8v gearbox into 1.8 16v 'rado

[wcrado 0]

some guy i know is considering buying a semi-sorted 16v mk2 Golf, and in a long list of mods it also has an 8v gearbox fitted

 

what i want to know is, is this a worthwile modification? i've never even heard of it being done before, but matey reckons it gives better acceleration as the gear ratios are closer.

 

i've driven 8v's before, i've owned a couple, and the gearing is definitely shorter than the long gearing of the 16v (3rd and 4th go on for ages!). it gets quite annoying sometimes as even when i red-line it in 3rd, the change up to 4th always comes in below the power band

 

but is this something to consider? surely everyone would do it if it was?

[flusted 0]

the 8v box ratios are indentical except 5th gear so hes talking poo.

Also golfs are rod change and corrados are cable change

[Rpmayne 0]

I don't think the difference between ratios are closer, just the end drive ratio is different so you loose the top speeds in each gear. Would have thought you'd get better acceleration for the cost of maximum speed. The 8v box only allows a top speed of 120mph at the redline in a golf, so motorway economy would suffer abit.

 

Just had a quick search and come up this link, not sure whether the gearboxs are listed here or not. 020 rings a bell.

 

http://www.scirocco.org/gears/

[wcrado 0]

the 8v box ratios are indentical except 5th gear so hes talking poo.

thats what i thought, but i have driven 8v's and they do seem a bit closer through the gears, but maybe this is down to the less-revvy engine?

 

i thought it was probably bullsh1t, as i know alot of g60 owners whack valver gearboxes in, so if the 8v's were any better they'd put them in

[flusted 0]

You put an 8v box in a 16v and you will get better economy in 5th but thats it.

[vwcorrado 0]

i was just reading what you guys had to say bout the 8v. i had an 89 mk2 golf, but i sold it for my 90 1.8 16v raddo, but i must say if i put them in a drag the golf would win, there seems to be far more torque in the old golfs, so surely it can only be down to the box, just an opinion,

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

The input shaft of the box on the 8v has less splines as well so the 8v runs a smaller diameter clutch and could slip with the extra power of the 16v.

[wcrado 0]

i was just reading what you guys had to say bout the 8v. i had an 89 mk2 golf, but i sold it for my 90 1.8 16v raddo, but i must say if i put them in a drag the golf would win, there seems to be far more torque in the old golfs, so surely it can only be down to the box, just an opinion,

i don't think the 8v's have more torque as standard than a standard 16v corrado/golf, iirc there is not much in it, but i think the 16v comes out on top just.

as far as losing a drag race, prob down to weight etc, (corrado's are heavier) golfs have a smaller flywheel hence less bhp lost at the wheels, wheel size would also be a factor and also running problems! if your 'rado has had half of the running troubles i've had out of my two then you'll be running loads less bhp than you should!

 

i've had two 8v golfs, both earlier k-jets. the first one was standard bar a supersprint full system, and i think that would have been close to my current 'rado in a drag race. the second was loads slower and wouldn't have got near it.

 

saying that though, i've never driven a digifant 8v. i was always under the impression these went better than the k-jet 8v's.

[davidwort 0]

i was just reading what you guys had to say bout the 8v. i had an 89 mk2 golf, but i sold it for my 90 1.8 16v raddo, but i must say if i put them in a drag the golf would win, there seems to be far more torque in the old golfs, so surely it can only be down to the box, just an opinion,

 

8v golf is a lot lighter than a corrado, by about 200kg, roughly 20% , plus the close ratio boxes on most of the GTI's are pretty spot on for the engine, the bigger heavier VW's of the day were geared more for autobahn driving and suffer through the gears a bit. My mk1 5 speed GTI was red lining by 115mph :) but it had a great close-ratio box.

1.8 16v engine is actually just as torquey through the rev range as the 8v and peaks about 10% higher.

 

David.

[vwcorrado 0]

ok ,so maybe i have some running probs with my raddo, or i just bought a slow one, i think its standard bar the power flow system,

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Pretty sure the 16V box has a shorter final drive than 8V too. I played around with 020s when I had my MK1 and 2 16Vs and my 8V engine with a 16V box used to hit the limiter in 5th and it would take more than a slightly shorter ratioed 5th to acheive that. 16V box is good for 139.9mph @ maxium revs (about 7200 I think)....I was timed at Brunters in my 16V Turbo :-) 8V box has more top end than that. VW just gave it leggy gearing to suit the torquey 8V motor.

 

On the splines - they use the same 210mm diameter clutch but the 16V box has a thicker input shaft. G60 MK1s and 2s that didn't do the 02A cable conversion used to use 16V 020s for the simple reason they can take more torque than the 8V 020, but they often put the 8V fith back in.

[PhatVR6 0]

why has no one pointed out that the 8v box would be an 020, which is rod change............and all corrado's are 02A cable change.......and why would you want to retro fit some weak old crap into your corrado?

[CorradoVR6-Turbo 0]

Cos we are on about a golf not a raddo but this was pointed out by flusted in the first reply

[bcstudent 0]

1.8 16v engine is actually just as torquey through the rev range as the 8v and peaks about 10% higher.

You sure? Off the top of my head the 1.8 8v peaks at 115 ft/lb and the 1.8 16v peaks at 117 ft/lb. They're seperated by a lot more than 10% though. I believe the 8v makes peak torque at around 3000rpm, where the 16v peaks around 5000rpm. The 16v is not making 115 ft/lb at 3000rpm.