shifter linkage????

[[email protected]]

Hi
is there anybody out there with tips on adjusting shifter linkage...I am having trouble going into reverse and the whole shifter seems loose and sloppy....
i have a 1975 transporter.....
thanx
bobby

[Amskeptic]

Step 1.
Replace the shift coupler at the trans/shift rod interface. $8.95 easy.
Step 2. Adjust shift plate, it is also easy.
Put Bus in second gear, loosen the two 13mm bolts at the base of the shifter, lay down in the aisle between the front seats, wiggle the wobbly mess so that the shifter is exactly vertical in the side-to-side plane as it comes out of the boot, ( the rod itself will bend towards the seat but you want the part before it bends to be vertical), center it in the fore-and-aft plane of the second gear position, get a flat bladed screwdriver and gently nudge the stop plate towards the driver's door, there is a notch in the shifter housing on the right side that will allow you to insert the screwdriver, tighten the 13mm bolts, yer done.
Colin

[[email protected]]

thanx colin
i will give it a try......
bobby joe

[westy78]

Colin

I am doing a rebuild of my shift rod this weekend. I see above that you say to replace the rear coupler. The Bently manual says that this is not accessable without dropping the tranny. Is this the case or is there a way around it? Or were you talking about the coupler that joins the front and rear shift rods? I have a '78 bus.

Thanks
Jasan

[Amskeptic]

The Bentley manual says you have to drop the transmission to replace that plastic bushing in the shift tube, but the coupler is a snap.
Shift it into fourth, remove 13mm setscrew, shift it into third and pull back into fourth again smartly, that will release the coupler from the trans shift rod, then remove the 11mm self-tapping screw from the side of the coupler while holding the other side with a pair of pliers, and the whole mess will disassemble and fall upon your nose.
Colin

[[email protected]]

well...can anybody suggest a good aftermarket shifter for 1978 transporter???tried that adjustment, and while it is somewhat better, it is still too inconsistant to trust on the lovely freeways and thru-afares of southern california.
bobby joe

[Amskeptic]

You have a new coupler with a correctly adjusted stop plate? If your adjustments seemed to follow the instructions nicely, and you still have balky shifting, I am not sure an aftermarket shifter is going to cure what ails you.
There is an interlock inside the nosecone of the transmission itself that prevents any shift fork from engaging unless the other two shift forks are positively blocked. Once the bushings get sloppy where the hockey stick bends left to engage the interlock, then all of your rowing on the gearshift is going to translate to up-and-down at the bushing instead of positively moving the interlock to each of its three positions. You could end up with a nice tight gear shift lever that has nowhere to go.
Colin

[bmx2c4me]

replace all the bushings you can get to and put a scat dragfast shifter in. If you're not a vintage buff it's a welcome addition to the stock 'stir and find' shifter.