Does anyone know what parts are interchangable between an acorn 3-rib and a regular 3-rib? Looks like the pinion shaft could be different, or even the 1st and 2nd idlers may be different? I've got 5 3-ribs to rebuild and i'm tryin to use what i've got

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

i may be wrong (somebody correct me if i am) but i think pretty much all the gearstack will interchange,the main differences is the part the acorn nuts vs. the screw in collares on the diff, and then the pinion bearing bolts in instead of using the big nut (different bearing altogether), and of course depending on the year model some have a splined vs a keyed 2nd gear (this applies to the 2nd gear on the pinion shaft and the shaft itself) and some reverse idler gears run on "pin" (newer) vs a "cradle" (older)

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCES BUT I KNOW THEY WILL TAKE SOME PUNISHMENT.

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when in doubt use the skinny pedal!

I was kinda wondering if the pinion bearing could be changed to a newer style so I could use the R&P in a newer case and the mainshaft in another trans with a newer case. I have always been told the acorn 3 ribs were the weakest, I can see that setting up the ring gear depth being a bigger pain in the ass than a newer one.

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

im not 100% but i think you can change out the pinion bearings and pretty sure the mainshaft will swap also, just make sure when you change it out that 2nd gear is keyed or splined, i dont think it would be good to mix and match the gears from one set to another other than for a "get you by" tranny

you might want to do a little more checking but i think this is correct

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

Talked to Weddle last night and found out this was the very first bus trans. VW only made it for half a year then made a bunch of changes to it and then came the early keyed 3 rib. The main shaft and R&P are interchangable, but the reverse idler shaft and some of the bearings are not.

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Maybe you should chug on over to mamby pamby land....

yeah its a 68' model, i've actually had 3 of them in the past but they are kinda rare

i didnt know about the reverse idler shaft but i think you can still use the idler gear itself

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Just Stand On It!!!!

Chris

its the weakest 3 rib they ever made

Yep, the weakest one made. And yes, the R&P can be use in a "non acorn" 3-rib. Just press off the pinion bearing and swap it out. The design is very poor compared to the later 3-rib.

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In GOD we trust.....ALL others pay cash.

I once had a 57 model bus. The case split in half like a type 1 motor case.It was not sycronized and the gears had to grind in place to change.16" rims 36 hp last year for emergency hand crank.

i ran one for 3 or 4 years and rode hard i never let off the gas when i came off the ground and no break went all over fultodale with it and finally gave out on windy mtn after 4 years of hard abuse with 35 boggers and 2180 but they say its the weekest i was always told it was i must have gotten a lucky one

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