Itinerant Air-Cooled

Hi, I have a 1975 Westy manual transmission. The bus shifts fine in the beginning but the longer I drive it seems to get harder. After a 15 minute drive today, I stopped before a turn and I couldn't get it into any gear except reverse. I turned off the ignition and. restarted and it went into first no problem. Thanks in advance for any info.

Peace

I tightened the clutch cable and I think that fixed it.

im gonna give that a shot on mine this weekend. I have a hard time getting into reverse without it grinding, and the pedal is all the way to the floor.
sometimes it's smooth as silk.

This transmission however has a bit of a funky repair going on inside so who knows what may be really going on.

glad to hear yours was a quick easy fix.

airkooledchris wrote:im gonna give that a shot on mine this weekend. I have a hard time getting into reverse without it grinding, and the pedal is all the way to the floor.
sometimes it's smooth as silk.

With even a well-adjusted cable I have found that a hot engine/geriatric transaxle combo can occasionally result in a bark if I engage reverse too quickly. Now, I depress the clutch pedal, and press the shifter towards second. When I feel the synchronizers begin to spool up, I relax back to neutral then head for reverse with nary a peep. Release clutch pedal and enjoy.

Does that method help you with reverse at all?

Robbie

airkooledchris wrote:im gonna give that a shot on mine this weekend. I have a hard time getting into reverse without it grinding, and the pedal is all the way to the floor.
sometimes it's smooth as silk.

This transmission however has a bit of a funky repair going on inside so who knows what may be really going on.

glad to hear yours was a quick easy fix.

Is this the famous (infamous) telescoping input shaft?
Colin

tnjed wrote:I tightened the clutch cable and I think that fixed it.

Be alert to any recurrence of symptoms. These transaxles are too valuable to allow harm to come to them. Your report strongly suggests a clutch that is having difficulty releasing due to lack of lubrication at the pilot bearing or stuck clutch disk. It shifts cold because the cold transaxle oil is dragging the gear set to a halt. When it heats up and thins, it cannot drag the gears to a halt.

Robbie has a work around that will help, but use 4th gear instead of 2nd as your gear set "brake".
2nd has double the work of 4th taking upshifts from 1st and downshifts from 3rd. Let 4th have some action.
Colin

Amskeptic wrote: Robbie has a work around that will help, but use 4th gear instead of 2nd as your gear set "brake".
2nd has double the work of 4th taking upshifts from 1st and downshifts from 3rd. Let 4th have some action.
Colin

Oooooh brilliant yes. Because we can't downshift into 4th DUH ROBBIE…

…Robbie

Thanks for all the responses. It feels good we are not alone in these endeavors. I have driven about 300 miles since I tightened the clutch cable and it was shifting very well but I noticed it was getting a little clunky the last time I drove her. Today on my way to work it was hard but not impossible to get it into first after driving 20 minutes to work. I think I am aware of a recurring situation.
Let's just say if I forgot to lubricate the pilot bearing should I go ahead and pull the engine asap and take of the problem.

Thanks

tnjed wrote:Thanks for all the responses. It feels good we are not alone in these endeavors. I have driven about 300 miles since I tightened the clutch cable and it was shifting very well but I noticed it was getting a little clunky the last time I drove her. Today on my way to work it was hard but not impossible to get it into first after driving 20 minutes to work. I think I am aware of a recurring situation.
Let's just say if I forgot to lubricate the pilot bearing should I go ahead and pull the engine asap and take of the problem.

Thanks

You know what you have to do . . . .

Additionally, lubricate the clutch splines with a light coat of moly grease, light! but thorough! and lubricate the contact point between the release bearing and the cross forks. Do NOT force 1st gear! No kidding around!
"Hard but not impossible" chills my blood!

Shut the engine off. Engage 1st. Start engine with foot on clutch. That is for emergencies only!

You have triggered my exclamation points!
Colin!

Thanks. I got this.

Amskeptic wrote:

airkooledchris wrote:im gonna give that a shot on mine this weekend. I have a hard time getting into reverse without it grinding, and the pedal is all the way to the floor.
sometimes it's smooth as silk.

This transmission however has a bit of a funky repair going on inside so who knows what may be really going on.

glad to hear yours was a quick easy fix.

Is this the famous (infamous) telescoping input shaft?
Colin

Yes. We didn't have quite the correct clip to hold it in place so we, if I remember correctly, doubled up the effort and hoped for the best.

Why shouldn't you force it into first gear?

My shifter just got sloppy after having to back a ways in order to turn around after getting blocked into a parking spot - all the videos online are about beetle shifter info... She's been "grunching" into gears for a little while, and I too have been crawling underneath to tighten said clutch cable.

airkooledchris wrote: Why shouldn't you force it into first gear?

Your leverage at the gear shift is a good ten-to-one. You can and will damage synchronizers, detents, shift rod, shift rod bushing, hockey stick ball, interlock bracket (the one that broke on whc03brady and others), synchronizer keys (ask weisswurst), and I KNOW you understand that German engineering does not ever need force, ever, and IF you have to force anything there is something wrong!! Fix it! Don't kill it!

Ask bukidbus about our engine installation yesterday and locoqueso's last month, engines can slip into place making you wonder about all the mangled tins and scratched paint and magnesium powder flakes that you see at so many engine installs.

You, Chris, were there when I suggested that any and all shifts be performed with as little force as possible. Two fingers, a discrete up-over-up (2nd to 3rd) or down-over-down 3rd to 2nd) path through neutral instead of a violent diagonal swipe from gear to gear will help your transaxle last. They are not making these transaxles any more. When your shift fork bores are wallowed out, you're out. When your carrier bearing bores are wallowed out, you're out.
Colin Beware The Wear!

Thank you Colin. Pulled the engine and the pilot bearing had slipped out of place. Greased the shaft and the back of the pilot bearing. It feels like a new clutch , which it is. Thats the short story anyway. Gotta run. Many thanks to all. Cheers.

After a little adjusting I have restored my ability to glide right into reverse without any resistance at all. phwew. =)