Stuck in neutral?

[vwwestyman]

I figure the Beetle forum will get more traffic for a part that is almost the same....

In my '73 Thing, the transmission is stuck in neutral.

The car rolls easily, engine is not stuck. I just cannot get it to shift into any gear. With the rear lifted, turning one drum causes the other to turn in the opposite direction.

I cannot get it to shift at all at either the shifter or the coupler at the trans.

I'm guessing something is jammed in the nose cone probably... Do I have any hope of getting it unjammed without pulling the engine and trans?

Edit to add: The car sat for 25 years before I bought it this weekend, if that is at all relevant. Is it possible that the hockey stick is just rusted in position and a little encouragement could get it going again? Or is this the reason that nobody did anything with the car after the original owner died in 1990?
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Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[sjbartnik]

[legbuh]

[vwwestyman]

[Miklo]

Ive had my trans stuck in gear only twice. Once in second and once in neutral.

Both times it was a stuck shift fork inside the trans.

I was able to free it both times by undoing the gear oil fill plug on the side of the trans.

Then using a long screwdriver i was able to pry the fork back into place, freeing up the gears in the trans.

Both times it worked like a charm.
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✠Miklo✠
'55 Type1 "Ozma"
'66 Type1 "Charlotte" RIP
Antelope Valley's Mobile Air-Cooled Guru

[DeathTrap]

Is that thing between the seats stuck or does it still wiggle?

you might have a stripped brake drum.

That nut in the middle of the back wheel if not tighter than a volcano on steroids can allow the thing between that and the wheel to fail.

push that wobbly thing between the seats forward, start the engine and see if the nut is spinning.

[vwwestyman]

[Eric&Barb]

First spray some penetrating oil in the bushing area each day for at least a few days.

After a week try a hammer and punch to rap on the side of the hockey stick. You want to see if you can jar loose the rust that might be sticking the rod and bushing together.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[vwwestyman]

Finally got a chance to look at the bit of the hockey stick protruding from the trans.

There certainly is some surface rust that has formed on it! You can even see where it looks like it has fused a little to the bushing. So I'll be hitting it with some PB Blaster over the next several days to see if I can get it to break free. Hopefully that is all that will be required.

_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Eric&Barb]

Good!

Change the gear oil before starting it up.

Get the safety wires on the coupler wound correctly so as to keep those grub screws turned in tightly. In other words the wire should be in a constant state of trying to turn the grub screws even tighter.
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In Stereo, Where Available!

[vwwestyman]

I'm updating this post because i never posted the solution to the problem, and was just PM'ed about it. So for the benefit of future searchers:

For me, the problem was simply that surface rust on the hockey stick. Some penetrating oil, along with working it back and forth with some vice grips got it loosened up.

I recently observed that there is some gear oil seeping out from that area, though it isn't a lot. I suspect that the rust probably damaged the seal. If I ever have occasion to pull the trans, I'll change it.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[volksworld]

the hockey stick is so far above the gear oil level that any leakage there should be negligible....really early boxes they didnt even have seals there...

[Eric&Barb]