6 forward gears !!

[mike_gee32]

I recently saved an early caravelle from being broken, it has a good shell but, as I'm discovering, mechanically it was knackered.
It came with no engine and the box, a 5 speed, was sitting in the back. When it was out the selector mechanism moved through all 6 positions and the output flanges span when I twiddled with the input shaft. I also changed the oil and although it was very dirty there wasn't much debris on the plug, definately no lumps just a selection of iron filings.

The linkage had been split at the selector cup and ball and before refitting I cleaned loads of mud and dried grease out of the ali cup that the selector ball joint goes into but it's now quite loose on the ball, there is no insert or anything in there.
I've fitted (most of) the gearstick repair kit, haven't dropped the spare wheel to replace the top hat bushes yet and the selection feels ok, 2nd to 5th feel nice and positive and it changes with no graunches but when I move to the left for R and 1st I can get two gears but they are both forward, I think 2nd and 4th again.

Looking underneath the van yesterday the rest of the rod bushes and uj don't have much play, certainly no more than my old 4 speed van which I'm stripping for bits for this one BUT there is no pinch bolt holding the splines tight

I've had a read of the wiki and the haynes book of lies and know that adjusting the splines is a bit of a mare, but I can find no reference to how worn is too worn on the cup and ball, does the fact that it's just 1+R that have gone point to sloppy linkage or is it likely that the splines will have moved with no pinch bolt? Should there be an insert in the cup or is it an ali/plastic interface? I'm wondering if I can wrap some tape round the ball to take out some free play before either spending loads on new bits or hours adjusting stuff.

Any advice or experiences would be great

Thanks

MIke

[Aidan]

sounds like linkage out of adjustment
there should be play in the cup and ball, there should also be a protective boot joining the two with a skirt that pulls down over the cup, unless either the cup or ball is obviously worn that's not an issue and the plastic plug at the bottom of the cup is often missing and not essential, a blob of moly grease in there is a good idea. The crud you cleaned out is the old poly grease that's gone hard together with the road debris that got in cos the boot was split/missing.
The boot is still available from vw for less than £4
re set up, with the two bolts holding the rear bush plate onto the front of the boss on the gearbox just slack, mate the cup and ball, pull the skirt down over the cup and gently push the whole rear linkage up so firmly mated then tighten the two bolts. If further adjustment required then get a mate to hold stick in neutral in 4/5 plane and loosen the bolt on the splined joint and pull the selector ball out of the gearbox fully toward the wheel and lock off the spline bolt in that position and that should be right.
If I had a 2wd van and a ramp I'd do a photostory of this procedure cos I'm fed up with writing it, will someone with access to a ramp and 2wd vans please do it

[mike_gee32]

Cheers for that Aidan, hopefully it will just be the rear linkage plate then as I think I tightened it up with the plate at the bottom of the holes. I'll try to get some pics while I'm under then add your words for the wiki.

Mike

[mike_gee32]

Right, it's nearly there, van was booked in for it's mot tonight so I had to jack it up and have a play with the linkage before going. Shoved it up as far as I could and it worked.......for a bit.......van was on the ramp and when the tester tried to back it off he couldn't get reverse, nor could I, I tried to readjust the plate, he tried to readjust the plate, in the end I had to move the selector shaft into position by hand while he moved the gearstick so he could get it off the ramp

I'll have to have a decent play at the weekend. Van only failed on rear brake imbalance which was a result