question for '96 xantia td owners

busbuddy · Post by **busbuddy** » 14 Feb 2006, 22:00

what revs are you doing at 70mph???

I need to know coz I'm chucking the engine in my vw campervan and need to rebuild my gearbox with ratios to match the engine rpm

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 14 Feb 2006, 22:58

The gearing for a 1.9TD engine is usually about 25-28 mph/1000rpm depending on the vehicle it's installed in.

I would be aiming for the lower of those figures, considering the brick-esque aerodynamics of the vehicle you're putting it in. If the gearing is too high, top gear will be fairly useless.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 14 Feb 2006, 23:02

I would think about 2,500 but check in an old 'Diesel car' mag

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 15 Feb 2006, 14:12

Peter thats way too long legged a gear ratio.
That would equal approx (2500/70)*50 = 1786rpm at 50mph.

My BX TD is doing 2800rpm at 70mph
- or some 2000 at 50mph.
Thats the longest legs I've ever had on any car I've owned, including the CX.

If this engine have to push a VW camper, it must have shorter legs to be both driveable and economical

Post by **Peter.N.** » 15 Feb 2006, 15:22

Anders

I was only approximating it against the XM, which is a bigger engine but in a heavier car, that does 2,400 rpm at 70 mph, or at least, that's what it says its doing! and my td CX was about the same. Thats why I said, 'look in diesel car'.

mezuk04 · Post by **mezuk04** » 15 Feb 2006, 15:23

Im sure mine at 70 is around the 3000rpm mark...i cant recall specifically but i know both needles are roughly at the same angle.

nick · Post by **nick** » 15 Feb 2006, 16:09

Mine's 3000 rpm @ 80 mph in 5th, which would make 70 mph 2625 rpm.

As far as I know they didn't change the ratios between 1996 & 97.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 15 Feb 2006, 16:11

I agree with Anders on this one.

My two have slightly different gearing because the wheels aren't the same size, one has 185/65/14s where as the other has 185/65/15s.

2000rpm is about 50mph on the smaller wheeled car and a bit higher (approx 53 mph ??) on the other one. That gives 2800 rpm for the older car and something like 2650 for the other.

You may find that gearing a bit high in a VW Camper because its not exactly aerodynamic.

The XUD TD produces quite a lot of torque (more than a 2.0 litre petrol) so your gearbox may not last a long time. I remember when they did a similar conversion (albeit to a Beetle) on the Scrappy Rally that the gearbox didn't last the length of the program.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 15 Feb 2006, 16:19

i know both needles are roughly at the same angle.

True - rather an elegant feature!

nick · Post by **nick** » 15 Feb 2006, 16:40

dnsey wrote:
i know both needles are roughly at the same angle.
True - rather an elegant feature!

Its probably no coincidence that both needles point exactly upwards at the French m/way speed limit (roughly 80mph) too.

busbuddy · Post by **busbuddy** » 16 Feb 2006, 18:00

cheers for that, thought it would be around the 3000 mark.

the scrappy races beetle is a standing joke in the vw scene as there are a lot of 200bhp beetles/campers running around with standard gearboxes.

the bottom end of the gearbox should be fine as the xantia is heavier than my camper anyway, it was just motorway speeds that would be the problem. Aiming for 65mph @ 3000 in top so should be ok when I encounter any hills

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 17 Feb 2006, 17:13

busbuddy wrote:cheers for that, thought it would be around the 3000 mark.

the scrappy races beetle is a standing joke in the vw scene as there are a lot of 200bhp beetles/campers running around with standard gearboxes.

the bottom end of the gearbox should be fine as the xantia is heavier than my camper anyway, it was just motorway speeds that would be the problem. Aiming for 65mph @ 3000 in top so should be ok when I encounter any hills

Are you using the Xantia gearbox? If so, you'll be absolutely fine with the torque. If not, you may not be.

The Scrappy Races Beetle used the standard VW gearbox which usually has an engine with about half the torque of the TD, they'd tuned the TD a bit too (for extra power, torque and smoke!). Its the torque that kills a gearbox, not the power.

I have heard of Porsche engines being put into VWs but I'd assume you'd want to use a Porche gearbox so that it doesn't get broken (or at least an uprated VW box).

busbuddy · Post by **busbuddy** » 17 Feb 2006, 21:03

no not using xantia box as the engine has to be spun round 'in-line' to fit in the back

turbo subaru engines are the popular choice for vw's at the moment and most with stock boxes so torque ain't the problem.

porsche engined vw's are still quite rare due to price of engines, but they are starting to get popular mainly because of the early vw camper that took part in last years 'gumball 3000' running a porsche gt3 engine.

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » 18 Feb 2006, 09:29

Of course the VW gearbox used to form the basis of the Hewland gearbox as used for years in Formula 1 - with the Cosworth DFV (Double four valve) engine. If I recall correctly its original output (late 60's) was about 400 BHP.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 18 Feb 2006, 20:32

busbuddy wrote:no not using xantia box as the engine has to be spun round 'in-line' to fit in the back

turbo subaru engines are the popular choice for vw's at the moment and most with stock boxes so torque ain't the problem.

So what went wrong with the Scrappy Races box? Did they forget to put oil in it or was it them wimmen driving it

porsche engined vw's are still quite rare due to price of engines, but they are starting to get popular mainly because of the early vw camper that took part in last years 'gumball 3000' running a porsche gt3 engine.

Jamie Oliver has a Porsche engined one, the Stig drove him around the top gear test track in it...