Hard gear shifting

[tikiwagon]

Hi i am am having trouble getting gears in my bay, I changed the front nylon bush and really greased it all up but no change after (i have to really ram the gearstick very hard especially in low gears) any suggestions?

 

[bananacustard]

Clutch cable might need adjusting or might be just about to break (ask me how I know :evil: )

 

[jonboylaw]

Could be the clutch adjustment, clutch mechanism or gear linkage. You should never have to ram it home as you stress the linkage and possibly box. Is this only with engine running ? ( then clutch related) if it is the same with the engine off then first to check is the gear lever is in the correct position (90 degrees to floor in 2nd gear) if ok then look at the rear cage where the the linkage attaches to the box, if the rubbers are worn in this then it will be a bugger to get in gear. If they're are worn, retain the old cage and add the rubbers from the new kit. If still playing up the there is a bush in the nose that wears, replace with a metal one.




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[Trikky2]

Agreed with all the above and also, what's the oil level in the gearbox, when was it last changed? (use EP 80 or EP 80/90)

 

[slow-lane-Matt]

Could also be the gear stick/shifter worn.

The way to tell if this is the case is to move it slightly, just slacken the two bolts at bottom of gear stick and nudge it.
Mark the original position first.
If the symptoms change could just be a matter of moving the shifter, or maybe replacing...

 

[tikiwagon]

Thanks Guys I will look into this!

 

[tikiwagon]

Still having trouble shifting, It goes into 1st gear okay before i start it up but then its really hard to get all gears(Clutch or cable?) i disconnected the gearstick and the coupling on box and the gear rod slides freely, The gearstick is a bit worn on bottom but nothing major,Also replaced front bush and plate below the gearstick(And gearbox is topped up with correct oil)

 

[StuF]

With the engine off does it go into the gears easily?

 

[Trikky2]

Try this.

With the engine running, when you select reverse gear, does it go into gear or does it crunch?

If it crunches and wont let it into gear then the clutch is dragging.

A dragging clutch happens when the pedal does not fully disengage it because either the cable is in need of adjustment or because the clutch is faulty.

If it doesent crunch then the clutch and cable are ok.

 

[tikiwagon]

Yes it crunches in reverse its a bit tight with engine off but much worse when runnig

 

[aspro]

Good advice from Trikky. I'm currently dealing with the same issue. Hard changes and crunching into reverse. After re adjusting the shifter half a dozen times I decided the problem was associated with the clutch. Interesting that it only started happening when my clutch cable was changed.

 

[StuF]

When I changed my clutch, release bearing and pressure plate the clutch cable needed LOTS of adjustment too!
I put the rear on axle stands and could see the wheels turning even when it was out of gear due to the clutch not disengaging

I span the adjustment wing nut to release the clutch until the wheels stopped engaging without being in gear - it then took lots of trial and error to get the pedal height just right for my long legs.
Got there eventually and have been happy ever since!

Chris - when you changed the cable was it because the other one had stretched? If so you will probably need to spin the wing nut to take up the slack
Decent article here talking about adjusting clutch free play - http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=200472" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[aspro]

Thanks for the tips Stu.

Tikiwagon, does the problem get worse as the bus warms up? My problem seems to get worse after it has been running for a while.

 

[Foz]

I had mine up on axle stands the other day, started the engine to test the new exhaust, noticed my wheels spinning, yet I have a new clutch and not had any isuues with it so far. Does it require adjusting do you think? Am I doing damage running it as it is??

 

[StuF]

I had mine up on axle stands the other day, started the engine to test the new exhaust, noticed my wheels spinning, yet I have a new clutch and not had any isuues with it so far. Does it require adjusting do you think? Am I doing damage running it as it is??

When the bus is cold and gearbox oil thick sometimes you can get a slight amount of drag on the wheels - could you stop them rotating with your hands? Might just need the cable backing off ever so slightly or your gearbox oil might need replacing if it is old?
I wouldnt worry too much about it if they were only creeping round

 

[tikiwagon]

Think its sorted at last, Blew the linkage out with airline and full of crap also the conduit cable was rubbing on the clutch cable, A lot better but far from perfect will do for now

 

[mr scoops]

I would 100% say change your gearbox oil.
I changed mine last year and it made such an enormous difference.
Coupled with fitting a CSP shifter, and changing the front rod and bushes it's a pleasure to drive now, as easy as driving my T5.