Hi, I have been doing a bit of research on BE ratios using some of the published ratios on the web and in books and also the ServiceBox gearbox pages and have some questions about the BE1/BE3 used in the 1.6 GTi models.
It appears the first BE1 gearbox used was the BL43 (ie: 2BL43) which had the following ratios:
1 43x13 3.308
2 32x17 1.882
3 34x25 1.360
4 31x29 1.069
5 32x37 0.865
Around 01/87, a year after the XU5JA engined GTi was released, the ratios in 1st and 2nd were raised as follows according to ServiceBox:
1 39x12 3.250
2 37x20 1.850
3 34x25 1.360
4 31x29 1.069
5 32x37 0.865
I presume this is the BL28 gearbox that was common at least for the Phase 1.5 cars (10/87 onwards) which is what I have data for.
There is reference in ServiceBox to other models, BL51, BL91, BL73, and one reference book I have mentions incremental improvements of the gearbox during the Phase 1 period which may account for these other models.
When the BE3 gearbox was released in 06/89, the ratios changed again and raised the 1st ratio to be inline with the 1.9 GTi ratios.
1 38x13 2.923
2 37x20 1.850
3 34x25 1.360
4 31x29 1.069
5 32x37 0.865
This gearbox had the code of CJ20 from 06/89 onwards and was superseded by the CL13 from 01/91. There is reference in ServiceBox to a CJ23 as well, but I haven't seen any of these in the data.
The differential ratio was always 65x16 = 4.063.
Any thoughts/corrections on any of this?
Cheers
griffo