UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hey im interested in buying a 1994 1.0L coupe, and i believe its a 4 speed gearbox. I currently have a 1997 1.4 Golf gearbox sat in my garage, and was wondering if it fit into the polo. As i need it to be a bit longer legged, as i do a lot of motorway driving.

I would love to buy a higher spec car, but due to circumsances beyond my control can only afford the insurance, and the polo im looking at is going cheap and is tidy.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ed

I think it will with perhaps some minor modifications. It depends if the box in question is designed for a cable change selection system or not. (mk3 polos are rod change)

I converted a 1.3 polo 5-speed into my old 1.0 4-speed and it's about on the limit of sensible usability in top - before you go doing this, try something for me, and report back, i'll tell ya how it compares (if the results show it as being more than a couple percent higher geared, it won't be worth it, as you'll rarely use 5th and the other gears will be crazy high)

Make alignment chalk marks on the input shaft & bellhousing, and the driveshaft flanges/casing.
Pop it in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, rotate the input shaft by hand, and measure how many turns of that it takes to give one rotation of the flanges. Best to average it over several turns of the output; if only one turns, double the result.
Then in 3rd (if too stiff the first way), 4th and 5th, do it the other way round - rotate both flanges (or, hold one still & rotate the other, halving the result this time) and note the same figure - how many input shaft rotations per flange spin?

For reference the 1.3 box (8P/CEG is)
1st - 14:1 . . . . . Internal ratio 3.454
2nd - 8:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . Int. 1.958
3rd - 5.1:1 . . . . . . . . . . . Int. 1.250
4th - 3.6:1 . . . . . . . . . . . Int. 0.891
5th - 3.0:1 . . . . . . . . . . . Int. 0.740
on a 4.063 final drive

(Lower numbers being longer-legged gears.)
(This gives me the usual performance in 4th, a usual max between 75-80 in 5th with reasonable cruising ability at 70... there's just not very much left to give, with the 1-litre, once you go into serious overdrive)

Other than that consideration, and the cable-change/rod-change issue, there's a good chance it'll work. Depends if UK Golfs had switched from the old 085 type to the newer 020 by then. Most polos/golfs used fairly similar boxes and particularly bellhousings (the bit that matters here, in mating them up) through the 80s and early 90s.

What you will want to hang on to or track down, however:

1. A 5-speed gearknob
2. Some tinsnips and a bit of paint to go over the bare metal, should you need to make a 5th gear cutout underneath the gaiter (if it's a Fox)
3. MOUNTING BRACKETS FOR THE FIVE SPEED. They are COMPLETELY different from the 4 speed ones - and a pain in the arse.
4. Your current box and driveshafts - the golf box may have different sized flanges, which you'll have to swap in a Fun House gungetastic operation, and the shafts are different as the golf is wider.

the shift rod, however, should be the same shape, so no worries there.

Oh, you'll also want a hoist and a mate or two to help you out, as doing it solo with nothing but a pair of scissor jacks is a mare.

PS Hi Gaz, fancy meeting you here, in a thread like this again

Yellow Tarrence, I was just thinking...how much of that information did he ask for?

Thanks for your help, the box is actually still attached to the golf engine, and was going to sell them as a pair if it wasnt feesible.


I dont mind having a silly high 5th, as i do ALOt of motorway driving, but i really really want this coupe,as its top banana.

if it is too high for day to day driving after the initial fitting, how easy is it to chnge the diff on these boxes? and wot is available?

if any one can help i would be eternally grateful

ed

ps would it be just as easy to drop the whole engine and box into the polo and be done with it?

be easier to fit smaller tyres. I think that the gears might be a bit shorter than the eqivalent 1.4 polo, due to the car theyre in originally being pretty heavy. you should be ok ratios wise.

If it was an early 1.4 then the answer to your question is a resounding yes (engine code ABD) but when you say 1997 P/R reg then its almost certainly the newer type which is much less compatible.

Thanks for that. The golf the box came out of was a 1997 Preg, and it had a rod change. Im yet to check the engine code.

Ill probably hang on to the box and see how the polo goes after purchase to see if i really need the extra gear on long motorway drives.

On thinking back to driving the golf, the ratios were quite short.

If its a pretty straightforward bolt in swap with a couple of extra parts being required ill probably do it, because i ave the box, if its a ball ache ill probably look out for a more suitable box.

Cheers

Ed

Gareth_GT_Hatch wrote:be easier to fit smaller tyres.

Doh...... hehe, there you are, always with a simple answer to a complex looking question. Should be possible to drop the apparent ratio at least by 2 maybe 3% by keeping the same wheel & tyre section size but getting a lower profile.

The info i splurged proved of some use to me, at least

I think you'll find that the higher gear will certainly cut out a lot of brain aching buzzity engine noise on the motorway, particularly if you ever go near to or past the national limit... With a standard 4th, you reach 3000rpm before 55mph (and 4000 pretty much smack on the kisser at 70), which is crazy kind of revs if you're just cruising. Knock 20% off those rpms for 5th, if the gearing is as I assume...

(compare it to a larger/more modern/powerful engine, my current 1.6 ride (all of 69 roaring horses, but oodles of torque) doesn't reach 3k in top til 75mph... but it's still not using much more than the 1-litre can put out just to maintain the steady speed)