ShopTalk Forums | Aircooled VW Tech & Restoration Help

Hello, i just bought a mexican '96 VW Firebeetle that came with an Empi shifter and a 2nd gear that keeps poping out.
I talked to a couple mechanic friends and they said i make sure the shifter isnt lose before i take the tranny down and throw 200 dollars at it.

So i did, i took the shifters cover and inmediatly a metal plate and a broken little wire lock fell off. Is this whats causing 2nd gear to pop out every time i take my foot off the gas? If yes, is there a rebuild kit from Empi or Hurst available? Or can i rebuild the wire lock pin?

The wire lock pin im talking about is the one holding the reverse locking plat i believe in the red circule, thanks.

PS. The reverse lock up was working fine.

You have two problems, the shifter has no detent ability to hold gears, the gear box is the problem with the 2nd gear popping out, worn synchro/dog rings usually. The broken shifter is easily repaired but there are no new parts available as far as I know, the quality is not top notch, but I still quite like the EMPI shifters, just a little blue printing with the MIG welder makes them bullet proof, I fit dozens of them in the 'shop, just a couple a year come with problems like yours, still good value at the price.

Thanks BABB, I just didn't want to spend $150-200 dlrs and still be the shifter.

You can buy some "music wire" at a hobby/craft store or online in that same diameter and bend up a new spring for your reverse lockout.

buildabiggerboxer wrote:...the shifter has no detent ability to hold gears, the gear box is the problem with the 2nd gear popping out....

Yes, but....
If the shifter is misadjusted (too far back in this case) it can be preventing the transmission internals from reaching their detent points. Also, if the front transmission mount is loose or broken it can allow the drivetrain to move under accel/decel, which can cause it to be tugged out of gear.
If the shifter moves fore & aft when you get on & off the throttle, there's a mount problem - take care of that before condemning the trans.

jhoefer wrote:You can buy some "music wire" at a hobby/craft store or online in that same diameter and bend up a new spring for your reverse lockout.

http://www.ehow.com/how_6012130_make-mu ... rings.html Ah-ha, be sure to read down to the end of the article as there is some heat treating to be done.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Is_Piano_wire ... music_wire http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_steel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_wire

Well dog my cats!

Lee

Hmmm, says on wiki that assassins also use it for garrotting folk.....

buildabiggerboxer wrote: the shifter has no detent ability to hold gears,

The VW shifter doesn't "hold" the trans in gear.

The plate in the red circle of your pic is for 3rd-4th gear lockout. It's only function is if you are stuck in mud or snow, you can shift quickly from reverse to 1st without hitting 3rd to rock the car out of being stuck. Since doing this to your gearbox will DESTROY your reverse gear really fast, you should never do this.
Take the plate in the red circle and it's W-spring out and throw them away.