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The Syncro Story
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Simon Holloway gives a history of the
T25 Syncro van.
The Syncro Story
by Simon Holloway
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VW developed 4-wheel drive on both Beetles (Type 86 – Kommanderwagen) & (Type 128
“Schwimmwagens”) during the Second World War. It took nearly another 40 years before
they ventured into this field again.
During the 1970’s a couple of VW engineers who both liked to travel in their Westfalia
campers to far off inhospitable regions of Africa & Europe decided it might be a good
thing if VW revisited 4WD & developed some vehicles capable of getting further than
existing models were able to & seriously competing with the existing 4WD market.
They were ideally placed to do this; Gustav Meyer was head of VW Light truck
engineering & Henning Duckstien was in charge of the truck testing department.
Money for research was tight in those days (as the T25 was being developed) but
between them they managed to produce five prototype 4WD Bay window transporters
using a lot of parts from other vehicles. The driver for this was that if VW could produce a
good 4WD drive vehicle & be seen to be competing (or supplying support vehicles) for
the tough African rallies then this would attract orders for transporters from the armed
forces.
The first of the five prototypes was completed at the end of 1975. The vehicles had semi
automatic gearboxes similar to the “Stick Shift” Beetles. These were coupled via a torque
converter and a hydraulic clutch to a 70BHP 2-litre engine, which had just been
developed for the VW/Audi military “Iltis” vehicle. The system had friction type diff locks
& an extra lever in the cab allowed it to be driven in either 2 or 4 wheel drive. Extensive
modification was required to the front axle to accommodate the differential & drive shafts
(and rerouting of the heating system). These vehicles had drum brakes all round.
Under body plating was applied & the exhaust was modified (tailpipe through bumper!) to
give extra ground clearance. Addition of 16” wheels also helped increase ground
clearance.
The 5 prototypes undertook extensive testing & produced very positive results.
THE EXHAUST WAS RAISED & EXITED FROM RIGHT CORNER OF BUMPER!
However the project was already attracting a lot of resistance from within VW itself.
Amazingly the VW marketing guru’s did not believe there was a market for 4WD utility
vehicles in the future – not one of their best marketing decisions!!
Despite this Gustav & Henning managed keep their enthusiasm & continued the project.
At the launch of the Audi built “ Iltis” in 1978 a Bay 4WD prototype was also present.
During trials before the German Armed Forces the Bay 4WD ran rings around the Iltis.
Despite this the VW Chiefs still decided that the vehicle would not go into series
production.
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Significantly Ferdinand Piech, (then head of technology with Audi – later boss of VW) was
at that demonstration & also saw other film & pictures of the prototypes performance
during testing & during its expeditions to the Sahara & as a support vehicle for the Audi
Quattro.
MEANEST LOOKING BAY WINDOW EVER PRODUCED.
They also performed as well as they looked but unfortunately appeared at just the wrong
time as VW’s attention had switched to the introduction of the T25
At least one air-cooled T25 vehicle was produced in 1982 as a prototype expedition
backup vehicle.
The introduction in 1983 of the water-cooled engined vehicles to the Type 25 range
allowed VW to have another rethink about four-wheel drive.
This time though VW decided that they would not further develop their Bay Window 4WD
design or even use the well tested “Quattro” system already installed on their sister
companies Audi range.
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Instead they went for a completely new and different “Ferguson” system (originally
invented by a Briton) was used on Jensen cars and well tried out on the racetracks.
Volkswagen took this system to an Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch, who were
already well known in the four-wheel drive “field” for their “Haflinger” and Mercedes “GWagen” developments. This was part of a deal for which VW in return would supply LT
Diesel engines for their “Pinzgauer” 6x6 vehicles (that is something else in a different
league)
Haflingers were once described to me by Richard Norman of the Haflinger Club (who uses
a Syncro Pickup to transport his about) as being the most fun you can get with your
trousers on. Its nearly true! For more info on Haflingers etc – www.nottingham.ac.uk )
In the spring of 1985 the first Syncro Transporters started to appear.
Initially only 2 engine options were available; the 1.9 litre 78 bhp petrol & 1.6 litre 70bhp
turbo diesel.
MORE FUN THAN THE SHOPPING RUN
The 112 bhp 2.1 litre engine was still being developed & was introduced later for the
1986 model year just in time to go on sale in the UK. The 2.1 litre engine was also fitted
with a catalyser on many vehicles. This reduced BHP to from 112 to 95.
The load and towing capability of these vehicles was very impressive. Road handling
was/is just perfect. Once again VW managed to produce a perfectly balanced (50/50)
vehicle. Something few vans produced today can boast.
Sahara Syncro
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A Syncro for sneaking up on zebra’s
Four-wheel drive versions of all models were available but sales were disappointing.
There were several reasons for this.
Although the vehicle itself was exceptionally good it was expensive. This was mainly
down to the ergonomics of the manufacturing process, which involved a lot of
transportation. Initially, body shells from the Hanover works were delivered to the SteyerDaimler-Puch works @ Graz in Austria to be fitted with their 4WD train. They were then
shipped back to Hanover to be finished off. Vehicles destined to be campers were then
shipped off again to the Westfalia works at Wiedenbruk.
Mud plugging Syncro
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NO PROBLEM CHANGING WHEELS ON A SYNCRO!
In the late 1980’s the entire T25 production line (including standard vehicles) was
switched to the Graz works in Austria to make way for the introduction of the T4
Transporter due to start in the summer of 1990.
Some of these vehicles including Syncro’s were exported to be assembled as “Knock
down Kits” in other locations (in particular Japan).
In the UK syncro models were £3500 - £3800 more expensive than the standard
transporters which at a price of £13,000 - £15300 when introduced in 1986 made many
people look elsewhere for cheaper vehicles.
Although the range of vehicles was very impressive they were let down by their engine
range. The Syncro was a vehicle ideally suited & aimed at the service sector (in particular
rescue services and the military).
Syncro GL with 114 Brake horsepower!
Most of these services wanted much more powerful diesel engines than the pitiful 70 BHP
offered by the golf turbo diesel unit being fitted to the VW transporter. Consequently
sales of Syncro’s in this sector were very disappointing.
Of course, the one area that VW completely missed the boat was the leisure market. If
their marketing department had seen what was coming I’m sure they would have
continued to develop the vehicle and would now be the market leaders in 4WD utility
vehicles rather than now trying again to get back into it with the Touareg, a “new luxury
off roader” poor relation in people & load carrying practical terms compared with the
Syncro!.
However Syncros continue to have their fans all over the
world. Nowhere is this more fanatical than in Australia where
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they also have some ideal territory to test it to its limits.
In the early 1990’s the Syncros were very favoured rally
vehicles
FLY SYNCRO!
It is ironic that when production of the T25 was continued in South Africa during the
1990’s they equipped it with the Audi 5 cylinder engine which gave the vehicle all the
power it needed to really make it succeed. If this vehicle had then been made available in
the UK/worldwide at the right price then VW would almost certainly been have been the
leader in the 4WD MPV market today.
One of the arguments for stopping production of the T25 in Germany was that the
expensive boxer engines could not be used in their other (car) models it was been
producing (as had been the case earlier with Beetles & Split Screens & Bay window
Transporters).
It was quite acceptable however for the drive train from the Syncro to be incorporated
into the VW car range. It was used in Golfs & Jetta’s but the only real attempt at making
a true off road vehicle was when in 1989 the “Golf country” was produced. This vehicle
has additional ground clearance & protection.
In the early
1990s an
interesting
military VW
was
produced.
The “
COBRA”
light strike
vehicle. the
Mk1 LSV
was 2WD
with the
1.9 watercooled
petrol
boxer
engine out
of the
transporter,
there were
also just 5
Mk2
produced
(as shown
left) which
were 4WD
with the
same 1.9
petrol
engine but
out of the
Syncro and
then later
models
used the
diesel.
THE ONLY IMAGE I HAVE OF A COBRA. CURTESY OF VW MOTORING/ CHRIS BURLACE
In the UK the Syncro vehicles, particually the Pickups & Crew Cabs were and still are firm
favorites within the building trade. As far as utility firms are concerned it was the water
companies that proved to be a good customer
The Syncro Ambulance
conversion that is still
one of the most utilised
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syncros still being used
today. Rowan Medical
Services has four Syncro
ambulances & these can
be seen at events all
over the country (in
particular Vanfest & BVF)
www.rowanmedical.co.uk
Of course the Syncro drive train was also used in the next generation of Transporters but
the T4 Syncros were never given the off road credentials of the T3.
SYNCRO TRANSPORTER PRODUCTION DETAILS
SYNCRO Total Production – 43468 (of these 2108 were right hand drive models)
Single Cab Pick ups (M245) 1787 produced.
These vehicles were only available in the UK with 1.9 litre petrol or 1.6 litre turbo diesels.
Double Cab Pickups (M247) 6849 produced.
These vehicles proved to be very popular & were generally available with the same
engines as the pickup. However a special “Tristar” model was produced fitted with a 2.1
litre petrol engine.
Panel Vans (M251) 5848 Produced
These vehicles were available with all 3 engine formats
ENGINES – Fitted
to SYNCROS
2.1 (95
BHP
Catalyser)
No
Produced
2.1
14,233
(112BHP)
6259
6641
1.9
16335
(78BHP)
1.6 Turbo
Diesel
(70BHP)
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Minibuses (M253) 14650 Produced
Many different types of minibus versions were available, ranging from 8 to 12 seats. They
were however only supplied with the 1.9 petrol or 1.6 diesel & turbo diesel engines &
were not available as Syncro’s in the UK.
Sand Sea and Snow nearly every where a Syncro can go!
Caravelles (M255) 14334 Produced
UK Supplied Caravelles were all fitted with 2.1 litre engines.
Syncro 16” (Option M855) 2138 Produced
Of the above vehicles, some were heavy duty special’s fitted with 16” Wheels. These
were not generally available as export models but used by the service section within
Germany. No 16” Wheeled vehicles were exported to the UK or US. Many different
options were available on these vehicles. Most had different gear ratio’s, even heavier
duty suspension & uprated brakes.
Tristar (M314) Unknown Number produced
This was a special package based on the crewcab launched in October 1988. It came with
alloy wheels, black wheel arch spats linked by graphite coloured lower body paint, an
integrated spoiler plus twin rectangular headlights with washers plus most of the other
equipment offered on the GL carravelle. Rear seat passengers also had their own heater.
A similar spec vehicle called the “Magma” was produced for the German market. Only a
handful (if that!) of Tristars were sold in the UK. Where are they all now?
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Tristars in UK were available with either 2.1 litre or 1.6 litre Turbo diesel engines
Unfortunately very few of these vehicles were produced.
A SURFING TRISTAR
A TRIWHEELED TRISTAR
In the end VW were very keen to focus all their attention on the new T4 model &
effectively killed off the T3 (and with it one of the best and versatile four wheel drive
vehicles ever produced.)
THE GERMAN “MAGMA” WAS RELEASED JUST BEFORE THE TRISTAR
HOW DOES IT WORK
OK, so what is so special about a Syncro? Well they are probably one of the strongest
and most versatile vehicles every produced & certainly (in my book) the BEST VW
Transporter ever made.
For those of you unfamiliar with the vehicle, it is fairly easy to spot once you start looking
(hard). It sits about 25cm higher than a normal van (55cm if you are lucky enough to
have a 16” Syncro). This is because the vehicle has its own sub frame to carry its 4-wheel
drive system. Over the years this has confused many people who have not seen Syncros
before & believed them to be customised vehicles. It is nice to be able to look down on
Range Rovers!
Having four - wheel drive means that VW had to move some other bits about. The petrol
tank was relocated to the rear over the gearbox & the spare wheel also had to be located
inside the vehicle. The Syncro does have a special gearbox. In addition to an outlet to a
drive shaft to the front differential (viscous coupling) it has 4 gears plus a very low ratio
“ (G or Gelande – cross country) crawler gear” for any times you might be “inclined” to go
or down extreme slopes.
To allow for the odd occasion that you might loose drive to both rear and/or the front
wheels the Syncro was fitted with diff locks. Not all vehicles were fitted with both rear &
front locks, but most if not all of the ones imported into the UK were. These are needed
because, unlike more rugged of road vehicles the Syncro suspension & drives were not
articulated enough & ride height still too low to avoid grounding out in the most extreme
conditions.
The diff locks are basically vacuum operated solenoids which operate to lock either front
or rear diffs (or both) They should not remain engaged during normal road use
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The basic suspension system remains the same as the normal transporter although
uprated springs & dampers are fitted. In the engine bay the Air cleaner was uprated to
give better off road protection. Under the vehicle extra plating is fitted to protect the
underside components of the vehicle. A very welcome (and often overlooked) addition
fitted to the later Syncro was the rear window vents, which allowed a cool flow of air
through the interior of the van without having to open the rear windows. Apart from that
(& the four wheel drive system) most of the rest of the van is the same as a normal
transporter.
How doe the Syncro bit work? Well being a Volkswagen the boffins decided that it had to
be a simple system to use & work without the diver having to operate any extra controls
for normal use on the road. That ruled out most conventional systems currently in use.
This is why they opted for the British Ferguson “FF” System.
This invention uses a viscous coupling instead of a central differential. This coupling
comprises of a sealed drum shaped housing containing and cooled by a silicone liquid all
built into the front differential unit. Inside the drum are two independent slotted &
perforated sets of discs. One set is joined via a splined shaft to the prop shaft, which in
turn connects to the gearbox. The other connects to the front final drive pinion.
The Silicone fluid flows between these discs & the only transmission of power between he
discs occurs via that liquid when there is a difference in speed between drive & output of
the rear wheels. When the rear wheels (significantly) loose grip or spin then the coupling
locks and transfers drive to the front. The viscous drive coupling does allow slight
differences in speed between front & rear.
SILICONE IS DIFFERENT TO
SILICA!
SYNCRO FRONT DIFFERENTIAL
SYNCRONICITY
I have had a long and happy association with Syncro’s. When they were first introduced I
borrowed a Syncro Panel Van a couple of times from the VAG/Mann distributors @
Swidon to do the (pre BVF) “Bug In” event at Malvern. (We just missed out being able to
use their Tristar Demonstrator!)
Then in 1993 (at BVF) I managed to get my own 2.1 Caravelle Syncro. It is a 1989 model
& came complete with a tuned stainless Autocavan “Powertorque” exhaust which, despite
being repaired a few times is still on it.
It also came with a set of bull bars which were extremely useful & saved the front of the
vehicle being caved in on more than one occasion but have now been removed as it is no
longer the correct or accepted safe thing to have on the front of on road/off road vehicle
in the UK.
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SYNCRO HAS POLE POSITION ON DRIVE – PORSCHE HAS TO ROUGH IT IN GARAGE!
It has proved to be a really fantastic vehicle & I have not seen anything that can really
match it for quality or versatility since so I have kept it. It has been a brilliant workhorse
& has grown up with the family. We only needed two seats when we got it now we need
six! It has carried incredible loads, towed just about everything & pulled out numerous
tree stumps (and stuck vehicles @ VW events!) It has been an essential part of the team
at all the Vanfest events during the built ups & throughout the show weekends (and has
the dents to prove it!)
It has now done 130K on original engine & clutch with no major problems.
My Syncro with its original bulbar furniture (it sits 2cm higher without it!)
It has always had an annual service & been run on Castrol GTX. More recently I have
added “Prolong” to both engine & transmission & the improvement has been quite
fantastic. It starts a lot easier and no longer do I get any tappet rattle when it is started
up after a period of time. In fact the whole vehicle sounds completely different. I took
sound meter readings before & after using this treatment & there is a 12dbA reduction in
noise level at the crankcase – this in my book equates to very welcome reduction in wear
of components & improved efficiency. (I had very similar results using this stuff in my
Kemperink). Prolong is a well proven “no equal in the world” Anti Friction Metal
Treatment widely known in America but also soon to be available over here.
www.prolong.com
It is now
starting to
look a bit
tatty but
nothing
that can’t
be fixed.
There is
not a lot to
beat the
driving
experience.
Visibility is
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good as
you are
sitting so
high, road
holding &
ride are
second to
none.
It just gives confidence to know I have a vehicle that I can go almost anywhere (and do
almost anything in!)
SYNCRO PROBLEMS
Many Syncro problems (and also many of the problems common to all T25 vehicles) are
already well documented in books & on many of the web sites listed below.
Obviously, the fact that relatively few Syncro’s were produced means that some spares
are scarce (and expensive!). Front drive shafts, gearboxes, prop shaft & front
transmission all fall into this category. Most items are available if you know where to look.
I have just completed an overhaul on my own Syncro & prepared it for a re-spray. In the
course of doing this several problem areas came to light. Here are a few more items that
Syncro owners (and anyone owning a fuel injected T25!) should take a look at.
BODYWORK – the original under protection had cracked in several places, in particular
around all of the jacking point areas. This had allowed some corrosion to take place on/in
the sills which required new sections. The Sliding door bottom body side seal channel also
had to be repaired. This is a common problem on many T25’s. As a precaution against
any future problems I repaired, painted & resealed all effected areas & applied wax oil
based under seal to the entire underneath of the vehicle & topped up the internal
sections as well.
FUEL SYSTEM – Several serious problems in this area. The fuel filler pipe work was in
poor condition. It looks like this must have been a fabricated at works item (not given the
normal VW galvanising treatment) as it was badly corroded (in particular at the filler cap
section). Luckily it is fairly easy to remove & repair. The fuel pipe section under the rear
wing also required attention. The Fuel tank support saddle was badly rusted. This was
treated & repainted, as was the tank fuel gauge sender unit plate on the left hand side of
the tank. Both of the fuel pump rubber mounts had sheared, leaving the pump supported
by its hoses. Closer inspection revealed severe corrosion on the pump. This had been
caused by electrolytic action between the steel clamp and the aluminium. I decided to
chip off the scale treat, paint and re clamp the pump with a tape interface. This was most
definitely the WRONG decision as I found out to my cost when I started up the van & it
started to dump the entire contents of the fuel tank on the drive through a hole that
appeared in the pump! So if you find any corrosion in this area I strongly advise that you
get yourself a new pump. The same electrolytic corrosion was evident in the fuel filter
(located inside the left hand rear wing). This was also replaced.
BRAKES – My Syncro, is still on its first set of rear brake shoes. During this overhaul I
think I may have found out why when, for the first time, I removed the brake drums. The
bottom brake swivel pins on both sides were seized solid & had been for a very long time.
This had totally restricted pad movement, resulting in very little wear to the shoes.
(0.5mm in 150k miles!). It took a lot of heat to remove the pins. Braking & handbrake
now work a lot better!
Other Jobs I have carried out in the past include some of the normal 2.1 injection
problems (head gasket failures both sides & water pipe renewals).
Front top swivel joints both sides have been renewed. I swopped the front drive shafts
over at 120K miles to get more life out of them. A future job will be a steering rack
overhaul.
Simon Holloway
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SYNCRO CONTACTS LISTING
Just like the normal Transporters the Syncro has a worldwide fan club with numerous
web sites and clubs.
These are just a few. Most have links to even more sites
www.syncro.org Info & pictures of Syncros
www.vanagon.comAmerican Site with section for Syncro.
www.vangon.orgAmerican site with Syncro section
www.t3syncro.deGerman Syncro Site
www.syncro.club.free.frFrench Syncro Site
www.syncro-bernd-jaeger.deGerman Syncro site for parts
www.syncro16.deGerman Syncro 16 Site
www.sekel.deRacing Syncros
www.vwpix.orgSyncro brochures & pictures
www.syncro-t3.deFor Syncro T3 info from Christophe Boltze (see also www.vwpix.org).
www.syncro4x4.comSyncro accessories
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/syncro/Syncro discussion forum
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~pjlanderPhil Landers Australian Syncro site
www.club80-90.ukUK T3 site
www.Touareg-dakar.comThe new VW 4WD in action
www.nottingham.ac.ukHaflinger club
www.rowanmedical.co.ukSyncro Medical unit
www.syncrosafari.comSyncro Safari
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