Real life experiences with 915 transaxle?

[-Alex-]

I'd like to hear real life experiences with 915 transaxle. Anybody?


-Do you have rebuilt or non rebuilt unknown condition transaxle?

-How is it working? What oil are you using?

-Did you use bug at 5 speed conversion parts or not?



Also why did you decided to put 915 transaxle? How much power planning to put through it?



Please, no opinions that bus 4-speed or T1 berg-5 would do the job


I have heard that swepco 201 or Kendall SAE 80w-90 is good oil for 915 transaxle. I have in mind the early 915 which has 7:31 R&P, these have nice shorter overall ratios than late ones. Ofcourse any old 915 needs basic checking and some rebuild, also shifter and joints needs be good to shift as well as they can.

Just that i dont have any experience with 915, and all the horrorstories give me an idea that it shifts like a truck transmission at worst It's the only thing that worries me.



Still thinking also the berg bus 5-speed.

[Xellex]

Hi, I only drove mine for about 1500km max since the install but i'm pretty happy with it. Only minor bugs to sort out.
So, mine is a late 915 (1985) with a ZF LSD. It was a non rebuilt unit, that I pulled myself from a 911 with 200k+ kilometers on the odometer.
I'm using Castrol racing B373 LSD oil. Dunno if it's the best choice or not.
I didn't use any bug@5speed parts, I did it all myself.
The clutch is a bus 228mm with a alfa romeo (lancia) 228mm disc. I rerouted the clutch cable through the pan to the right lower side and that's all.
About power plans... right now I have a 2L type4 with probably 100Hp max, but I'm aming high... Wally's car is the standard here :P
And about the shifting.. that is the part that bothers me a little. It took a while to adjust the shifter, but it still isn't perfect. Sometimes it takes a bit of effort to go in 2nd, and I keep confusing 3rd with 5th. But it takes a bit of accomodation also, and I'm sure it will be better and better.

[-Alex-]

Ok, can you shift as quickly as if with vw transaxle? So it's not like truck transmission?

[Xellex]

oh yeah, there's no difference, other than the fact that I had one of those quick shift devices on the original bug shifter, and the travel was shorter. But anyway, the travel on the 915 shifter isn't that bad. Also, the shifter is bent towards the rear of the car and you don't have to stretch for 3rd or 5th gear.