Berg 5 or 901/915? Cost no factor...

[SprintStar]

Hello All,

Ok, if cost is no factor, would you choose a Berg 5 or a Porsche 901/915?

It seems that the Berg 5 is more expensive and the 901/915 is harder to install. Am I right to assume the Berg 5 is a bolt-on affair?

Pros and Cons about the 2 trannys, please. Thanks!

Sprint.

[Sandeep]

I'd like to hear the pros and cons of this one aswell, as I'm just starting the process of figuring out which one to install winter 2003.

Sandeep

[hot66]

I'm fitting a type1 based berg5 box with quaife LSD & type 2 output shafts. Still needs a little bit of work to get it to fit but nothing to involved.

[kdanie]

The Berg trans install requires a modification to the body above the torsion tube for clearance. The Berg trans is custom for each customer so you pick the gear ratios and other parts to determine how strong it will be. With only the Berg conversion parts, it is only as strong as a normal type 1 trans.

The 901 is the cheapest to install (if you can find a good used trans), requiring a little fabrication for front and rear mounts and shifter. It should be good for 250HP but drag starts can hurt it.

The 915 is slightly more difficult and much more expensive to install than the other two. It requires the same fabrication for mounts/shifter plus you have the clutch/flywheel/release bearing to deal with. I have read that 914 parts can be used but when I measured my parts it would not clear, there is not enough depth in the bellhousing. Kennedy Engineering makes a conversion flywheel that uses 911 clutch parts and makes it work but it is $$$. My 915 trans had 930 size drive flanges, that's another $500 for CVs/axles/stub shafts. So a more expensive trans + clutch parts + drive parts + big $$$$ but results in a very strong installation.

ken

[Wally]

Well kdanie, I made that descision already and it bacame a 915 trans. If you find the rigth one, it should not be much more difficult to install than a 901.
Kennedy charges $249,-- for a 915 to type 4 flywheel. The stock 2,7 ltr 911 pressureplate can than be used, or so I hope. My flywheel has to come in yet.
I think its more that just very few people have installed a 915 box and than it becomes easily 'difficult' and spooky to many.
The only really advantage of the Berg 5 I see for me is the shorter build of the Berg 5 over the long 915 body. I still consider to cut in the torsion housing when the install is there and naybe use coil-overs at the rear with a ball joint (uniball) pick-up at the torsion cover (930-style?).
I'll make some pics when I go there.
Walter

[SprintStar]

Originally posted by hot66
I'm fitting a type1 based berg5 box with quaife LSD & type 2 output shafts. Still needs a little bit of work to get it to fit but nothing to involved.

That's the way I'm going. Berg 5 and LSD. Can you detail the work to fit it? Is it massive? I read something about some clearancing.... Will a hammer do or do I need to go to a shop to get them to cut the sheet metal?

Thanks.

Sprint.

[Wally]

Sprintstar,
It seems like you have already made your mind up :-)
Choose a strong main shaft. There are a lot of pictures of broken ones in the trans gallery....
Walter

[Alex]

As far as I know a hammer will do the trick.
I had a box welded in. Looks better if you do not want to put a back seat or carpet in.

In the tranny gallery you will see what needs to be done to the torsion bar. A little clearencing is needed there as well.

Alex

[hot66]

Originally posted by SprintStar
That's the way I'm going. Berg 5 and LSD. Can you detail the work to fit it? Is it massive? I read something about some clearancing.... Will a hammer do or do I need to go to a shop to get them to cut the sheet metal?

Thanks.

Sprint.

We clearanced the torsion housing very slightly to get it to fit. In addition we cut the bodywork above the nose cone out & replaced it with a new clearanced 'box'. This isn't neccesary as I have known people who have just clearanced using a big hammer

HotVws had an article a couple of years ago on fitting a berg5.

You also need to fit a mid mount gearbox support, but I imagine you would have that anyway if a bigger motor is to be fitted.

BTW, I'm also going with a chromoly main shaft for extra security

[SprintStar]

Originally posted by Alex
As far as I know a hammer will do the trick.
I had a box welded in. Looks better if you do not want to put a back seat or carpet in.

In the tranny gallery you will see what needs to be done to the torsion bar. A little clearencing is needed there as well.

Alex

So if I clearance with a hammer, I still can have my backseat, right? :-) This is my daily driver and I need to haul chicks from time to time. *wide grin*

Sprint.

[SprintStar]

Originally posted by hot66
We clearanced the torsion housing very slightly to get it to fit. In addition we cut the bodywork above the nose cone out & replaced it with a new clearanced 'box'. This isn't neccesary as I have known people who have just clearanced using a big hammer

HotVws had an article a couple of years ago on fitting a berg5.

You also need to fit a mid mount gearbox support, but I imagine you would have that anyway if a bigger motor is to be fitted.

BTW, I'm also going with a chromoly main shaft for extra security

Is the main shaft the same as the ring and pinion?

Hey, anyone got comments on their Berg 5? Tell me you love it!

[hot66]

Originally posted by SprintStar
So if I clearance with a hammer, I still can have my backseat, right? :-) This is my daily driver and I need to haul chicks from time to time. *wide grin*

Sprint.

you can still have your back seat. On my car, because of the boxed section, we had to modify the seat to clear it.

[hot66]

Originally posted by SprintStar
Is the main shaft the same as the ring and pinion?

Hey, anyone got comments on their Berg 5? Tell me you love it!

when i talk about the main shaft, its the peice that needs to be modified & extended for the berg5 conversion.

From what I can gather their are 2 options. Using a superbeetle one to be modified or a chromoly one. The superbeetle one is cheaper & ok with power upto 200bhp? as long as your not doing drag race starts with slicks etc...the chromoly is more expensive but much stronger & will give you extra peice of mind + you will end up with a box that can handle future power rises

[randyj]

Originally posted by hot66
when i talk about the main shaft, its the peice that needs to be modified & extended for the berg5 conversion.

...the chromoly is more expensive but much stronger & will give you extra peice of mind + you will end up with a box that can handle future power rises

Did you buy the chromoly main shaft from Berg or a third party?

Randy

[Alex]

Third party....Berg does not sell those I think.
Erco and Weddle sell the one piece main shafts.

Alex