1st gear help..............

Post by **sandcrawler** » 17 Jun 2007, 06:51

just purchased my first van (1.9 petrol panel van) it drives great but first gear is near impossible to find ? i have to ram it in several times to get it,sometimes ending up in 3rd or reverse,the rest of the gears are perfect.
please help anyone........

Alister (Leeds)

Post by **Compo** » 17 Jun 2007, 15:14

Have you tried going into second, then taking it by suprise and shooting into 1st?

this seems to work for lots of us, including my camper.....if it won't get first, I go into second then straight up into first. Works every time!

Emma

Post by **timthetrader** » 17 Jun 2007, 16:44

I have the same prob! I brought a gear extention of ebay for about £5 and you basically unscrew your gear knob, screw on the extention, screw back on your gear knob. It makes it easier to get 1st on mine.

Post by **garyd** » 17 Jun 2007, 16:56

Have you got a lot of slop generally in the gear change?

Try checking out the two small 'top-hat' bushes in the very bottom of the gear stick. This is where the front to back linkage fork bolts to the gear stick. If there is any slop in these. the sideways movement of the stick is not translated in twisting of the linkage and so you do not properly select the gear.

They are only pennies and it may be worth renewing the bolt as well.

cheers
Garyd

Post by **clartsonly** » 18 Jun 2007, 08:55

Compo wrote:Have you tried going into second, then taking it by suprise and shooting into 1st?

this seems to work for lots of us, including my camper.....if it won't get first, I go into second then straight up into first. Works every time!

Emma

ditto, although I am pretty sure it is the gear linkage at the gearbox end, mine is in about 3 bits held together by blue tack, rather than a proper plastic ball joint. I think it is a common problem.

Post by **HarryMann** » 18 Jun 2007, 09:06

Don't think 'ramming it in' will be doing it any good

Apart from refurbing the link bushes, starting with the easiest at the back, the sliding bush... sounds like its hitting the detent in the gate box under the cab. This is often the rotational setting on the splines half way along, just behind the main cross-member next to the spider joint. Often they only want moving one spline, but best to read all there is in the Wiki on this first...

http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/index.php/Gearb ... _improving

http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/index.php/Gearb ... air_Kit_01

http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/index.php/Gearb ... reluctance