How did your Audi transaxle fail?

[Casey]

If you had an Audi transaxle that broke, please answer these questions so everyone can know what to avoid or fix. (no "smart guys" please)

What you did to break it? (pop the clutch, miss a shift, apply power smoothly, powerslide, wheelhop, and what gear were you in? Did you just wear it out over time?)

Which part broke exactly?

How much HP and Torque do you have?

Is your O16 stock or modified and in what way?

What will you do differently to enjoy your Audi transaxle?

Thanks,

Casey

[Casey]

If you are using an Audi transaxle, please tell us if you have had a good experience with it.

Is your transaxle is stock or modified?

How much HP?

How many miles?

How do you drive it? (street or track) (spin the tires or pop the clutch) Honestly and in detail please.

Do you trust it when you put your foot down in every gear?

[Ron Earp]

Hi Casey,

I've merged your two transaxle posts into one thread. You'll find GT40s.com is highly structured and you might find what you seek with the use of the search engine.

There is a fantastic Audi 016 "How To" article that might be posted soon if the author allows it. It will answer your questions I think.

Thanks,
Ron

[jdinner]

Running 3800SC - about 300HP

Broke the cast iron case by popping the clutch in first gear. (three times)
Installed a reinforcement plate in the rear and it never broke again.
Audi Transaxle Upgrade Step-by-Step
The axles starting breaking next. After that was reinforced the spider gears broke twice. I did it myself once by trying to get rubber in second gear.
All the pervious damage was done by renters. Yes it was a rental car.

[Jim Dewar]

My Transzxle was rebuilt and modified by GTA. They installed a Quaife LSD with a 317 R&P. The use has been street only, with perfect driveability (5th gear - 1900 rpm@ 70 mph).

[Pete T]

There is a guy on the Porsche Hybrids board with a 944 turbo (not an S) and a Chevy LS1 with a Magnison supercharger. It dynoed at 550 HP at the rear wheels. He has had the gears and shafts cryo treated and has had no problems. He ran it at the track all of last summer without any trouble. He doesn't pamper it but does not do drag race type starts either.

Granted it's a turbo transaxle which has the larger ring gear, front pinion bearing and oil cooler but the rest of the transaxle is representitive on the 016.

[Ron Earp]

Audi Transaxle Info

[john]

This a great question! And if it had to be asked, should tell folks out there..

[Jonathan S]

John, you may have jumped to the wrong conclusion here. There is no such thing as a bulletproof transaxle. All the transaxles out there, including very expensive ones have their limits. Some have limits higher than others. Some of the ones with higher limits make other compromises, such as shift quality and noise.

The real key is to determine what engine you have and how you are going to use the car and select a transaxle that meets your needs. The 016 has the following advantages compared to other choices:

Low price
Low noise
Smooth operation

It is limited on how much power it can handle. From what I have read a 016 with the reinforcement plate should be good behind a small block Ford up to about 350 to 400 horse and street tires in a 2200 lb. vehicle assuming you do not abuse it too much.

I don't think there is anything out there that can handle sticky tires and repeated drag launches.

[Russ Noble]

Jonathon,

This seems to take repeated drag launches. There was also a link to to a 930 equipped drag car that was frequently running low 10's in a 2800# car without even a billet sideplate. On this thread 930 failure?
but I can't get it to work anymore.

The item copied below is another car from the same thread. So far noone can point to a blown up 930. So it appears a 930 will handle repeated drag launches and sticky tyres. And at about US$3000 they're a lot cheaper than than the other alternatives for high HP.

However, I agree with you. Consider your intended usage the Audi is a good option.

Cheers,

Hey, you'all....

I'm new to the site, but wanted to throw in my two cents, regarding the Porsche 930. I'm running one (930 transaxle, with LSD) inverted, behind a small block Chev (yes, I know....Chev, boo...hiss). The mill has twin turbos, intercoolers, and fuel injection, and was "soft tuned" on an honest dyno at 857 HP. The torque levels are consistant with the HP readings, and come in at relatively low (2,500) RPM. I'm running the engine/transaxle in a McLaren Mk 8 clone, at 2130 lbs wet, without driver. Tires are a sticky Potenza 335-35-17 compound. I recently added active traction control (using the ABS wheel sensors on my Corvette uprights, front and rear), to modulate the ignition timing under wheel slip. The car is a street/track car, and I drive it aggressively (the logging data on my Electromotive TEC reads 0-60 MPH in about 2.9 to 3.0 seconds).

I've flogged the transaxle over the last year, and on occasions turned up the boost even a little higher than its dyno'd runs. I've never had any problems. In the past I used to break traction, which probably limited torque loading on the transaxle shafts; now with the traction control, wheel spin in minimized but still no groans from the transaxle. I have yet to add a spray bar, but probably will pull the transaxle this Spring and get it to Powerhaus in Boulder for the mod.

My comments probably don't resolve the debate, but I thought you'd like to know the Porsche 930 (at least, mine...) has held up admirably, and I suspect it will for years to come (fingers crossed).

Pics of my car attached, for those who enjoy some "outside the GT-40" box alternatives. Attached Images

[Mitch D]

Hey, Jim Dewar, glad to hear you are happy with your 016. I believe if you count the teeth on that R&P, you'll discover it's a 3.22. I know because it was me that worked with GTA to develop the new R&P. I believe GTA has upgraded a decent number of 016's out there, but not too many people seem to talk about it on the forum. John at GTA told me the 016 with the Quaife and the better R&P would be a pretty good transaxle....

Mitch D

[Casey]

Well crap! Mine broke.

I have 480hp

I bought my car with 5,000 miles already on it.

I put on 1,000 miles

I have never poped the clutch and don't get on it in first.

Mine broke while I was pulling away from a stop light like a grandmother. Go figure.

I think it was the case that broke like how they all fail.

Casey

[Jac Mac]

Could be a delayed result of all the shakin & bumpin that was happening when you first got the car.

[Casey]

Yes, I thought about that. The clutch engagement was putting an impacting into the drivetrain that I'm sure didn't help. Also, I cannot verify how the car was driven for those 5,000 miles before me. I did hear the builder say they took it to 7000rpms many times in 1st and 2nd.

The car is fantastic otherwise and the clutch chatter is not such a bother with my better mounts. Too bad my tranny let go a few days before the Lamborghini cruise. I wanted to go up against a Murcielago and see what happens.

[Casey]

Mine broke 3 teeth off the pinion just pulling away from a light slowly. I think those 5,000 miles of the previous owner took their toll.

I did get e new transaxle in before the Lambo cruise though. Made me feel like a bull in a China shop with those guys. We had fun.