Itinerant Air-Cooled

This old gal doesn't want to shift consistently. It goes from impossible to find any gear to shifting a bit vague but OK, and then it crunches gears upon the next shift. It does not appear to be related to any specific gear.

The shift coupler looks OK, a bit of looseness but looks tight otherwise. Not sure if that could effect things.

Could this have something to do with the front shift rod bushings? If it was a shifter adjustment then I think it would be consistently bad, not on and off.
Or, is this poor transaxle dying? Nose cone issues?
Thank you!

Hi, allow me to BUMP because I don't know where to go with this issue. Sloppy sloppy shifting, sometimes able to find the "H" pattern, sometimes not.
I am thinking the coupler, but obviously not sure.

How's the front bushing? How sloppy is the coupler?

I've got new of both if you need 'em...

Ya know, I just need to spend some time and take everything apart. It's hard to troubleshoot an issue I've not yet had experience with, without looking at the parts and digging the system.
Thanks Hal.

If'n you want the parts come by this evening and pick 'em up. Fancypants Shepski is swinging by for some welding on his exhaust (patch job until he gets new parts) around 5:30-6:00...

hambone wrote:Ya know, I just need to spend some time and take everything apart. It's hard to troubleshoot an issue I've not yet had experience with, without looking at the parts and digging the system.
Thanks Hal.

If every gear is difficult and you have grinding, start with checking for full disengagement of the clutch.
The '73 bus can find its gears with a very sloppy shifter because it does not have the hated later spring-loaded shifter stealing all the slop in one direction only.

Adjust the stop plate sloppily: put in 2nd gear, loosen the stop plate, move the reverse lock-out plate against the shoulder of the shifter, then wiggle shifter until you see the lock-out plate skip sideways by a millimeter, tighten and check.
Colin

I have been screwing with this thing for 2 hours.
This is consistent:
3 of the gears are found easily. 1st gear, however, is just to the right of where it should be. If you clunk the shifter all the way to the left (neutral), it won't go into first. If you step it to the right slightly, it will find first. Adjustments keep this weird relationship consistent.
I crawled under and checked the coupling, no play when I wiggle it. It moves the shift rod along with it.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I replaced the coupler, quite a bit different. Better, but still not quite right.
There is a lot of play where the shift rod goes thru the frame member up front, just behind the bellows (and into a metal tube). Would that contribute to shifting issues?

If so, it looks like the shift rod must come out to access the old bushing. PITA.

Also, why do replacement bushings have little round tabs inside? Wouldn't that interfere with the shift rod?

hambone wrote: There is a lot of play where the shift rod goes thru the frame member up front,

Perfectly normal.

If 1st is not going in along the left side of the stop plate gate, just move the forward end of the stop plate towards the right side of the car, almost as if you were doing the 2nd gear/reverse cut-out adjustment. It really is that simple. The stop plate has gobs of rotate-able slop that you use to your requirements.

Hambone, these Type 4 buses hang the engine and transaxle on compliant rubber mounts. Shifting changed forever after. The earlier buses let you shift quickly and precisely, the later buses do not. The Vanagons had to change the whole system to this huge clunky notchy shifter to allow even more compliance of the driveline.
Colin

Thank you Colin I will give it another shot. Also appreciate your input on shifter slop.

Are the shift rod bushings actually attached to the shift rod itself? It seems like they slide back and forth instead of remaining stationary like the Beetle. Is this correct? Bentley is very unclear about this, besides the exploded diagram.
The rear shift rod is actually pretty long - and the transmission must come out to replace those bushings.

hambone wrote:Thank you Colin I will give it another shot. Also appreciate your input on shifter slop.

Are the shift rod bushings actually attached to the shift rod itself? It seems like they slide back and forth instead of remaining stationary like the Beetle. Is this correct? Bentley is very unclear about this, besides the exploded diagram.
The rear shift rod is actually pretty long - and the transmission must come out to replace those bushings.

Yes, the bushings are attached to the shift rod inside that long tube that goes from front to back. Here is a picture of the original and a poorly made replacement bushing:



Guess which one is which?

Tim

That did it!!!! The shifting is perfect now. I was going the opposite direction before when adjusting the stop plate.
I don't even want to know why moving the plate to the right fixed it. It seems like it would make things worse. But the adjustment seems to be more about alignment with the transmission/shift rod than the shifter itself.
This site is the bees-knees on my ongoing apprenticeship. Ida' be screwed otherwise! thank you thank you