UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

As there is a chance that i may have to do some long distance driving in my polo, i was wondering if it is possible to change my four speed gearbox for a fix speed found in 1.3's. is this possible? is the ratio of gears higher or is the 5th gear like an overdrive gear??

another thing, i read the other day that someone had managed to put the multi point injector onto a standard 1.3, do you reckon it would work if it was done to a 1.0?

any help would be apreciated!

Yes you can put a five speed gearbox on your 1.0. There are a few different types with different ratio's. There is the 8P box found on the CL's which has long gears making it suitable for economy driving and motorway cruining. There is also the AHD box found on the GT's which has close ratio's making suited for accleration, the downside is motorway cruising isnt as good. Then you have the ATV box found on G40's which is similar to the 8P.

I know someone who put the multi-point on a 1.3 CL and it worked. I'm not sure if it would work on a 1.0 and if it would be worth it. You would be better swapping for a 1.3.

thanx for the advise mate, should come in really useful!

yeah the injection system would be going a bit to over the top, too much hassel for wot its worth, interesting idea though don't u agree?

a couple of years i will be looking at getting a GT or even a G40, then the mods wil be pooring in!

i think i will be needing a new gearbox pritty soon, nearly everytime i put it into reverse it crunch's the gears. i've put a new clutch cable on which solved a different problem which was the clutch would slef adjust itself in mid travel if i left my foot ligtly on the pedal. the last straw for the gear box is an oil change. if that doesn't work, a new gear box is needed.

what i would be mostly after is the five speeds but the first four gears to be pritty much the same ratio as what is on there, then the fith gear would be like, an extra gear! is there such a box in the list of those listed?

also looking through the auto trader i found a mk3 (built in 1995???)(o and there was a pic) with a 1043cc engine with a 5 speed gear box?!?! i have heard that the polo classic (the one with the boot) had a 1043cc enigne with a 5speed box. does anyone know which box that is as i believe that would probably be the best suited to my car

thanx for any help

I've got an 8P gearbox from a CL spare - it's done about 135k, so it's not brand new! It did work fine when it came off the car though. As for crunching when going into reverse a lot seem to do this - my mum's Mk4 Polo's done this since new unless you're very careful with it. The CL box and my current G40 one aren't as bad though!

BTW - it was probably me you'd read about with the GT injection system. It worked, gave me 70-75 odd bhp at flywheel but still wasn't as quick as a GT. Hence why I've done a G40 conversion!

Hehe D&D seems we're on the same psychic wavelength... i've actually put another post of my own in the Wanted forum a little earlier on....

What I *think* is the case with the 5-speeds:

The first 4 ratios are the same (3.45, 1.89, 1.21, .91 ?) and there's a higher 5th (.75? .71?) BUT the final drive pinion is slightly different... 1:4.1 reduction instead of the (?) 3.9 in the normal 4-speed. So the first 4 gears are maybe 5% lower for a leeeeeetle extra acceleration (obviously VW noticed you wouldnt want to be hitting the limiter at 20mph in 1st, 35 in 2nd no matter the accel) and the fifth isnt as high as it could be, but it's higher than top in a stock 4-speed, and isnt so high as to overtax the engine.

I worked out that you probably wouldnt ever get the mother over 4000, maybe 4500rpm in 5th gear with the 1-litre, even though 5500+ is quite possible in 4th. Anything more than 21-22mph/1000 would probably be *too* high, not getting more than 80-85 on the flat (still air, several miles run-up) and changing back to 4th at anything more than a whiff of a hill. 25 is theoretically possible (70-75 ish, with the throttles locked open - would be pretty efficient..) but past that theres just not enough horsepower at the required RPM to push the car along at pretty much any speed (you fall down below the torque peak, and start fighting a losing battle). It'd be like pulling a couple spark plug leads off, or running up a 1 in 20 gradient all day long...

a .71 on top of a standard 4th would be about 22.5 or 23mph/1000 (if 4th at 0.91 is 18/1000). 0.75 with the different final is probably more likely and usable, around 21/1000. Still getting (just) less than 4000 at 80, while still getting the 40-ish hp needed to stay around that speed.
(the 1L hits 40hp at about 4000 and stays almost flat on that power til closing on 6000, with the 45 peak at 5200....... and the 2800 torque peak gives almost 30hp at *that* point! ---- this is all from a bit of maths, bit of spreadsheet, and mapping out probable curves on paper with reference to how the car feels etc... cant find/afford a dyno sesh. the maths for seeing how much hp you approx need for a certain top speed i can give another time).
(plus with a bit of experimentation under the belt, i need to revise that torque/power curve.. currently i have it falling off below ~1600, but i've found thats merely where it starts to "complain". the plucky little block has usable pull (not overall power though! probably in single figure HP) down to about 600rpms, well below idle speed and would probably run even lower, but even in 4th the flywheel and mass of the car isnt big enough to sustain such abuse without a whole lot of shudder)

eep.

(( I do remember an old article about the Morris Minor saying it would pull from 5mph in top.... it's top gear was somewhere between 3rd and 4th on my polo, for reference...!!! i'd be lucky to make a decent standing start from 5mph in 1st or 2nd! ))

PS, D&D, on the reverse front so to speak. It happens a lot. It's a symptom of a synchro-less gear being used as if it has one, ie far too quickly and forcefully, while the car is still going forwards or the gears are spinning after being unclutched from the engine. For a silent engagement you have to come to a halt, push the clutch fully into the carpet, depress the gearstick and push left.... hold that position for a couple seconds as all the cogs come to a halt... then glide it in forwards. Lubrication is important as well, but the car should take care of that, sealed for life and all.

(Engaging reverse gear is very much like making love to a beautiful woman..! )


I do crunch it myself from time to time, when in a rush etc, but its never really major. If I absolutely need no "dead" time between forwards and backwards, then its a situation that probably calls for locking up the brakes anyway

Does yours exhibit any other 'worn out' behaviour? Difficulty in getting into 2nd, and especially 1st? I think *thats* knackered synch as well, and only speed shifting (esp changing down) - or trying each change about 3 or 4 times, or holding the stick 'against' the gear for a few seconds - helps it. You look a prat in almost all cases but its better than hearing that awful crunch sound (at risk more when speed shifting if you cock it up). I get that as well, at least once a day, in the forward gears. I think it's a love hate kind of thing... i love the car, it hates me, and tells me so thru the gears.

Watch your linkage bolt BTW, get underneath today and make sure it's on nice and tight (the one halfway along that transmits the side-to-side motion thru friction alone). Do so again in spring and then at the height of summer. The heat expansion seems to work them loose - and you'll get stuck in 3rd and 4th till you figure it out (3rd gear starts NOT fun for you, engine or clutch in a 1043, partic on hills, even if you manage the impossible task of balancing it at 2500-ish on full throttle) and take to carrying a 10mm wrench, rag towel and tube of nut-lock around in the door pocket.

Now, if only i could fit the 5 speed from a punto on there. That was a *nice* gearshift (never any bother, short & sweet) and very similar in ratio to a (theoretical) polo 5'er.

thanx for the info mate, someone has been doing there sums! gonna have to read that like ten times to take it all in! its a wierd kinda thing, the car could be sat on the drive for ages, then when i put it into reverse it crunch's! i must atmit i do make sure i am completely stationary before i slide into reverse, thats one thing i hate the sound of, crunching gears!

anyway thanx for the info, gotta look out for a good gearbox now!

If you dont want it to crunch in reverse, put it into first before selecting reverse. Someone told me that, and it works !

thanx for the advice, if i remember i think i tried that but i'll try again just to be sure! which gear box would be the best cause i am a bit confused! any ideas?