@MaxMartens posted:I have my gear ratios for my JPS car but not in front of me at this moment. Four cam Subaru motor at roughly 230 HP. Gear ratios still need to be right. I will have to double check my ratios & r & p before I mis speak on gearing...
But I have a tall first. Not easy to take off with, especially on a grade. 4th is tall also. I have to rev 3rd pretty good to pull 4th. I consider 4th as being too much of an overdrive. Freeway is good at 70-80+ and motoring. In the mountain curves 4th is too tall and I have to really haul a$$ to pull 4th or run hi rev's in 3rd. I think its called freeway flyer gearing. I hate the freeway in my car. Not at all what I want to drive on with a cornering machine. I would prefer a tighter 4th and sacrifice freeway flying. 2nd & 3rd are spot on and give excellent results.
No one has talked of flywheel weight. I think 10 lbs is a standard hi-po flywheel weight (vs 18 lbs stock?) for built VW's. My Ghia had a 4 lb aluminum flywheel with a steel ring gear for reliability starting. It went through the gears super quick. It was set-up for autocross and accelerated very briskly on the streets. I could redline 4th lol. Of course everybody's needs are different.
It would be cool to have a base test car, bigger VW engine and three or four transmissions with different gears to evaluate.
In order:
1.) 230hp from a NA 2.5 Subie would be impressive indeed. Stock they are about 165.
2.) The 3rd-4th gap suggests you've got the dreaded .82 4th gear with a stock 1.26 3rd. Tons of VW transmissions were made that way from the mid '90s through the late 2000s and called "freeway fliers." The transaxle I got with my Spyder was geared like that, with a 4.12 R&P even though the sheet that came with it said it was a 3.88. And I guess some guys like them. Certainly a 2.5 Soob has the nice wide, flat torque curve to pull it—even with the four-cam. But it still feels wrong....
3.) Ultra-light flywheels are some esoteric stuff and, as you know, not everyone's cuppa when used on a street car. For auto-x, hill climbs and the like though they'll save you a few 10ths.
4.) Yes! I nominate @chines1to bring such to Carlisle every year for the east coast boys to play with. Probably drum up some business!