Noahs944

Hello,

A guy in my area has a transaxle from a 87 S with ltd slip that I'm considering for my non lsd 88 non s (2.5) car. Good move? Would the speedo still be accurate?

odonnell

Higher ratios in 1-4, also somewhat beefed up R&P. It all comes down to opinions on what ratios feel the best. I think a lot of the "the 944S is gutless below such-and-such RPM compared to the 8v" talk is because of the taller ratios.

The speedo drive comes from one of the output shafts which comes after all the gearing so it's fine.

V2Rocket

the "S" box will work fine for you.

944S gutless feeling is the relative power "feeling" between 1-4000rpm and 4000+
the gearing has nothing to do with it.

my 8v NA with a 951 gearbox has more "grunt" feel (even with the AFM) than a standard 944S that produces more torque.

i think its just something you get used to - I'm sure someone can drive their 944S perfectly well without any issues and are used to the power delivery.
But it's when you jump out of one and into the other back to back comparison that the "S" feels like a dog.

100% of the time, every day, as a daily driver, I would pick an 8v over the (2.5 ) 16v. but for a toy, highwinding weekend blaster, the S is in a world of its own, holy cow does it wake up at 4000+

SloMo228

I DD an S and used to own an 8V. The S has more power everywhere, but it really comes alive above 4000 RPM, which does make the lower RPMs feel kind of lame.

Honestly, I think the S would benefit from an 8V gearbox due to the shorter 1-4 gearing and the taller 5th. The short 5th on the S trans is kind of annoying, IMO. At 80mph, you're at nearly 4,000 RPM, which is great for making the car feel more responsive on the freeway, but not so great for fuel economy and more relaxed cruising. I can always downshift to pass.

The 8V might be the reverse since it feels more torquey at lower RPM. Plus, the S R&P is supposed to be stronger, and LSD is a great addition.

marc abrams

I think the subject of ratio's are subjective for many reason's. Personally l like my n/a gearing.

Arominus

Get the S box if only for the LSD, its also stronger than the NA box which is a win for you since you're going all race car. The gearing won't hurt you so much.


My 944S pulled every 944NA it went against from a dead stop or on the roll with no problems. 4k+ gets spicy and the NA just dies at 5kish while you keep screaming up to 6850.

marc abrams

One thing that's hasn't been talked about is the parasitic losses between the two transaxles.

Humboldtgrin

I'm also looking at using my 944S transaxle from my parts car and doing the same swap with my daily driver. But mines an open diff. My current transaxle in the 86 944 is from pick n pull junk yard and they punched a hole thru the case to drain it and plugged it with a rubber plug. But for $125 it works. It's easy to change out these transaxles if you don't like the feel. But with LSD you will like how the car feels around turns. I have an AOR in my turbo and the feel of LSD is awesome. I would definitely go for it.

V2Rocket

not even a fraction of a percentage of enough difference to worry about.

Dimi 944

Go for it. It is worth the investment.

Noahs944

Great conversation and responses! Many thanks!

Noahs944

Out of curiosity will beefier r&p fit in the 8v transaxle? Is that a worthwhile change up?

Dimi 944

I don't think it would fit as the case on the S / S2 and Turbo models are different and slightly bigger

Arominus

Nope the case is different, grab that transaxle while you can. You want the LSD, even if you need to rebuild said LSD.

Noahs944

Darn it, checked out the trans tonight. It's an open diff. The price is right but it doesn't really get me anywhere right away... any opinions about upgrading an open transaxle? Last time I researched I was was intrigued with the "WAVETRAC" for my intended use.