Trouble going into reverse

[sharkjazz]

so it never rains it pours.

Going into reverse was getting progressively worse over a period of months and eventually it got to the point couldn't find reverse at all.

Took the spare wheel off, the bracket holding the bottom of the gear stick area, the box around the gear stick area and had a poke around.

The two blocks (that I assume, should guide the gear stick into gear) were actually stopping the reverse gear going into place.

I removed these two blocks, they do seem a bit worn, but nothing major and I could find reverse first time.

However, it is starting to get tricky again. Can take a bit of forward / back action to get it in, and occasional goes into 2nd. So whatever the cause is, seems to be getting worse.


Will I cause any damage by not having the guide blocks in?

My diagnosis is, something is causing the gears to come out of alignment and this is getting worse. It is like the gear box is slowly tilting in some direction.

To get into Reverse / 2nd / 4th I almost need to smash my hand into the dashboard.


Is there an easy way to "tilt" the box in to opposite direction, or something to that effect. Sorry if this is a stupid question

cheers

[NicBeeee]

Hi

I would try and find out the cause of the problem before removing the guide blocks, if the blocks are stopping you from getting into reverse then the gearstick is not able to travel far enough towards reverse for a reason, the forks at the bottom of the gearstick are meant to be able to be pushed down and under the reverse gear catch, if you are not able to do this then I would be checking adjustment of the splined middle linkage (possible other cause of banging your knuckles) and the lever plate under the gearstick gaiter.

If your lever plate is captivated with studs as opposed to bolts then it needs to be adjusted up to the limit of the slots in either direction that suits the gear change best, if the nuts have come loose then it could mess with the ultimate right or left of the gearstick.

The central splined linkage under the van can be a pain, always mark were it sits before you loosen the clamp bolt so if your tinkering make things worse then at least you can start from scratch again. If you were to increase the length of the linkage by even 1mm then it might help with the knuckle banging.

However I would also be checking the rear selector lever for play as this may be worn along with the other bushes and support plates.