Gear change issues........1st drive!

[jimbope]

Hi guys!
I got my freshened up 1600 SP engine back in last weekend - seems to run really sweet. Since owning the bus I finally had the first opportunity to drive it - obviously very excited I took a trip down the cul de sac (No MOT or TAx) and seemed to really struggle to get the bus into 1st gear? :!:

When stationary I can go 1st (after a bit of jiggling)- 2nd, 2nd -3rd,3rd to 4th and back again quite easily but it will not go into 1st gear unless I go from 3rd to 1st. Certainly not from 2nd to 1st. It is also quite a pain to get it into 1st to start with. To the point where you would struggle at junctions etc - would not be safe.

I have changed the rear coupling, the front guide on the sliding pin and tried adjusting gear stick today but all to no avail. The haynes manual says anymore than 70mm of sideways travel is out of tolerance - I reckon on about 150mm side to side in neutral!!! :shock:

Questions are :=

1 - Anyone have any tips on setting up gearstick? Again Haynes manaul states that in 2nd the stick should be vertical - mine is deffo leaning towards the back of the van no matter what I do! I had a trigger shifter in my beetle years ago - maybe that would help?
2 - The rear coupling I bought from JK seems to be quite crap TBH - it seemed impossible to get the screw to tighten up into the tube so I put a M6 bolt thru the tube and a nyloc on the end. Obviously I can only tighten this down onto the end of the guide tube - this still doesnt seem that positive to me - anyone had similar experiance?
3 - I believe that there are some more bushes inside the nosecone on the gearbox - are these the main cause of a sloppy gear stick?

I really dont want to have to drop the engine again but hey - thats how it goes sometimes!
Maybe the answer is to drop gearbox and replace nose cone bushes, take rear gear linkage bar out and rebush that too....Just hope the gearbox isnt knackered after Ive put it all back in again!!!

Thanks in advance.
James

 

[Trikky2]

Before you start dismantling its worth trying the simple things first.

Make sure the small securing screw on the coupling is engaged correctly in the dimple on the gearchange shaft on the gearbox.

Check the ball joint at the bottom of the gearlever is correcly engaged and lubricated.

Change the gearbox oil using hypoid EP80 or EP80/90. (not straight EP90 which is too thick and will cause first gear to baulk)

 

[bigdaz]

try adjusting your clutch up a bit i had the same problem turned out the clutch was draging slightly

 

[Trikky2]

try adjusting your clutch up a bit i had the same problem turned out the clutch was draging slightly

Yes worth checking - though a dragging clutch will make reverse gear noisy/crunchy to engage.

 

[jimbope]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your suggestions!!

I have spent half an hour or so tonight adjusting the shifter plate under gear stick - this appears to be a black art according to various web forums!

I didnt have a chance to check with engine running (baby asleep!) but I seem to be able to get 1st gear - although not perfect -I just hope it is engaging fully! I will however check both clutch adjustent and gearbox oil at weekend.

Just out of interest how much `waggle` side to side should the average bay have (5 years since I had one!) ??My stick seems to have a hell of a lot of sideways play in neutral and I have replaced the front and rear bush along with shoving the split shuttlecocks up the gear linkage tube!!
Also 1st is straight forward, although the stick moves miles to the left past 1st?

Not after perfection just usability - I am getting frustrated at not being able to drive the bus to the workshop 12miles away (obvioulsy booked into the MOT station around the corner officer! 8) to finish off the last few things for MOT!!

Again any light on the subject would be gr8ly apreciated!!!
James

 

[sparkywig]

Hello James.

To adjust the gear shift plate put the van into 2nd gear and check that the bottom section of the gear stick is vertical with the cranked upper part inclined at 30 degrees to the rear.
If not, slacken the two bolts in the mounting bracket on the cab floor, depress the clutch lever and adjust the position of the gear lever so that it's as mentioned above.
Under the bracket there is a reverse gear stop plate, push this as far left as it will go without causing the gear lever to move. Tighten the mounting bolts and then put it into 1st gear.
The line of movement between 1st and 2nd should be straight fore and aft, without any tendency to move diagonally. If this isn't possible, loosen the mounting bolts slightly and twist the stop plate slightly to correct this.
Later vans have lugs on the stop plate to avoid this misalignment.

Sideways movement at the lever knob when in gear should be no more than 35mm, and in neutral the movement should not exceed 70mm.
If there is more play than this it means that there is excessive wear in the linkage.

 

[jimbope]

Bloody hell,

I reckon on about 150mm at the knob side to side in neutral!! :shock:

Maybe the bushes in the gearbox cone are a bit worn!! :roll:

It doesnt matter where I slide the gearstick plate in 2nd gear the stick is NEVER 90 deg to floor.....always cantered back.

The rear gearbox coupling does worry me I admit :!: - brand new from JK. I binned the screw (wouldnt pull up) and put a thrubolt and a nyloc thru the guide tube instead. The length of the tube dictates the tightness of the nut - which would be the same as the supplied screw so I guess this must be tight enough.

Cheers for the article sparky wig!

 

[sparkywig]

It doesnt matter where I slide the gearstick plate in 2nd gear the stick is NEVER 90 deg to floor.....always cantered back.

It's only the short bottom section of the gear stick that needs to be vertical.

 

[jimbope]

Got it sorted tonight at last......

Tried and tried to adjust stick but getting nowhere, as I stated earlier I was never happy with the JK rear coupling (never seemed to tighten satisfactory) so took it off again and tightened it up off the vehicle - it was obvious then that where I had replaced the self tapper (poor quality) with a M6 bolt and nyloc I hadnt used the cup washer supplied with the kit - therefore no pressure was being put on the rubbers. The Nut was tightening against the end of the guide tube but the coupling was still loose...Refitted coupling with domed washer under bolt head and it nipped up real tight....Readjusted the stick and bingo!! All 4 gears and no grinding!
Think the crash from 3rd to 2nd was the stick trying to go into Reverse rather than 2nd....

So now just the hand brake to adjust, ball joints to replace (rubbers split) and the welding job at she will be ready for MOT!

Thanks for all the advise guys - doesnt it feel good when you sort something thats been bugging you for ages - it gives you a great lift to move onto the next job!!

 

[sparkywig]