Gears very hard to select when hot

[mines a money pit]

Weekend before last weather was alrite. So thought I'd pull my bus out of the unit and blow some cobwebs out of it, with a little run round the local lanes. Amazingly it started up fine with none of the revving up on its own (been fine last few times its started). So off I went. Was out around 15 minutes or so. Got back and my mate had arrived with one of the beetles which needed to be pushed back inside. So while we shifted some things round and put it in the unit I left the van idling, must have been at least 10 minutes, so got nice and hot. When I tried to get reverse and 1st to move it back into the unit they were near impossible to select. Exceptionally stiff and eventually got reverse with a crunch and bang. Gears are a little difficult normally anyway, but nothing like as bad. Remember having the same problem the first time I went to change down after the long motorway run home from buying it. Seem to get a lot worse when the engine is well warmed/ hot. What could be the issue? Linkages? Or is it a more serious issue with the gearbox itself??

[Hash brown]

I have the same issue when the van is warm and I want to shift down to 1st.
I have spoken to someone who had the same problem and apparently there was a lock nut somewhere in the gear linkage just below the engine that needed tightening.

Don't know if this helps or would cause the problem, I haven't looked at mine yet

[CJH]

When I first got my van it had a very similar issue. I can't say it's totally solved now, but it is MUCH better than it was and only happens in hot weather after a long hot run. In the current weather it now doesn't happen even after a long run. I think the symptoms are consistent with a dragging clutch. There were two things that made a marked difference:

1) I replaced the clutch slave cylinder and flushed out the old hydraulic fluid in the clutch circuit. It was very black. With hindsight I probably didn't need the new slave cylinder, as my theory is that the old cruddy fluid was becoming compressible when hot, so the clutch was dragging a bit.
2) I removed the cover over the gearstick mechanism under the van (above the spare wheel), wire brushed it clean and greased it up - this made the whole gear change much slicker.

The last thing that I now suspect is the spigot bearing, and my working theory is that it's worn, such that when it gets hot and expands it might just be grabbing at the input shaft and mimicking a dragging clutch.

[mines a money pit]

Thanks guys. Dragging clutch sounds a plausible theory and something I'd not have thought of. I'll check the gear linkage too when I'm next with the bus.

[Aidan]

if it is fine cold bad hot chances are it is the spigot bearing, could be clutch drag

any doubt about the gearbox change the oil and see what the drainplug has to tell you

[CovKid]

Mine only worked smoothly if it had been raining. Turned out to be lack of lube at one of the rod bushes underneath.