In a message dated 8/31/06 4:30:25 AM, rfeussner@GMX.DE writes:

> Finally, after more than 1.5 years, I completed my V6 TDi conversion.
>
> http://kfz.freepage.de/rfeussner/IMG_1802.jpg
> http://kfz.freepage.de/rfeussner/IMG_1804.jpg
> http://kfz.freepage.de/rfeussner/IMG_1806.jpg
>
> And more Photos on http://kfz.freepage.de/rfeussner/v6tdi
>
> Raimund
>
> Raimund,

Very impressive piece of work and engineering! A translation would be
helpful.

I assume that the gearset photos are of a set of spur gears you designed to
reverse the direction of rotation of the axles from the front-wheel drive Audi
Tiptronic. If so, what aluminum alloy did you use for the case and have you
seen any deformation of the bearing carriers?

Some time ago, I experimented with the possibility of developing an overdrive
units for my vanagon TDi conversion. Here, I thought I could develop a good
compromise between the low gearing in the readily available 4-speed manuals and
a cruising speed gearing of 0.7 convolved with the standard 4th gear ratio. I
was basing the units on the Laycock de Normanville all electric overdrive
units so common on Volvo turbo 4-cyl sedans and wagons. My solution was to
develop a carrier to fix the overdrive unit to the transmission at the point of each
output shaft and use an adapted Porsche CV joint at the end of the OD unit.
The axle shafts would have to have been shortened significantly and the max
angle tolerated by the Porsche CV units was right at the limit. But your parallel
shaft approach could drastically reduce the shortening length. A quick look
at my CAD file suggests that this would shift the CV joints to a point very
close to the original gas-powered location.

This would give the equivalent of a 7 speed transmission - shades of a real
truck! With standard tires that would correspond to 2,500 rpm at 70 for the DK
trans and 3,250 for the DZ. Or 110 mph top speed within the normal TDi power
band on the DK, 0r 90 with the DZ.

Frank Grunthaner