• From: City of Roses
  • Registered: 2004-03-29
  • Posts: 793

Topic: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Hiya All,

I have always had a bit of a problem in shifting my AutoStick. I'm posting up here because I believe that the problem I am experiencing is in the shift lever/shift stop plate/shift rod assembly. The AutoStick uses essentially the same set up as a manual. So, I'm looking for ideas from y'all 'cause I'm outta ideas on this end.

To help you translate AutoStick into Manual, take a look at the AS shift pattern......

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa85/Bookwus1/Bug/ashtraydecalnopark2.jpg

Here's the context.............the shift action between First and Second (both ways) was quite good. Between Low and First the action was good on the upshift, very poor on the downshift. Reverse has always been easy to find and hold. So..........my basic problem has been the the downshift from First to Low and, at times, finding Low from Nuetral.

With that in mind, I took off the rear inspection plate (over the shift coupler), and took the car out for a drive. When I attempted to shift from First to Low it did not seem as if I could move the shift lever far enough to the left in order to engage Low. In order to get it into Low I had to depress the shift lever (as one would do when getting into Reverse) to get far enough left to get into Low. And when I looked at the shift coupler (when trying to get into Low without depressing the shift lever) it looked as if it were not rotating far enough to get into Low. When I did depress the shift lever I could rotate the shift coupler far enough to get into Low.

So.............I'm thinking that the shift stop plate is holding things up. I trimmed down the sides of the shift stop plate and enlarged the bolt holes so I could move the shift stop plate around a bit under the gear shift lever base. This did not seem to make any difference in the original problem and seemed to create some new shifting problems depending on just where I put that shift stop plate.

FWIW, the shift rod bushing is in good shape and there is very little play in the shift rod. The coupler is hooked up and transferrring all movements of the shift rod.

It seems to me that the shift stop plate is the villain in this little drama but since everything I've tried has turned up with zip improvements I'm starting to doubt my original conclusion about the shift stop plate. Could this be a problem inside the nosecone with the shift forks? Anybody have any ideas to try with the shift lever/shift rod/shift stop plate? I'm outta ideas right now.

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck
  • From: somewhere over the rainbow USA
  • Registered: 2006-07-26
  • Posts: 1,882

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

What I do on the 4 speeds is to leave the plate a little loose and shift it without running the car to see if it shifts OK thru the gears, moving the plate as needed. Makes sure the neutral gate is free from side to side(no catching). If all that is well I snug up the bolts a little but leave it somewhat loose to tweek the shifter while driving it.
But pay close attention to where the shift cage is spot welded or  pressed together. They some times are loose there at that point  and create the problems you experience.

                                                                                   burrhead

burrhead

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.
  • From: Washington, Indiana
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 1,423

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

also make sure the shiftplate is mounted correctly.....its a LITTLE different than the four speed......someone who is used to the 4 speed shiftplate may have installed it wrong.....(backwards or upside down)

                                                                       Yancey

Yancey's Website

  • Registered: 2007-03-27
  • Posts: 2,422

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Yupp shift plate and I dont see it being the same as a 4 speed shift plate ! Might be Im wrong on that but it's posistion matters Like Yancey said !
  Also under the back seat the shift coupler <<< Change it out !! Im bettin it's loose !!
  As to Shift rod and Bushing << Look it over ! The rods sold are for Mexi beetles and there to long or short I cant remember but I find Modified shifter rod's all the time ?? Some work good other's are 1/2 arsed fabrication's that dont work fer Chitt !
  As to the rod bushing <<< Dont lett um talk you into leavin the Circlipp off the Rubber Bushing !! And installin just the rubber boot !
  Instead Post in here when you get there An I will tell you the trick to installing it !!
                                           Sean

  • From: City of Roses
  • Registered: 2004-03-29
  • Posts: 793

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Hiya Burr,

Yep, I did the "dry run" thing with the shift stop plate.  I was finally able to get it into all four gears although not easily.  So I took it out on the road.  I can run through the gears but I'm sure this is not the way VW intended it.  I have to depress the shift lever to get it into Reverse (normal), Low and First (not normal).  Second seems to be just fine.  Well, so far that's two outta four.  Gotta play around with the shift stop plate some more and bring Low and First in.

Hiya Yancey,

Oh the person who tinkered around with the shift stop plate was me.  I go through this almost every year.  I get fed up with the shift action.  I pull the shift lever out and dink around with the parts.  Get frustrated when I can't find "the sweet spot".  Button it back up and go for another year until I get fed up again.  Kind of a cycle thing going on here.  You are correct, the AS shift stop plate is different that a manual.  And I do have it oriented correctly.

Hiya Sean,

Sean, here's the situation.............. shift rod bushing is in its proper place with the metal ring around it.  There is very little play in the shift rod as it sits in the bushing.  Basically, it looks very good at that point.  The shift coupler transfers every movement of the shift rod to the hockey stick precisely.  No play there at all.  The cage is nice and square and the rubber busings are in excellent shape.  Through screw is tight and the set screw is safety wired.  The shift rods for AutoSticks were different than those for a manual with respect to length.  This shift rod is the correct one for this car.

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck
  • From: Colorado Springs, CO
  • Registered: 2004-03-27
  • Posts: 3,622

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Mike: Disclaimer: I have no idea as to the look or configuration of the AS tranny or nose cone. But, just brainstorming......could it be that the transmission mounts are loose or weak and the tranny has shifted slightly, thereby "rotating" the nose cone just enough to cause the shifting difficulties? Just another thing to look at.

Clancy

  • From: somewhere over the rainbow USA
  • Registered: 2006-07-26
  • Posts: 1,882

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Now I am wondering if your shifter itself is wore out and trying to go under the reverse lock out tang while trying to engage low? I have sen this a few times in the 4 speeds. But I lay no claim to being an AS  guy. Just have worked on a few in my time.

                                                                                burrhead

burrhead

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.
  • From: City of Roses
  • Registered: 2004-03-29
  • Posts: 793

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Hiya Clancy,

The idea that the tranny may have shifted a bit on the mount is actually a good one...............and I'll check it out.  Just for context I had the tranny out while I was doing an engine rebuild a few months ago.  I may have changed the orientation of the tranny to the shift rod/coupler.

I'm going to go ahead and tweak the shift plate to the point that it shifts best.  Then I'll crawl underneath and dink around with the front tranny support and see if anything happens.

Hiya Burr,

The "collar" on the shift lever that contacts the tangs on both sides of the shift stop plate looks to be in excellent condition.  It measures out to be exactly the same size as two others I have, so I'm thinking it's in good shape.

Guys.........a question.............I got a suggestion that I should take a prybar and force the shift rod to the right (Actually, if I were even to do this I'm thinking I'd want to force it to the left) which would bend the shift rod hanger in the same direction.  That would change the position of the shift rod cup that engages the bottom of the shift lever.  While I can see some possible advantages from doing this, I'm not crazy about the idea of forcing anything.  Y'all think the problems I'm having just might be from the shift rod hanger being forced out of its original position?

Mike

1970 AS Bug
1970 Bus - The Ruptured Duck
  • From: somewhere over the rainbow USA
  • Registered: 2006-07-26
  • Posts: 1,882

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

Let's back track to when this problem started. When did it start? Was it after you removed the engine and trans or is it an ongoing problem? Let's get  back to that point before we start prying and bending things. If the shift rod hanger looks OK why do you think that is the culprit? Can you shift it thru all the gears ok without it running? If you can, it is NOT in the mechanicals of the shifter How many miles on this VW? How about the nose cone bushings them self?
Have you tried swapping shifters seeing you have extras?

                                                                     burrhead

burrhead

A wise man makes his own decisions, an ignorant man follows public opinion.
  • Registered: 2008-06-27
  • Posts: 42

Re: Shift Lever Tweaking (Long)

I had a 4 speed shifter prob like this and if you go to the shift rod conection to the trans and make sure that that is right  mine was loose witch messed up the shifter
I could not find rev
realined and tightened then the shift was fine
just a thought and it worked for me

Michael

pic's and vid at
http://ureckifix.multiply.com/