[T2] 2nd gear problems

[david raistrick]

> This has been suggested. I guess I don’t really know what to look for – I was thinking it would be obvious. But based on your description – it could be broken, and I can’t quite see how. I’ve got to travel the next few days, but I’ll take a closer look at the rear shift coupler.

the (late style ) coupler basically a cage and pin.  one end connects
to the rod to the front, the other connects to the rod that goes into
the nosecone.   there are two plastic/poly/rubber (depends..)
rectangular bushings on each side that hold the pin in place in the
cage.   These go bad - a little, or a lot.   when they do, the pin and
the cage dont move at the same time. (nor as far)     The two set
screws on each end should be tight, and held in place with bailing
wire (which should be tensioned in such a way as to keep them
tight...).    When those screws get loose (one or both), they will
cause the recess in their rod to wear deeper and sometimes will never
tighten enough to stop movement.

stick the trans into any gear, grab a light, crawl under, then shoot
some of your favorite fast evap parts cleaner on the coupler to try to
clean some of the gunk off of it.   wiggle whatever you can get your
hand on (rotation).   that'll usually be the cage.

Watch both rods - you should have very limited movement (it's in
gear), and both rods should move at the same time.   you should be
able to see the pin inside the bushes on the sides.

Now have your friend wiggle the shifter - first left/right (rotation).
  now watch those rods again.  if you see them slipping where they fit
into the coupler, check the screws (and their recesses).    watch that
pin in the bushing.     if you see -any- movement that's not directly
translated to the trans rod, the coupler is bad.

now have your friend wiggle forward/backward (but NOT pulling it out
gear - you want both the trans end "tight" to see a problem).  look at
the same stuff.  see any movement?

your current problem -sounds- like a rotation issue - it's not
rotating far enough to hit reverse.  (1/2 3/4 and R are the 3 rotated
positions.  front/rear engages 1/2 and 3/4 and R from the neutral
position).   Slop in the coupler is the classic problem.


That said - there are other couplers.  There's one behind the front
beam that connects the front rod to the rear rod (removable so you can
take the beam out).    that one is solid, and generally not a problem
except when you want to take it apart.   But eyeball it.


Then there's the ball/socket at the bottom of the shifter, and the
bushing at the front (front is front) of that socket on the short part
of the rod.   That bushing can let the socket fall down too far,
changing the amount of rotation (changes the lever length).   Grab the
socket end under the shifter and wiggle it - you should see the pin to
the front and should be able to see if it's sloppy.

Then there's the socket itself - it could be worn or torn.   have your
friend put the trans in neutral, then hold the shifter still.   wiggle
(rotate) the rod and watch for excess movement.   also wiggle
front/rear. there should be some (it's old, after all) - but not much.

-If- something got damaged from excessive force on the shifter - I'd
point at the socket on the rod after checking the coupler...     You
might try giving it a squeeze with a big pair of channel locks to see
if it closes up any and the slop goes away.  if it does, obviously
it's bad (torn) and you need a front rod section (or to try to weld it
up, but....).


Anyway. just guesses - more than likely it's the coupler.....