Berg 5 speed assembly procedure

[Bruce2]

I just finished up a Berg 5. It's been several years since I did the last one, so I got the official GBE instruction sheet and followed it. Unfortunately, it's worthless. Besides being poorly written like all Gene's instructions, if you follow it's sequence, you end up having to disassemble what's been Loctite'd to finish the job. Because of that, I wrote up a procedure for the next time. I've only included what's specific to a 5 speed. The factory procedure covers 1st through 4th well enough.
I've also left out the fitting of the gearbox to the chassis. It's pretty straight forward work, and I couldn't cover all the different tasks needed for the different years or models.

Comments?
Tricks you use building a 5 speed?

[Bruce2]

Main trans case:
Drill and tap 1/8” NPT above the diff near the starter for the vent hose.
Install a fitting that has an ID of no more than 3-4mm. A steel fitting can be welded shut and drilled.

Gear carrier:
Clearance the gear carrier on both sides of 5th gear on the pinion shaft for the gear puller.
Lap the gasket surface.
Install the pipe plug for the vent hole.
Install the springs for the detents. Note: the short spring is for 5th gear.
Plug all the holes with the Al plugs and sealant.
Install the M7 studs with the two locating collars.
Press in the roller bearing for the pinion shaft.
Screw in the dog point retaining screw with sealer.
Drop in the 3/8” ball for the reverse switch.
Install the backup light switch with Al sealing washer.
Install the post for the reverse lever and the lever.
Install the shift rods with the detent balls and interlock pins.

Nose cone:
Test fit the nose cone on the gear carrier and clearance it to fit.
Check the fit of the hockey stick to ensure it can pull the reverse shift rod all the way to the machined stop inside the nose cone.
Clearance the inside of the top of the nose cone for 5th gear’s fork.
Lap the gasket surface.

Pinion shaft:
Assemble the pinion shaft according to the factory procedure for the first 4 gears.
Press 4th gear on (with Loctite 680).
Press on the inner race for the roller bearing in the gear carrier (with Loctite 680 to help hold 4th gear down). Leave the gear stack in the press until the Loctite cures.
Shorten a woodruf key by 2mm on each end. Ensure the key does not extend past the top edge of where 5th gear will be.
Insert the shortened woodruf key.

Main shaft:
Assemble the main shaft according to the procedure for the first 4 gears.
Install a 2.75mm 4th gear thrust washer (with radial grooves)

Clearance the 3rd-4th shift fork by the clamp bolt so 5th gear shift rod clears it. (to use the tool to retain 5th gear’s detent ball)
Clearance 5th gear fork at the top by the nose cone.

Mesh the two shafts along with the 3rd-4th shift fork and insert them into the gear carrier while guiding the fork on the 3rd-4th shift rod.
Press the mainshaft ball bearing onto the mainshaft and into the gear carrier.
Install the two M6 button head screws.
Install mainshaft bearing clamp plate.
Place the gear carrier with the gear stacks and reverse gear into the shift fork jig with the pinion bearing shim. Tighen the pinion bearing nut and the 3 M8 nuts.
Check for clearance between the 3rd-4th shift fork and the inside of the gear carrier while in 4th gear.
Adjust the 4 speed shift forks and reverse.

Press 5th gear onto the pinion shaft.
Engage reverse and 3rd to lock the gears.
Screw on the taller of the two shaft nuts (Loctite 242)
Torque to 87 ftlbs, loosen, then torque to 43 ftlbs.

Install the Berg supplied 4th gear thrust washer on the 5th gear side of the mainshaft ball bearing.
Install a stock 4th gear inner race.
Tap in a shortened woodruf key. Ensure it does not extend past the 5th gear clutch gear.
Install a stock 3rd-4th gear needle bearing.
Install 5th gear with it’s synchro ring.
Using a stock 3rd-4th clutch gear, check the endplay of 5th gear.
Press on the 5th gear clutch gear/slider assembly in the same orientation as the stock 3rd-4th clutch gear.
Install the large thick washer covering the 5th gear clutch gear with the step on the OD facing the clutch gear.
Engage two gears to lock the shafts.
Screw on the shorter of the two shaft nuts (Loctite 242)
Torque to 87 ftlbs, loosen, then torque to 43 ftlbs.

Pull out 5th gear’s shift rod about 2-3cm.
Insert a 60mm long piece of shift rod shaft into the bore for 5th gear’s shift rod from the 4th gear side until it butts against the 5th gear shift rod. Push 5th gear’s shift rod out of the gear carrier so you can install the 5th gear shift fork.
Install the 5th gear shift fork and adjust it.

Measure the travel of each shift rod into each gear and record the results.
While the gear carrier is still in the fixture, install the nose cone and hockey stick.
Shift into each gear, measuring the travel of the hockey stick.
Compare the travel of the hockey stick with the travel of the shift rods.
Clearance the inside corner of the hockey stick to increase travel into R, 2nd and 4th. Check the squareness of the hockey stick.
Check for contact between the outside corner of the hockey stick and the mainshaft’s nut.

[Henryhoehandle]

Thanks Bruce... I am getting ready to do another one, and like, you, it has been a long time since my last one. This will come in handy..

[Pablo2]

My own was from the first handful, so I'm sure plenty has changed since then. If I recall correctly, there was no reverse light switch in the nosecone, which allowed an overshift (nothing to limit travel). The fix for me was to drill & tap the shift rod for a small allenhead screw, used to limit travel. Lots of little piddly things necessary, which I'm sure have been well covered in Bruce's instructions.

[Bruce2]

I've got a friend who has a first gen Berg 5 and wants me to go through it. I'll keep notes on that build too. Thanks for the tip on limiting reverse travel, Paul. The current design has the reverse switch in the gear carrier. The reverse shift rod has a detent notch cut into it, then a 3/8" dia steel ball rides in this notch, closing the switch. Reverse shift rod travel is limited by a casting bump that is machined inside the nose cone.

[Henryhoehandle]

The customer wanted a .82 5th gear...and it was very close to the bearing retainer. I doubt that a higher ratio would fit.

[Bruce2]

Any pics?
Comments on the procedure?

[Henryhoehandle]

Here is one...not a close one but you can see how close the gear is to the retainer. The instructions you provided are way better then the Berg ones..however it is pretty straightforward 1st through 4th. The mainshaft I used was a 3.88 and I installed the circlip after 3rd gear and used the spring between 3rd and 4th instead of the solid spacer. I am not 100 % sure if this will be ok, but I cannot see a reason why not....

[Henryhoehandle]

I left the 5th shift rail, detent, and interlock completely out until I had the complete 5th gear assembly installed into the GC housing, fork included.

[Bruce2]

I was thinking of using the spring on the pinion shaft on my last build, but since I wasn't sure, I spent the extra time fitting the spacer. It will be good to hear the results of your test.

How did you depress the detent ball when you installed 5th's shift rod?

[Henryhoehandle]

I slid the shift rail until it was next to the spring, then i dropped the ball in. Next i used a 1/4 pin punch and while i pressed down, i slid the rail in. It went easy.

I remember a long time ago when i first started working on vw transmissions i could not figure out an easy way to get the aluminum detent hole plugs out of the gc housings. I tried drilling and tapping and pulling them. It was a pain. Then i figured out why not just drive them deeper until they fall out the shift rail hole...works perfectly.

[Bruce2]

.... I installed the circlip after 3rd gear and used the spring between 3rd and 4th instead of the solid spacer. I am not 100 % sure if this will be ok, but I cannot see a reason why not....

Have you heard word if it's ok? No news is good news?
Last May I built a 5 speed and installed the circlip on 3rd gear with the flat spring for 4th. It's in the car working fine surviving about 220hp of adult driving.
I've got another 5 speed going together maybe next month, I'll likely do the same there.