Club 80-90 Forums

I suspect i have a worn gear linkage prob. I have viewed the excellent threads on wiki for refurb of gear linkage from front to back. However my symptoms are as follows:
I have to press the gearstick down to engage 1st gear (in the same way as you do to engage reverse)

Is this symptom typical of a particular part failing ?

Not sure, but think you have to do this if using 4-speed linkage with 5-speed box, is the 5-speed original?

That's a good question. How do I check this? It's an 85 autosleeper dg engine. I only think they did a five speed?

This is as it should be, ( I believe ) , I have the 5 speed box and it is a push down to select first, and also reverse , I must admit to not particularly liking it !

I don't have to push down for 1st on my 5-speed...

Just downloaded the 1985 Autosleeper brochure, it says 4 speed as standard and 5 speed as option, probably a VW manufacturing sticker somewhere that has original specification but I don't know details on finding/deciphering that.

I've had some work on my van at a local vw specialist. He claims it should NOT be like this and suggests a refurb of the parts that are subject to wear, plastic bushes etc. He reckons it should move smoothly into first with no pressing of gear lever at all.

According to handbook, push down for reverse but not first on 5 speed, push down for G/crawler gear on Syncro.

You will have to press left against spring loading though.

I guess I'll only know when I get underneath and have a look. I suspect after 30 years there will be some wear so I'm planning on a total replacement of all wear parts on hear linkage. Just wondered if anyone had specific experience of this and what the specific prognosis was. I am learning being a newbie to the t25 scene that it's best to get underneath and get my hands dirty to see what's what.

watching this thread with interest, I had always assumed that it was normal to press down , A total refurb of the gear linkage is on the list of jobs, but is not a high priority at the moment as i can select all the gears , I just need to concentrate as some bright spark has put first in the wrong place

Ferraris have the same problem dog leg 1st lol

No press down needed for 1st on a 5 speed. It sounds like you definitely have a 4sp lever.

so how do i tell if it is a 4 speed linkage?

I wrote a comprehensive reply fairly recently in this very subject.
Put simply: if the gearchange box under the floor has a pair of 13mm a/f bolt heads showing at the bottom, its a 5-speed.
The lever has a side plunger, the bolts secure a pair of alloy pyramids.

4 speed movement and assembly looks like this underneath

That is quite a cool animation! In other news, my 5sp not only needs some kind of persuasion to get into 1st, it often exits 1st with a metallic screech (from the lever pivot, not the gearbox!!) Normal driving is usually accompanied by a metallic tinkling from the gear lever pivot.

And I suppose someone will be along to tell me that's not how it should be, eh?

It's just a matter of priorities...