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Hooptie Love
Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2009
Posts: 108
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
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 Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 9:35 am Post subject: Broken shift lever |
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Yesterday I was driving and I shifted into 3rd and literally punched the dash as I shifted. Turns out my shift lever broke off about an in or so above the bushing. I was able to use my lug wrench and at least make it home. So now I have replaced my lever with a junk yard shifter however I am worried about it doing it again. My question is that my shifting is sometimes really really stiff and sometimes so easy that I worry that it is broken. It seems like when I drive through the rain or wash the car the shifting is much easier. I can't figure out however where the stiffness problem comes from in the linkage. I am wondering if I can grease up the joints to keep the shifting smooth and easy. Do you guys have any ideas?
87 Syncro Transporter |
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ThorAlex
Samba Member
Joined: August 31, 2006
Posts: 620
Location: Norway
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Grease up the linkage, and remember to do the ball on the arm on the box (replace the boots if needed). Also you can find a piece of steel bar that fits inside the shifter and weld the two pieces back together. that will make it way stronger than original.
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1990 syncro 1.6TD "Smily"
Ex-vans:
1990 Caravelle coach 1.6TD
1986 Transporter Double cab syncro 2.1 112hp
"I'm wrong so often... It's great!" - Adam Savage |
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MarkWard
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2005
Posts: 17155
Location: Retired South Florida
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:35 am Post subject: |
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A proper lubed shift linkage with good bushings, and properly adjusted should shift like a hot knife through butter. Unless there was a stress crack in the shift lever, it would take some good force to snap it off I would think.
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delta-vanagon
Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2008
Posts: 144
Location: Delta, OH
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 11:47 am Post subject: |
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There is a set screw in the shift rod and that is where the shifter rod tends to break. I have had two shifters break in my hand. Different vans. Both times they snapped in the same place. I keep a large screwdriver under the driver seat for use as an emergency shifter.
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86 GL Bostig & 89 Wolfsburg |
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mr. c
Samba Member
Joined: November 14, 2007
Posts: 153
Location: Black Hills, SD
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 1:44 pm Post subject: |
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When using the screwdriver, does the lack of a return spring affect your shifting? Or do you just set the collar lower on the remaining stub?
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Abe: 1987 Syncro Full Camper, TiiCo engine conversion, A3 pulley kit |
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delta-vanagon
Samba Member
Joined: October 06, 2008
Posts: 144
Location: Delta, OH
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| Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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I just pushed the screw driver in the remaining stub, and then sideways a little to get a grip, and then shift as needed. You have to actually pull up a little to compensate for the missing spring. It took a few shifts to figure out, and I would not want to drive very far that way in traffic. Luckily for me I had a parts van the second time, and now have an extra lever just in case.
The first time it happened I was able to drive 3 miles to a Home Depot to get the screwdriver. Lucky because I was able to make it thru 9 stop lights. The van was not happy starting out in third gear, but managed to do it anyway.
What was really lucky was I had read about using a screwdriver as a shift lever here on the Samba about a month before it happened to me!
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86 GL Bostig & 89 Wolfsburg |
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thummmper
Samba Member
Joined: November 25, 2009
Posts: 2015
Location: Meadow Valley, California Republic
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Williamtaylor33
Samba Member
Joined: September 07, 2007
Posts: 1545
Location: Arkansas
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| Posted: Thu Mar 04, 2010 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| mr. c wrote: |
| When using the screwdriver, does the lack of a return spring affect your shifting? Or do you just set the collar lower on the remaining stub? |
Yes it does.
Just slide the collar back on the broken shifter while lifting the broken shift lever up. You will loose reverse but will still have your 4 forward gears to get you home.
Did you have a short shift kit?
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89 Bostig powered syncro westy |
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IrideWheelies
Samba Member
Joined: July 09, 2009
Posts: 386
Location: Olympia, WA
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| Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 11:57 am Post subject: |
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I suppose I brought this on by replacing almost all of the parts in my shift linkage over the last few months. The shift rod just couldn't handle it, and gave up. It must have feld old and neglected around those new bushings and shift rod ears. I'm lucky that it happened in my driveway, not during my trip to Moab 2 weeks ago. Anyone in South Sound have an extra shift lever?
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89' Dove Blue Syncro Hightop |
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vanagonjr
Samba Member
Joined: October 07, 2010
Posts: 3431
Location: Dartmouth, Mass.
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Zeitgeist 13
Samba Member
Joined: March 05, 2009
Posts: 12115
Location: Port Manteau
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| Posted: Thu Apr 18, 2013 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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| IrideWheelies wrote: |
I suppose I brought this on by replacing almost all of the parts in my shift linkage over the last few months. The shift rod just couldn't handle it, and gave up. It must have feld old and neglected around those new bushings and shift rod ears. I'm lucky that it happened in my driveway, not during my trip to Moab 2 weeks ago. Anyone in South Sound have an extra shift lever?
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I don't have an extra, but you can use mine if needed. My van's currently sitting in my shop without a windshield. I can probably add a metal insert and then weld the whole thing up again, good as new.
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Casey--
'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik? |
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insyncro
Banned
Joined: March 07, 2002
Posts: 15086
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Apr 19, 2013 8:08 am Post subject: |
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Insert or sleeve it and weld it.
X2....a properly aligned and lubed linkage is very smooth.
If you are snapping shifters, something is binding.
The trans internals prefer smooth shifting too. |
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Sodo
Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2007
Posts: 9618
Location: Western WA
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| Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2021 12:41 am Post subject: Re: Broken shift lever |
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See Weld Repair thread: Broken gear shifter lever (and weld repair)
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
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