Rebuilt transmission; stuck in gear?

[Everpress]

For the sake of my own convictions and hopefully helping anyone else out who is having problems similar to this...

I found the problem. Well, my son found the problem.

We hopped in the bus to take it around the block a few times to start making adjustments to the shift plate. I'd drive, making note of how difficult it was to get into one gear or the other. I'd pull over, make adjustments, drive, make adjustments... We did this 3 or 4 times. Note: I never missed a gear on this 3-5 mile voyage, but everything was still sloppy. Still 100% better than my experience with my old transmission.

So we get back to the house and no real progress was made on the adjustments. What gives?

My boy asks me how this whole shift plate system worked. So, for the Nth time, I remove the 13mm bolts holding the shifter in place and explain like a toddler how this component acts with that component. And while I'm talking, I hand him the shifter. He pulls the spring up a little and says, "Is this supposed to do this?"

The lower 1.5 - 2 inches of the shifter is broken and flopping around (a matter of maybe a millimeter or so) and even twists from side to side a small amount. This is most likely why it was hard to find neutral... being in gear was sloppy, and 3rd and 4th gear were especially sloppy to the point that I was mistaken I was in neutral.

So someone here asked me if I looked at my shifter... I did. But this cheap repro has the spring attached to it that covers the last 4-5 inches, so my visual inspection looked fine. It was not fine. I should have used my hands and not just my eyes.

The popping noise that led to it working? I'm not sure about that. I'm not sure if humidity and a bit of rain could have an effect on a clutch install, but the symptoms of the broken shifter were there before that pop - not being able to find gears easily, side-to-side and forward-to-back play feeling like neutral when I was actually in gear, etc.

Moral of the story - 1) don't buy a reproduction gear shift and expect it to last more than a few miles (seriously less than 50 miles), 2) don't just look at the components giving you problems, use your hands if it's safe, and 3)... well, 3 is to slow down and contemplate the advice you're given. I'm pretty sure someone asked about the shifter on page one of this post.

If I had taken those three steps I would already have a replacement shifter here and I'd be out on the road rather than waiting for a replacement.

Finally, thanks again to all of you for your advice and patience. You guys are helping me do better by my loaf... erm... bus.
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1969 Bay Camper - "Lost 'Cause Mk.I"
1904 DP
EMPI 34 PICT 3
2000 MAGNASPARK II Ignition/Distributor

Refurb, not resto (I’m not made of restoration money!)

It's not a perfect loaf, but it's my loaf.

[W1K1]

[Everpress]

[raygreenwood]

[SGKent]

Ken Madsen at TheBusco or Busted Bus usually have a good stock bus shifters available. There is no need to use reproduction parts. A good stock shifter has a very solid feel when it is set up right.
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"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it." - George Carlin