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Tue Jun 23, 2020 2:21 pm

I have had this problem since I bought my '66 last year. If I do a clutch adjustment, the car will shift and drive fine for a while until I am stopped at a light and all of a sudden have to fight to get in first. I do another adjustment and the process repeats. I can literally only drive around the block a couple times before it becomes too difficult to shift. I tried researching the issue and found info regarding the bushings beneath the shifter and beneath the rear seat, but shifter feels okay and there does not appear to be excessive play in the bushing under the seat. I then thought maybe my cable was stretching, but after replacing the cable, bowden tube, and wingnut, I have the same problem. I am now thinking it could be the clutch itself or something in the transmission. What should I do next?

Tue Jun 23, 2020 3:20 pm

Check that the hook on the clutch operating pedal is not starting to crack/break before you start looking further. Easy to do and takes one additional variable out of the fault-finding equation.

Tue Jun 23, 2020 4:07 pm

I will check the hook. Is that a common issue?

Tue Jun 23, 2020 4:24 pm

No, but it does happen and easy to check.

Tue Jun 23, 2020 4:34 pm

Andy66 wrote: I have had this problem since I bought my '66 last year. If I do a clutch adjustment, the car will shift and drive fine for a while until I am stopped at a light and all of a sudden have to fight to get in first. I do another adjustment and the process repeats. I can literally only drive around the block a couple times before it becomes too difficult to shift. I tried researching the issue and found info regarding the bushings beneath the shifter and beneath the rear seat, but shifter feels okay and there does not appear to be excessive play in the bushing under the seat. I then thought maybe my cable was stretching, but after replacing the cable, bowden tube, and wingnut, I have the same problem. I am now thinking it could be the clutch itself or something in the transmission. What should I do next?

I had similar issue develop in my 1970's transmission; after like almost 260K miles, I retired that vehicle for 23 years. I knew the transmission was noisy at higher rpm when I resurrected it in 2017, but it shifted OK. After a year, I replaced the factory shift bushing and the shift coupler, changed gear oil, didn't help. I replaced the pressure place, disc, and throwout bearing, didn't help.

I wanted the transmission to shift like it did when I bought it in 1972, so I bought and installed a rebuilt transmission from MoFoCo, now shifts great.

Wed Jun 24, 2020 7:26 am

have you changed the trans gear oil? is it full? I had a friend years ago that had something similar. beetle he bought had ripped axle boots and the trans had nothing in it! :shock: and he wondering why it was hard to shift. :? changed the boots.went to drain the trans only a few drops came out. it must of leaking a long time. worth looking at.

Steve

Wed Jun 24, 2020 8:36 pm

Have you tried turning the engine off when this acts up and seeing if it shifts any differently then? I ask because a fairly rare failure is the pilot bearing in the "gland nut" (which is not a nut, it's a big ass bolt) that holds the flywheel to the crankshaft. The Glandular Function is that is it is hollow with a Pilot Bearing pressed into it, which supports the input shaft the transaxle. If this bearing starts getting wonky, it "grabs" the input shaft and makes shifting WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING rather difficult into first, and reverse, and often 2nd, but less so with 3/4.

Wed Jun 24, 2020 10:29 pm

Sounds like the clutch is dragging (very uncommon) or the adjustment is slipping (very common in old VWs).

To me, your description of the issue (clutch dragging) and what you are doing to offset the culprit (adjusting the free play), lend itself to the welds breaking inside the tunnel, of the clutch tube.

To confirm your car’s issue, engine off, and inside a very quiet garage. Depress the clutch, fast, slow or any other way. Listen to the car during the action. Does it sound like a sharp ragged edge of steel is scraping a smooth steel member? If so, it may be a broken weld. You will need to explore further to verify, but if it is, it is repairable.

Check back in with the check for the noise. If nothing than I would chase the dragging input shaft!

Fri Jul 03, 2020 11:13 am

Thanks for the help, guys. I haven't had time, but will be checking what I can soon. I know the trans fluid was/is still okay because I just changed an axle boot. Some of this is a little over my head at this point. If anyone is in the South Bay area of southern CA and could use another bug buddy, let me know. We can help each other out. I am looking to learn myself or have others guide me, rather than pay someone to do this stuff for me.