Hi,
what I read here is (sorry to say this) near to nonsens.
1. a 901 or a 914 is nearly the same. The main difference is the direction it turns out. You can change the direction by flipping the ring gear. So itīs an old tale that youīre running 5 speed reverse gears with a 914 tranny. 914 has longer gear ratio than 901-gearboxes, but stand the same torque. They have the same housing and the same bearings, etc. The only gearbox housing thatīs different is the old 901 before 68, which is aluminium cast and not magnesium.
2. The 901 and 914 transmissions easily stand an engine with 2.4 litre. I have a lot of customers who drive good 2.7 engines and have a few with 2.9 litres also. 250 Nm of torque plus 10 % is no problem at all. And believe in me. The German Look Scene here in Germany is bringing out very good type 4 engines.
3. What a nonsens to say that a 5-speed is more inefficient than a 4-speed. Who is today still building cars with 4 speeds? And why do the companies spend more money for 5 or 6 speed gearboxes, if they could handle more efficiency with a 4-speed?
Everyone that already drove a 5-speed in a bug would never change back to a 4-speed again.
4. What is the problem, that people try to give these Porsche trannies a bad name? They were driven over years in very good, fast and strong cars and I can tell you out of my experience that they are much better than each changed 4 speed gearbox at all
Martin Bott Bug @ 5-Speed
www.bugat5speed.de