Date: Sun, 4 Mar 2012 23:35:57 -0600
Reply-To: Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike South <msouth@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: All the gears but second
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Hi,
I have an 85 Westy, formerly AT, that I am in (what I really I really,
dearly hope are) the final stages of converting to a manual
transmission. I took it for my first test drive with everything
hooked up and, as I said in the subject, I can get it to go into every
gear but second.
The front and back shift rods (by which I mean the long rods that run
from the bottom of the lever at the front of the van back to the
ball-and-cup thing at the back) were clamped together by the previous
owner so hard that there are four indentations in the rods where the
corners of the clamps have bitten into the rods. Because of these
indentations it is relatively easy to get it into the position that it
used to be in (since you have that "convenient" (I say sarcastically)
"stop" point), but getting it to move further in or out from that
point is more of a challenge.
I am wondering if people can tell me how far into the back rod their
front rod is inserted. When I look at mine from the side, I can still
see the end of the front rod in the slit in the back rod. I would be
able to see daylight through there if there was daylight to see under
the van, and I think I could fit a thin finishing nail through there,
but not much else.
Here is the "logic", such as it is, that I am applying to think I
might be able to make an adjustment to the rods to get it to go into
2nd. Since second gear is with the lever inside the van pulled
backwards, that means it's pulling the lever on the transmission
forward, and *if* it's not getting into gear because it's not moving
it forward enough, it could be helped by me shoving the front rod
further into the back rod, shortening the overall length, so that when
it pulls forward, it pulls further forward.
I would just go down there, try that, and see if it worked except that
it's going to be both difficult to do, and difficult to undo, because
the rods are deformed by the aforementioned pinching, so I thought I
would bounce it off y'all first and see if you think it makes sense to
try or would be a waste of time.
Also One More Thing That Might Be Relevant
I did that lateral adjustment thing in the bentley where you are
supposed to have 23mm between the ear and the guide in the front shift
box (at least that's what I think it's showing). When I put in a
socket (that was actually 23.4 mm or so wide) in the position shown,
the left side ear was all the way against the box. It doesn't look
like that's what they were going for in the picture. I'm mentioning
it in case having that adjustment wrong could be the issue, and also
to ask others where the left ear is when the right is 23mm from the
guide (or if I'm interpreting that picture wrong).
Thanks for any help you might be able to offer.
I should also mention two things about the transmission itself. One,
it's a zero miles rebuild from AA Transaxle. This is the first time I
have used it. Two, I did get it to go into second, once, when I was
cornering I think. So I'm guessing that the transmission can "do it".
One other thing I guess is that, since it's second, I guess I can try
putting it in second by hand (disconnecting the ball from the cup and
putting it into second by hand, then starting off on a hill or
something and see if it is actually in gear that way, to eliminate the
possibility that there's anything wrong in the transmission itself.
Advice on "how you know it's in second when you're shifting it by
hand" would also be appreciated. I'll probably lie under there while
someone else shifts it before disconnecting just to make sure my
mental picture is correct before trying that. Should be easy to tell
if I put it in 2nd or 4th though when I let off the clutch, I guess.
One more thing, this is also a zero miles Bostig conversion. It's
possible that it could be sitting in the vehicle slightly differently
(like the whole transmission could be pulled a little left or right)
than it would with the original engine. I don't necessarily have any
reason for thinking this would be enough to matter, but I don't want
to leave anything out that could possibly be relevant.
Thanks for any insight you guys might have on any of it.
mike