Over the years, I've owned and driven 2 Autostick bugs that functioned properly (as good as a new one). They worked well, and if you started in L every time, acceleration was acceptable. You can start off from any gear, but L, 2, 3 gives acceleration the closest to a manual trans. These gear ratios are the same as 2,3 and 4 on a manual trans; you don't need a ratio as low as 1, because the slip of the torque converter starting out takes care of the 0 to 2 speed range. The limiting factor on adding HP to an Autostick, isn't the pump or the vacuum from the intake manifold. It's the 180mm clutch disc inside the transmission. It'll only absorb stock HP; any more and it'll slip due to not enough contact surface area. That's why later vehicles went to 200/ 210/ 215/ 220/ 228mm clutches; as HP grew, so did the clutch diameters. And no, you can't fit anything larger inside the proprietary pressure plate for that trans.
Mike B. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 9:00 PM Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Autostick Ghia Q. > > Having owned one of these long ago, but never having really driven it > much...? If I recall correctly, there is a L, as well as a 1 and 2 which > correspond to driving in 3rd and 4th gear in a manual.? Think you could go > between 1 and 2 most of the time according to the owner's manual?? Seems > if you pulled out in L, it would pull out rather quickly, however with the > torque converter in this setup, a lot of torque was lost through this > drivetrain.? If this were me and the car was a 72 or newer, it would be a > no brainer and I would go stick. Making a bigger engine for an autostick > is complicated by the special oil pump, vacuum take off for the clutch, > etc. ? If the thought is simply somewhat better acceleration, I would be > going back through the basics and make sure everything is correct starting > with compression testing, tune up, valve adjustments, etc,? Also think > there was an adjustment on the vacuum solenoid for engagement speed which > would allow the clutch to reengage? fast! > er after shifts??? Is the clutch slipping?? Is the trans fluid at correct > level?? > > ?Perception of what passes for pulling out fast varies with the user and > what you are comparing it to.... > > > > Ray > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Bill May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List > <[email protected]> > Sent: Fri, 25 Jul 2008 7:37 pm > Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Autostick Ghia Q. > > > > > > > > > > > check the gear ratios in the trans. 4 speed versus 3 speed auto stick. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dean" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Air-Cooled Volkswagen Discussion List" <[email protected]> > Sent: Friday, July 25, 2008 10:38 AM > Subject: Re: [vintagvw] Autostick Ghia Q. > > >> --- On Fri, 7/25/08, Bill May <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> auto-stick is same as taking off in 2nd gear in 4 speed beetle. >> >> That's surprising. I thought my autostick really leapt into trafic if I >> used the lowest gear. I'd have to shift up right away and I didn't do >> much high speed driving. Perhaps my memory is colored rosy. >> >> So the fact that acceleration is better in reverse is expected? and the >> only hope is to put in a Manual? Can I assume correctly that a bigger >> engine/more carburation is more trouble than its worth for these? >> >> Thanks for all the replies. >> >> Dean >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> vintagvw site list >> [email protected] >> http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw > > _______________________________________________ > vintagvw site list > [email protected] > http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > vintagvw site list > [email protected] > http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw _______________________________________________ vintagvw site list [email protected] http://lists.sjsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/vintagvw
