Date: Mon, 5 Mar 2012 06:12:30 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: All the gears but second
In-Reply-To: <CAN483vdj1OJ-Z2s2SC5SxZ5w9Ub3fQmEX3o9K+qE3uy+HCFUQA@mail.gmail.com>
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The guide bushing plate on the transmission may be on the wrong side of the
mounting boss. It goes on the front (of van) of the casting. Not the rear
where it looks like it belongs.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Mike South
Sent: Monday, March 05, 2012 12:36 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: All the gears but second
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