What STEAMS me about Vortex... Sorry... Rant

[jdbubb at ix.netcom.com (Dan Bubb)]

I think Jeff's probably got the answer.
Having the wrong speedo cable gear will change the odometer and speedometer reading 7.3%
If you have a 3.67 final drive (and you should) then the wrong gear will incease your reading.
OTOH, even assuming that, if you have a 1.44 third gear (and you should with a 2Y) then at 7000 
you'd be doing 89MPH or 95 indicated with the wrong gear, so that doesn't explain it all.
Now if your tranny guy just happened to change out some gear sets on you and happened to install a 
1.29 3rd gear set (I'd really think you'd notice the taller gear though!) then 7000 RPM would get 
you 100MPH and with the wrong speedo gear you'd have the indicated 105 that you mention.
As far as top speed, with the wrong speedo gear, at an indicated 143 you'd actually be doing 133 
which sounds a lot more reasonable with a near stock HP engine.
just my overanalytical .02
Dan

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jeff Toomasson" <area53@validpath.com>
To: "Chris Bennett" <scirocco16vr32@gmail.com>
Cc: "Scirocco List" <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 11:57 PM
Subject: Re: What STEAMS me about Vortex... Sorry... Rant


> It possibly might be something to do with your speedometer cable drive gear not matching final 
> drive of your tranny (can't remember which way it works though...)
>
> JT
>
> Chris Bennett wrote:
>
>>Ahh the bullshit flag has been waved... Good man.
>> Well... is it in any way possible that the size of the tires and wheels had anything to do with 
>> the accuracy of the one speedo reading I saw (105ish in 3rd gear)??? I am trying to offer reasons 
>> for one of two conclusions... mechanical malfunction or operator error. I am sure that just about 
>> everyone here is smarter in math than I am. I never really got past (or through) geometry... ya 
>> know? As you said the math backs up the facts and I do not dispute that. It's been well 
>> established. I got the engine/tranny from a wrecked 88 scirocco. Stock PL/2Y setup as far as I 
>> can tell. I have no reason to believe that there is cam/head work. I removed the AC and installed 
>> power steering on the 85. Also took the front brakes and associated hardware. Kept my speedo 
>> cable and gear. Sometime in this time frame I replaced the idiot light box and the cable/gear... 
>> I had both an orange gear and a white one... I think I chewed the orange. Also had a syncro 
>> problem in the tranny had a guy in Seattle rebuild it for me. Destroyed the 3rd and 4th gear...as 
>> far as I know replaced it with stock parts... nothing special. The tranny guy was this older 
>> german dude that was absolutely a wizard. Same day rebuild, cheap...
>> Also since then I have gone through a couple of clusters...
>> Again I am absolutely sure that you are right I don't doubt the masters. So I am sure something 
>> in the history of this car wasn't calibrated or I am full of shit. I am doubting my memory now. I 
>> believe that I saw 105 but maybe I didn't. Unfortunately the car doesn't have the same 
>> configuration or is it in the condition now to be redlining 3rd. I did rev up the 87 this evening 
>> on an onramp... not to redline but I was nowhere near 100. So I will concede that one on lack of 
>> proof. As for the exhaust I am doubting that too... geez. I will go out and measure it tommorow 
>> and tell you. I do know that the cat is hollow and that alot of the rest was replaced by a local 
>> muffler shop. Thats when the resonator was removed. The actual muffler rattles like a can with a 
>> rock in it at the moment so it doesn't sound very good. Top speed. I had at the time a 120 speedo 
>> in it and I think at this point the gear was chewed anyway... I figured that I should pass a mile 
>> marker every 60 seconds if I was doing 60 mph. So if I passed one every 30 seconds that would be 
>> 120 right? Again I never claimed to be a math wizz. I timed it the best I could and then did the 
>> math in my head. I pushed it really hard and kept it there for probably half a tank of gas which 
>> wasn't a very long time but too harsh for the bearings obviously. So for this one I am going to 
>> say operator error again.
>> Maybe someday I will have an opportunity to take it to the track and see what it will do 
>> officially. I know what I believe and believe what I know... I would swear on a bible that I saw 
>> 105 in 3rd and I really want to argue the fact but I don't have a leg to stand on logically and 
>> no way or desire to reproduce the run.
>>
>>Oh yea... scirocco content...
>>How do I wire up the reverse lights?! I still have an 8v harness for that plug I think. And a 16v 
>>2y tranny.
>> Duly humbled.
>>Chris