Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2007 23:07:53 -0400
Reply-To: Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Glenn <idahobill@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: reverse (manual) shifting
On Wed, 6 Jun 2007 22:53:28 -0700, Matthias Kuster
<matthiaskuster@VERIZON.NET> wrote:
>I had my Wolfy valet parked a while ago and the attendant screwed up
>the reverse lock (you had to push down before that to get it into
>reverse). The plastic ball joint was all but shattered. Now I fit
>another used lever and ball joint assembly, removed rear linkage and
>put new boots on with lube etc. The shifting has improved vastly, but
>the push down feature is still missing, I can shift into reverse
>without pushing down. I obviously had to disconnect the front part of
>linkage and removed the tin box. When putting it back on I couldn't
>quite make sense of how it works. There is some rails and guides in
>there, but maybe I reassembled, seated it wrongly?
>
>I like having the push down feature, because that way I won't
>accidently shift into reverse at a light, and cruise straight into
>the car behind me. That would be a riot.
>
>Thanks all and Happy Days to ya!
>
>Matthias
Matthias,
I'm no expert on this, and you may wish to wait for responses from others
more knowledgeable. However, I installed a Gene Berg short-shift kit in my
Vanagon several weeks ago and when everything was back together I
experienced a similar problem. The cause of your problem may likely be
different, but I can at least offer some insight as to how the lockout
feature works.
The shift lever extends downward through the plastic ball joint, and into
the metal box underneath. On the bottom of the shift lever is an integral U-
shaped bracket to which the horizontal shift linkage attaches. Also a part
of this bracket are two lateral "wings", which in combination with the
rails within the metal box, serve to limit the travel of the shift lever.
The permanently-fixed rail on the passenger side is the one that prevents
the shifter moving into the reverse slot. Pushing down on the shift lever
allows the wing to go under the rail, thereby gaining access to the reverse
slot.
If the shift lever with it's integral bracket and wings extends too far
downward below the floor, the wing can pass under the rail without downward
pressure on the shift lever, allowing an undesired shift into reverse. Is
it possible that something you did when refitting the plastic ball joint,
and mounting the metal bearing plate into which it sets, resulted in the
shift lever moving down relative to the rails. (It is not likely that you
did anything wrong in remounting the metal box underneath, as there is
nothing much to go wrong).
If you can find nothing wrong, the correction of which raises the shift
lever, try a washer or two on the mounting studs for the bearing plate,
beteen the floor of the van and the bottom of the bearing plate, to
slightly elevate the shift lever, thereby also elevating the wings so they
again ride against the rails. It would also be possible to lower the metal
box (and thus the rails) through the use of washers on the mounting studs
there, but if you are in need of this much adjustment, something is not
right. (I am assuming that you made the necessary linkage adjustments, both
in the rear, and to the bearing plate at the base of the shifter)
Others chime in.
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