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HOW TO TELL IF YOUR INPUT SHAFT IS MEANT FOR A T4 (1700/1800/2000 bus type motor) or a Type 1, (1600 etc bug/early bus motor)

The input shaft, or rear drive shaft, is longer on the T4 style motors as the needle bearing is in the crankshaft instead of the gland nut, so it needs to reach further. since it is easy and common to swap parts around, when you buy a trans its hard to be sure what it is really for. you can simply cut the end of a T4 style input shaft to make it work on a bug. The quick and easy way to tell what it is set up for is to measure the distance from the edge of the bell housing to the end of the shaft. Lay a straight edge across the bellhousing and measure from teh back of the straight edge to the end of the shaft. if it is setup for a T1 this length should be no more than 16mm or 5/8 an inch, T4 it should be 27 or 1 1/16 max

T1: 5/8 inch MAX
T4: 1 1/16 inch MAX

if anyone has a good pic to add to this to make it easier to follow that would be great. figured this question comes up often enough, and the answer is always "one is longer than the other" but actual numbers rarely come up. those are straight from VW, not the bently, and they are listed as max lengths, a min is not given so i don't know how much they deviate.

Be sure to add the starter motor "how to" section

I would, but I cant GUARENTEE my info is right because I have never tested it personally, so I don't want to post up what I think I know. aw hell, here it goes anyways, I'll delete if its proven wrong

don't take this as fact, but if you have any bus transmission aside from an 091 (came with bussess equpit with 2.0 engines from 76-79) it uses the same bug starter as all later 12 volt transmissions. you can bolt a 2.0 up to this trans and it will start. the starter must match the bellhousing, not the transmission or flywheel. all 12volt vw engines will work on any normal trans/starter combo. the 091 trans has a slightly different bell housing and matching starter which must be used together. the only benefit to this setup is the bellhousing has more clearence inside it for the clutch that came with the 2.0 (228mm) however with some work you can make a 002 work as well, kind of like putting a 12 flywheel into a 6v swingaxle. the 002 trans and 091 trans can have the bellhousings swapped around, making putting a 002 onto an 091 common so folks can use the bug starters they already have. all of the above is confusing, even to me, so read the below for info.

recap, to start your 12v vw engine, you need
bug starter with:
002 transmission
bug transmission
091 transmission with a 002 bellhousing swapped onto it

late bus or 091 starter
091 transmission
002 transmission with 091 bellhousing

Fuser, your starter info is correct. And well explained.