Gear selection problem.

[PC52]

Just an observation,
The accumulation of the crap within the bellhousing due to not having the protection plate could have resulted in attacking the clutch mechanism and stopping the clutch freeing off of the splines.

I personally would be partial to seperating the gearbox and engine, fit the back plate which is situated behind the flywheel on the engine which then mates up to the gearbox and seals it up. Ensure all debris is removed out of bellhousing, spiggot shaft all clean and free, maybe replace spiggot shaft bearing and refit.

With regards the photo, will take one in the morning as our gearbox is removed atm. The plate you require is approx 1.5 mm in thickness and is a one piece plate.

On a note the plate is Syncro specific.

Do you have the bell housing breathers fitted?

[HarryMann]

Ohh, good for them... well done, Holman, not easy selling things East to West at the best of times.

[joe75]

Thanks for all the replies.

The ears arrived today from the states so I can start to refit the gear shift linkage and see if that makes any difference.

The more I think about it and the more info you guys give me I think I will have to remove the box clean up the clutch etc and refit with correct parts. There must be a ton of crap in the bell housing, beach driving, dusty roads and fords produce lots of muck.

A photo of the plate and even a diagram would be great. It's either try to find a secondhand one in the uk and post out or try and make one?

Just a thought but would the plate be different if I was running a petrol gear box with AHU block using a JX sump?

Thanks for all the help

[Aidan]

Joe there are two different versions of the "pooh" plate depends which bellhousing you have, does your bellhousing have 2 1 1/2" tubes, one sticking up at 1 oclock and one sideways at 4 oclock looking from the rear, may have convoluted rubber hoses going up from them, if you do that's the late syncro one, rather than the early syncro and 2wd one, I can't remember which bellhousing it was
but it also depends I think on which flywheel and clutch set up you have, if a T3 diesel 215mm flywheel then use t3 "pooh" plate but if running the TDi 228mm flywheel with the back weight then you use a made up one from one of the TDi converters

[lhd]

Could be a worn clutch release fork, I had a similar problems on my old 2WD.
where does the clutch bite?

[joe75]

Joe there are two different versions of the "pooh" plate depends which bellhousing you have, does your bellhousing have 2 1/2" tubes, one sticking up at 1 oclock and one sideways at 4 oclock looking from the rear, may have convoluted rubber hoses going up from them, if you do that's the late syncro one, rather than the early syncro and 2wd one, I can't remember which bellhousing it was
but it also depends I think on which flywheel and clutch set up you have, if a T3 diesel 215mm flywheel then use t3 "pooh" plate but if running the TDi 228mm flywheel with the back weight then you use a made up one from one of the TDi converters

Thanks Aidan. Just looked at the van and I can't see any of the breather pipes. Maybe this means I have the early bellhousing? I also listened when the clutch was operated and noticed that there is a squeak from inside the bellhousing as the clutch is operated ...

I looked through the documents from when you rebuilt the box, it says it is a 1985 box AAN 094. It says it has TDI imput shaft. I also found out that the clutch kit put in is a 1.9TDI AFN AGR ALH AHF CLUTCH KIT with SOLID FLYWHEEL.

So from what I can work out it is an early bellhousing with a TDI flywheel (228mm??) so I will need a made up plate from one of the TDi converters? Anyone know who makes a 'pooh' plate for this set up?

Thanks again guys

[PC52]

Just had a rootle through photos, its raining,
On the photo there are 2 plates. I think that you need the one top right, next to the engine mountings.

[joe75]

Thanks for the photo.

I don,t think I can make one of those easily! So I think trying find a company that sell one is the best bet. Anyone know who sells one of these?

If I am going to remove the box it makes sense to put a pooh plate back in as with the summer coming and a fair amount of beach driving on the cards keeping the sand out of the bell housing is a must.

Again thanks for all the help.

[joe75]

Right after a good google search I think i found what I am looking for.

Bearing in mind I have a AHU mTDI running a TDI clutch and flywheel will one of these work? http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/shop?page=s ... ct_id=1307

I think it will but before I place my order any advice would be great.

Thanks again.

Joe

[joe75]

Right after a good google search I think i found what I am looking for.

Bearing in mind I have a AHU mTDI running a TDI clutch and flywheel will one of these work? http://www.brickwerks.co.uk/shop?page=s ... ct_id=1307

I think it will but before I place my order any advice would be great.

Thanks again.

Joe

Been told on good authority that this is the correct part. One ordered. Now time to remove the box. Lets hope its an easy'ish job?

[joe75]

Update.

All parts arrived and I fitted all new bushes and 'ears' to the gear shift rod. The difference is amazing. Such smooth positive shifting, well for a moment, then no gears . So my problem has not changed One minute I have a great smooth gear shift, then come to a set of traffic lights and it won't go into any gears without great force. Then its good again, then it feels very notchy, going from 3rd to 4th then good again. And so on and so on ....

shot in the dark. dirt / dust in the bell housing not allowing clutch to slide on input shaft splines.

So next port of call is remove box and look at the clutch and other moving parts. Maybe its dirt or something worn? I now have the correct pooh plate which will allow me to keep the dirt out in the future.

Any tips on removing the box using a trolly jack by your self? Any parts I should renew as a matter of course?

Thanks again for the help.

Joe

[silverbullet]

Good one minute then bad the next going 3 - 4? If the entire shift linkage is re-bushed and re-tipped, with a new ball and cup, could it be the transmissions' Achilles heel i.e a fractured 3-4 synchronising hub, that is the root cause?
The clutch splines would have to be in a right state (rusty and half-seized) to cause them to bind and then it would be bad all the time, not intermittent.
From my limited experience and with hindsight, it's probably quicker and less aggro to drop the entire drivetrain package but you'll definitely need a 1/2 ton engine crane. My first big syncro job was a trans removal with trolley jack, leaving the petrol engine in-situ and using a fence post and ratchet strap across the hatch to support the engine.
The trans weighs about 55-60kg (?) which is quite enough when grovelling about under the wagon and perching it on top of a large trolley jack! A DIY wooden saddle and a small arno strap to keep it all in place are invaluable for this job.
Mind your fingers!

[joe75]

Cheers for the info. I had thought about making a wooden saddle so as not to drop the box on me! I learned that the hard way...

The gear shift can be bad in all the gears. Pull up at the lights and nothing, unless I really push the stick hard. Then it's ok again. Then no 2nd. Then ok. Then no third or 4th. Sometimes it feels like when you try to change gear with out using the clutch. There is still no crunching or grinding gears just hard shifting.

[silverbullet]

Probably one for Aidan's considerable experience but at a guess the shift rod guides inside the trans might be giving trouble too? They are a kind of linear ball race design and can partially stick/skid instead of rolling.
Might explain the lack of crashing gears but still with the intermittent heavy shift?

Probably unrelated, but I did have a problem with my SA bus (uses diesel gear shift components) where it had an indifferent shift that suddenly got stuck in gear just as I got home. The rearmost rod bush had worn to the point where it allowed the external ball to climb out of the cup and the selector rod had jammed solid

[Aidan]

I think there's still on the wiki a write up of a gearbox trolley jack adapter that Hacksaw Bob wrote up based on a design I came up with utilising some ply wood a used failed front upper ball joint and two bits of m6 threaded bar - enables the box to be secured to trolley jack and moved in any plane for allignment

sounds like you need to pull the box to check it all out, but first I'd recommend a gear oil change so drop the oil once the protection is off and see what the plug has to say, should be a modest head and clean stem - selector rod bearings issues show as balls or pressed steel 1" long bits

also check selection at box with linkage off, does it feel equal and consistent in both directions in all 3 planes (fully out, half in, fully in, about 7mm between planes at the box, is it different engine on or off (if you can test this safely)

could also be I guess contaminated spigot bearing, contaminated splines for clutch friction plate, interference with guide tube, release bearing mounting or lube issue or a clutch hydraulics issue