951,968 transaxle?

[TREBOR_QUITMAN]

Hello all, Please don't beat me for asking, I'm bored at work and day dreaming. I know there are some obvious problems with putting any of the 944 series transaxles in a bug, mainly that they are flipped, and the bell doesn't normally have provisions for a clutch,flywheel,starter, etc... But could one be modified to work? Has anyone looked at one and seen what would have to be fabricated to make this work other than flipping the gears? There is a hole that the shifter linkage goes through, this could be used for the starter... I'll shut up now and put my dunce hat back on... zzz

[Bruce2]

You'd have to build your car with the engine ahead of the trans, mid engine style. The 944 trans is a single side cover trans with the side cover on the wrong side for rear engine use.

[Michael Ghia]

Hi,
I've looked at it and it's a lot of work and they are not especially cheap to buy.
There should be enought room to flip the diff but it would mean pulling the cluster out first.
As you've stated, no mountings for clutch mechanism or starter but with time and money... anything's possible. Just can't help thinking that by the time you've done that... modified it again to bolt the bug box to the 944 gearbox (as no one makes a conversion kit to use it)... you could've bought and installed a 915 box instead.
MG

[Superman]

The Audi 5000 (200) has the same 5 speed transmission as the 951 tranny... with clutch, etc. mounted in the conventional way. Always keep in mind when dealing with the 944 that this car is merely made of mostly VW and Audi parts which are much cheaper. However, as Bruce said, the tranny has a one side cover for the diff and can't be flipped. This is true for all water-cooled VW/Audi transmissions.

[Bruce2]

There's another negative about the 944 trans, the selector rod that's the equivalent to the hockey stick in a Bug trans is very weak. I discovered this the hard way.......