Gearbox Clutch CVs Gear selection process

Aidan On a four speed you push stick forward for 1st, linkage goes backwards, ie the cup and ball go backwards, this makes the selector shaft in the box rotate forwards, ie clockwise when looking at the ball, but 1st gear is at the back of the box closest to the output flanges so the relay lever is required to reverse direction that the selector fork moves to engage 1st gear.

on a five speed 1st is hung out the front of the box, 2nd is where first is in a 4 speed, 3rd is where second is etc...reverse is in the same place

thus 2nd is strongest gear in 5 speed box so if you need to bump start a five speed always use 2nd, in a 4 speed always use 1st, and in both try to avoid bumping in reverse, in a syncro 1st is strongest and never bump in R or G as the reduction gearset multiplies the torque 3 fold and can easily punch the reverse idler shaft out of the bottom of the box causing much damage and expense.

setting up linkage by easy method, default position in 4 speed is 3rd/4th plane, on a five speed 2nd/3rd plane ie its just against the spring in the gearbox, but complicated by the spring thing in the bottom of the five speed stick.