crappy shifting. (REAL crappy shifting.)

Robby · Post by **Robby** » Fri May 31, 2002 4:08 pm

My '73 shifts like sh1t. I've figured out how to get it to actually go into gear but 2nd grinds when I try to downshift for a turn as if it is somehow trying for reverse and 3rd grinds a little every time I go into it unless I put it in real slow. Reverse is a hidden treasure I can somtimes find. and the sharp, eardrum poping squeaks that accompany every movement of the shifter are almost unbareable.
My question is do I simply have a linkage bushing issue or is it somewhere in the nosecone?

bubbgs1 · Post by **bubbgs1** » Fri May 31, 2002 6:08 pm

Have you checked your fluid level in the tranny?If they get low, they wont shift right.

stinkbus · Post by **stinkbus** » Fri May 31, 2002 7:00 pm

Ahemm... I told you to do that awile back didnt I hmmm?

Derek May · Post by **Derek May** » Fri May 31, 2002 7:23 pm

Things to do from easy/cheap down to hard/expensive:

0) practise shifting without the clutch, just shove it out of gear, and if you are going up (2nd to 3rd), rev it a bit, and gently push it at 3rd as it revs down. At just the right speed, it will pop in without grinding. Going from 3rd to 2nd, you've got to rev it and pop it in at a higher rpm than it was in running in 3rd. When you get a feel for it, its easy to do, unless your linkage is all funky.

1) replace tranny fluid, and put some tranny goop in it. Comes is squeezy tube, if you get your fluid changed at a shop, they can use some stuff. Probably won't help anything, unless it was low as mentioned before.

2) Replace the coupler at the nose cone of the tranny where it attaches to the shift rod. You can do it with the tranny in the Van, and a kit with all the bits is around $20.00. This only helps sloppy linkage, not shot synchros, which is why its grinding. Lots of time they are "fixed" by some dumb as previous owner who didn't know what they were doing, using wrong bits, or missing stuff.

3) Replace the transmission to fix the synchro problems, with a good used tranny.

4) New tranny.

Good luck with the old lady.

germansupplyscott · Post by **germansupplyscott** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 7:17 am

it could be synchros, but if it is grinding going into gear i'd suspect the clutch first (it's easier to fix!) make sure the cable is adjusted correctly. if the cable is tight - about 5/8" of free play at the pedal - but right at the bottom of the threads, the lining is worn and needs to be replaced.

the linkage is a bear because it can't be repaired thoroughly without pulling the trans, which means pulling the motor. once you do that, it's easy to replace the bushings that it runs in and clean the shift rod tube. as a side note, once you get to this, be advised that the replacement bushings will not fit. they are cheap repros and made wrong. you need to modify them to fit. if you need more infor on this i can supply it, but you are a ways away from needing it yet.

what you CAN do without a motor pull, is replace the rear coupling (as derek advised) and the front bushing. you can also disassemble the shifter at the front and clean and re-lubricate. this will only go so far the fixing your problems.

as far as the nosecone question, there is an important part in there that can go bad - it is a ball joint connected to the shifter "hockey stick" and it is sometimes made from plastic and breaks. bus-boys.com sell replacement steel ones that will help a great deal if yours is bad.

tackle the problem one thing at a time: first make sure the clutch is good, then try to fix what you can without pulling the motor. if you are still in a bad way, you'll have to decide what to do, but fixing the shifter properly REQUIRES a motor pull, unfortunately. luckily pulling the motor is not such a big deal. if you are doing it to look at the trans, pull motor and trans together, it is easier this way anyhow.

scott lyons

Pablo · Post by **Pablo** » Mon Jun 03, 2002 12:21 pm

Your problem is likely within the nosecone. The '68-'75 parts can be replaced with the '76-'79 parts (spring-loaded version) which are far more reliable.

Paul

JT · Post by JT » Mon Jun 03, 2002 11:58 pm

My bus shifted like poop when I got it. It was a linkage problem. Rubber coupler at the nose, 2 of the shift rod bushings and the shift plate on the shifter. Bus Boys has the bushing kits and new Brazilian gear shifters with the shift plate for a reasonable price.

steve_s · Post by **steve_s** » Mon Jun 10, 2002 1:10 pm

I'd R&R the shift coupler and grease the linkage before doing anything else(unless all the noise is coming from the gearbox). A lot of times the couplers are mangled beyond belief, which causes all of the above problems simply because it won't let you find the gear correctly. At under 40 or 50 bucks to replace, and not too much effort, it makes for a very pleasant change in the shift pattern.

Reddogg12 · Post by **Reddogg12** » Wed Sep 18, 2002 4:41 pm

My 71 westy did the same thing when I blew out the shifter coupler. I would check to see if one side bushing is gone. That's what I found when I checked it out. Check this first before going to deep.

Goodluck

Ben Beckner · Post by **Ben Beckner** » Sat Sep 21, 2002 7:13 am

I had simular prob in my 72...It turned out that my front tranny mount had worked loose.
Hope it helps,
Ben

[This message has been edited by Ben Beckner (edited 09-21-2002).]

Robby · Post by **Robby** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 11:17 pm

Well, the new bushings are in.
Unfortunately, the motor and tranny are not. the tranny is sitting at the shop with a "not rebuildable ring gear and pinion" and the motor is in a pile in my carport.
I'm trying to locate a later model 009 tranny and have it rebuilt regaurdless of condition (since I budgeted the $350 anyway) I'm building a 2.0 to go along with it so I want the bigger gears.
The old tranny was pretty much shot. I tried to top it up with gear oil (a whole quart) but it all spilled back out the axle seals the next day.