Gearbox Clutch CVs - Renovating 5 speed change mechanism - adjustments

Contribution from Metalmickey on adjusting 5 speed gear change.

Setting up for correct adjustment of 5-speed gear change assembly

You need the offside of the van jacked up, so you can get under the vehicle easily.

- Remove spare wheel and leave the carrier in the down position. - Clean splined area of rod. - Get a lamp up behind the shift box so you light up the bottom of the gearstick. - Have couple of 13mm spanners for the clamp on the splined join. - Have good set of mole grips and fasten to gearstick side of splined shaft. - 2nd set grips to other side of splines. - 3rd set around the shaft at gearbox end.

You're now ready to begin...

Confirm that you have a 'clean' neutral - that is you can move between 2/3rd to 4th/5th (ignore 1st/rev for now)

If you have a free travel across the gate then your fore/aft on the splines will be about correct.

Now bear this in mind, whatever movement you do under the van is opposite in the van at the gearstick

So now get under the van and with the grips, move the rod fore and aft and confirm by looking through the gap at the spare carrier that the bottom of the stick is returning to the central position ie; neutral. If it doesn't, loosen the clamp and move fwd or backwards till it sits in neutral, now nip it up and wind some tape round the rear rod where it enters the front rod.

This is so that if you need to alter the rotational aspect you will always know where the fore/aft position is.

Additional footnote from Aidan Talbot with regard to above: The length of linkage is all important. There is a gap in the gate in the neutral position both in the gearbox and under the gearstick, if the length is too short then you can struggle to get across to 1st so check the pinch bolt in the middle and that you have 8mm-10mm or so of splines visible infront of the join. If less, then loosen bolt and extend linkage a dadge, lock off and recheck. On a five speed this is best achieved with 2 people - one pushes ball into gearbox and does the bolt up and other holds gearstick in central neutral position. The big spring on the 5 speed box only pushes the ball from 1st reverse plane to the 2nd 3rd plane only, you have to move the stick yourself to 4th 5th plane, hence the 5 speed feels like stirring porridge sometimes. To set the length of the shift (so you don't hit the radio) loosen the pinch bolt in th emiddle and adjust the length so that the two nylon guides are slap bang between the two aluminium blocks when in neutral. Ppush the ball till it meets the spring pressure (ie is vertical in both planes, ie neutral in the 2nd 3rd plane) and set the stick so that the two nylon guides on the bottom of the stick straddle the line of the two aluminium blocks then lock off the central pinch bolt

Next set 4th/5th;

• At the gearbox end grab the grips and rotate so the arm that goes into the gearbox is fully out and holding this observe the bottom of the gearstick, the fork should be to the left of the alloy blocks.

• Move the rod forward to 5th gear and look to see that the stick bottom moves forward with out catching the alloy blocks.

• Keeping it pulled out pull the rod backwards , this =4th gear.

• Now back to neutral, and in this relaxed position move the rod aft =2nd. When you do this the fork should pass over the alloy blocks with out catching.

• Move the rod forward =3rd. Check the same, does it pass over the blocks okay? If it does then you are near enough there.

• If it's not correct rotationally, then loosen the spline clamp and move the rod round one spline and nip back up to your tape mark for fore/aft.

Its a case of repeating all this until it's right. There is also some adjustnment where the stick bolts to the selector box. Look in Haynes for this, but I set mine in the middle average position.

It takes 10-15 minutes once your set up.

Reverse Detent - thoughts

Okay, in the box (gearstick box) you will see a lump of metal bolted to the off side, this is the restrictor for reverse - I ALWAYS remove these.

The reason is this:

The gear stick when adjusted correctly sits in neutral and thats that, the 2/3rd and 4/5th neutral gate is finger pressure either way.

To engage 1st you have to use a bit of effort, this is to overcome the dedent spring on the side of the gear stick, then pull back for first. With the reverse lock plate removed, as you move the gearstick forwards toward neutral it will, as soon as you hit the neutral gate be forced by the detent spring towards the 2/3rd part of the gate. Never ever will it want to go straight fwd to reverse, (unless you dont have the detent spring as in you've lost it)