. Greg’s is pretty close.
BBAB Gear Ratios:
R&P 4.375/4.12 3.88
1st 11:34-3.09 -3.80
2nd 17:30-1.76=1.23 -2.06=1.74
3rd 22:27-1.22=.54 -1.26=.80
4th 26:23-.88=.34 -.89=.37
From Greg:
3:88 R&P
310. 1st
193. 2nd
121. 3rd
082. 4th
en Re Spyder original gearing:
Gear ratios: (final)
550 Spyder Late Bug trans with 3.44 R&P
1st: 3.18 (14.1/1) 3.80 (13.1/1)
2nd 1.94 (8.6/1) 2.06 (7.1/1)
3rd 1.23 (5.4/1) 1.26 (4.3/1)
4th 0.96 (4.25/1) 0.93 (3.2/1)
R&P 4.43 3.44
Top speed at redline in
1st: 40 mph 35 mph
2nd 66 64
3rd 104 104
4th 133 @7500 141 @6000
imho the 3.44 R&P with stock gears gives a pretty decent approximation of the Spyder experience: It's apt to be a little quicker off the line and longer-legged in 4th, but the greater low-down torque of the larger VW engine, and its lower effective redline, means it can more easily stay in its sweet spot even with the broader gear gaps.
The 547 engine came on cam at 4000 RPM and made peak torque at 5000 RPM, and peak HP at 6200, for a 2200-RPM "torque pocket." My Type 1 1915 starts feeling snappy at 3000, makes peak torque at 4000 and peak HP at 5500—a 2500 RPM sweet spot.
If you graph out the RPM drops on a gear ratio calculator you can see. My 1-2 shift at 6k drops the RPMs down to 3250 or so, a 2750 RPM drop into the lower range of my torque curve. A guy racing an original 550, shifting into second gear at the race-only speed of 7500, drops the tach to 4575, almost a 3000 RPM drop. He's just 400 below peak torque but he gets it by running 1300 RPM above peak HP. 
If the original Spyder driver shifts at the engine's 6200 RPM peak HP speed his revs drop a little below that magic 4000 RPM figure in 2nd and 3rd. Whereas if I shift at my engine's 5500 RPM peak HP speed, I'm only just slightly below 3000 in second—and above 3000 in the next two shifts. In other words, the wide ratio Beetle trans is more able to keep a street-built VW engine in its Fun Zone than the close ratio gearbox could the high-strung 4-cam engine.
This is why our cars do not quite replicate the early Carrera experience, but surpass it.
@LI-Rick posted:Transform, the company that coined "Freeway Flyer" back in the 1980's, used the term to denote a .82 fourth gear, with the 4.12 r&p. If you added the 3.88 r&p and the .82 fourth gear, it was a "double flyer". All marketing BS.
Imho, when using engines with double the horsepower of a 1600, there is no need for a 3.80 first gear. VW did this to move a 1600 lb car with 60 hp. I believe the trend should be to change the 1-2 mainshaft, to a 3.11-1.93 or a 3.44-1.93 and use taller gears in 3 & 4, like 1.26 and .88, or 1.21 and .82, depending on your desired cruise speed. The one downside is cost, as a mainshaft change is about $1200.
Exactly. If you change the main shaft(1-2) and 3-4 gears as well, it's over 2k, just for 1-4 gears. That's not counting the ring and pinion, the differential used, and any bearings, seals, O-rings and circlips. Think minimum 3k for parts. Then find a qualified person to build it.
I'm really not a fan of the taller 3rd and 4th that Greg uses, but to be fair I've never driven that combo with the Pat Downs 2332. I'd bet it works great.
Other than the 3.80 first being so short(even with the tall 3.44 final) my stock gears aren't so bad. And I'll add that last fall this gearing worked very well in the NC mountains. I don't know if it was the stickier tires allowing faster cornering, the EFI giving a wider torque band, or both in combination. But my too-wide 3-4 rpm drop was unnoticed, and the 2-3 spacing which previously drove me crazy(2nd too short, 3rd too tall) didn't seem to be a problem.
I'll let you know how my transmission feels once I build and install it. It will be 3.44-1.93-1.32-1.00 with a 3.44 final(just about exactly the same as 0.89 fourth/3.88 final). It might be a 1.30 3rd(can't remember). This makes 1 and 2 slightly taller, 3-4 slightly shorter than currently. All perfectly evenly spaced(as can be for a 4 speed).
I did finally straighten out the issue with my spare Vee trans. Apparently, I broke 1 of the 3 "catch keys" or pawls in the 1-2 slider. I've got new ones on the way with new springs also. That will go together soon and be in the trailer just-in-case at the track.
The trans that I rebuilt and painted is in the Vee and perfect. Shifts better than ever before. I even welded 3rd and 4th with my Mig and surface ground them(chuck gear in lathe, cut surface flat, then finish with fine paper on a 4.5" angle grinder). It's not that hard, but I've got quite a few rebuilds under my belt now.
