Date: Fri, 19 May 2017 07:51:31 -0700
Reply-To: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Alistair Bell <albell@SHAW.CA>
Subject: Re: Tranny end shift lever issue and fix
In-Reply-To: <CA+az7_4zmHy8d4SdrJeqEO=Sq63uYPRxwu1V77JtB6yK-OLZFw@mail.gmail.com>
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Yup.
Read your Bentley :-)
Process is described but using a bit of sheet metal instead of wood.
Alistair
> On May 19, 2017, at 5:34 AM, John Rodgers <jrodgers113@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
> In regards to shifter problems on any stock van, at least, a friend
> intoduced me to a jig for adjusting the shifter. I had never seen or heard
> of it before but somebody within our greater vanagon society designed this
> and apparently made it available to all if you are tool handy. A certain
> shaped block of oak goes in place by the shifter on the tranny, and a bent
> to shape and filled metal piece goes in the shifter guide box up front
> above the spare tire. Loosen the connection holding the front and rear of
> the shifter shaft together, put the jig parts in plsce then tighten the
> connector, shifter then is, to quote from the movie "MY COUSIN VINNY"-
> pretty much dead on balls accurate! The jig nails it every time!
>
> John R
>
> John
>
>> On May 19, 2017 01:39, "Dick Wong" <sailingfc@dslextreme.com> wrote:
>>
>> That was a nice easy fix.
>>
>> Just an idea if you're making a new cup, mirror polish the bore and add a
>> "zerk" for grease.
>>
>> -Dick-
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
>> Alistair Bell
>> Sent: Thursday, May 18, 2017 10:27 PM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Tranny end shift lever issue and fix
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Over the last couple of months I've noticed my van (86 syncro, 430,000 km)
>> getting harder and harder to shift into 2nd gear, both up and down shifts.
>> It felt like it was hitting a gate, an obstruction , not the same feeling
>> as
>> baulky synchro. It would go into gear if I kept the shifter firmly towards
>> the left, (my knee).
>>
>> It felt more like a linkage problem than a transmission internal problem.
>>
>> So yesterday i decided to track it down, starting at the rear and the ball
>> and cup lever from the transmission. You know how the fit of the ball into
>> the cup can get sloppy, requiring replacements. I was thinking that might
>> be
>> my problem. Getting those parts off the van I got reminded that some
>> previous owner had them bolted the cup part of the linkage to the
>> horizontal
>> shift rod. The stock set up relies on a roll pin only, coming up from the
>> bottom. This bolt, m6, was horizontal thru the rod and lever. Actually the
>> lever had threads cut in one side so the bolt actually threaded into the
>> lever and also nutted.
>>
>> Took things apart and cleaned. The fit of the ball in the cup wasn't that
>> bad. I think the diameter of the cup when new is around 30mm, and the ball
>> diameter about 29.5mm.
>>
>> So I put it all beck together, before I tightened the added thru bolt I
>> noted that the roll pin didn't do much at all to fix the lever cup on the
>> shift rod. Wasn't very secure, could wobble around in the shift rod. But
>> when I tightened up the thru bolt, the assembly became solid.
>>
>> Test drive and shifting back to normal. So I think the thru bolt had
>> loosened a little, and my reassembly had fixed that.
>>
>> Oh and btw, the ball part which affixes to the splined shaft coming out of
>> the tranny was a good fit on the splines.
>>
>> I'm happy for now with this unexpected easy fix but I think I'll make a new
>> cup part. I know you can by replacement stock units, or a nice aftermarket
>> one, but it looks like such an easy lathe project that it would be more fun
>> to make one. Maybe use a different material than aluminum and maybe make
>> the
>> design better at holding the rubber boot.
>>
>> Alistair
>>
