68 beetle jumping out of 1st gear

gavhan · 08 June 2010, 19:24

can some one out there please help,im new to autos.Let me give you some back ground i got my hands on a 68 beetle which is the love of my life even tho she did come with some problems.When you put her into 1st gear she is great and goes really well put as soon as you take your foot off the accselarater it jumps out off gear. Now this only happens in 1st gear,a few said it was some ajustment needed but this did not help.Atf fluid is all new there are now leaks or crushed pipes iv replased the rear bush on the link and still now joy.This is when the reall fun starts i was told buy an auto specialist the bearings had gone in the box and this would make it jump out,so out it came and it was rebuilt.As soon as it went back in i could then now long get any gears but with some work sorted this but yes straight away she started jumping out of 1st

???So guys im a £1000 in and now better off but came across this forum which i hope you can help me as i do not want to turn this car anto a manual so please help.sorry to go but really want to get my car back on the road many thanks

Bookwus · 08 June 2010, 19:45

Hiya gav,

Welcome aboard!

I think the first thing to do is to make sure that we are all talking about the same thing. A small (very small!) course in AutoStick semantics...............

Is it First or Low that is giving you the problem?

Second.............Tell us more about this rebuild. A general given around here is that a complete rebuild of an AutoStick is a VERY hard service to come by.

It's difficult to know for sure just what your problem may be. However judging by what you have described so far, it sounds to me as if your range selection hardware (shift lever, couplings, shift rod, hockey stick) are not completely seating the tranny into the desired range. This is not all that uncommon in a car in which the shift plate (it lives underneath the shift lever) needs adjusting.

gavhan · 08 June 2010, 23:35

Thanks for your reply and yes it is 1st gear not low.The rebuild i had was all the bearings in the box as they were shot.all the gears and clutch are ok as im led to believe but the car will hold 1st ok under acceleration no problem.as regards ajustments knowone nows just what to do as there sems so many to do.my friend did have a look for me to and he put it into gear and then disconected the linkage under the inspection panel under the back seat and then drove it.the car still came out of gear so he seems to think is the box still but he has not worked on autos as all.

volkenstein · 09 June 2010, 07:27

Gavhan,
If your friend drove it in 1st with the coupler disconnected and it still popped out, for 1000 quid I'd throw it through your trans' shop door/window until they fix it

. The gear train is similar to a manual, just without 1st and a one piece input shaft.

That rant over with...I'd pull the engine and GB and give the GB a once over. I.E. check for nose cone pounding, shift rail slop, detent function, pinion nut tightness etc. That last one can be problematic to actually do. BTW I'm no trans guy, this is all stuff I've gleaned off the interweb.

EDIT : I forgot about checking the transmission/engine mounts - all 3 to make sure they are OK.

I'd also post a succint description (or use PM to contact "Bruce" describing your woes) on the transaxles forum at STF - www.shoptalkforums.com and see what transpires. Just remember (as per Mikes post) to say "R1", not first or whatever.

HTH
Volkenstein

gavhan · 09 June 2010, 16:33

thanks for you help il get onto that. you now were i can get the gear box mounts from as no one in the uk sells them. many thanks.

volkenstein · 10 June 2010, 02:44

Gavhan,
The rear (rear = rear of car) are common enough - pre '73 mounts. Just try and get quality (non empi etc) ones. The front Gearbox mount is unique. Fleagay or www.thesamba.com classifieds or some of the vendors Dave (Hercdriver) has listed in his parts suppliers post.

HTH
Volkenstein

Airhead · 10 June 2010, 09:49

Hi Gavhan

Whereabouts are you in the UK?

Airhead

gavhan · 11 June 2010, 14:22

hi there we are in the midlands about half hour from birmingham how about you mate.

Airhead · 12 June 2010, 10:15

Sunny Sheffield

You can pick up the rear gearbox mounts from GSF or Heritage as Volkenstein says try The Samba for the front or maybe EVW?

Cogbox in London did rebuild some of the AS transmissions but that was years ago, sounds like you got stung by the guy who charged you £1000
I picked up a spare transmission when I was looking for one in hindsight you could have had it cheap but it sounds like your problem could be something else other than the transmission itself.

Steve

68autobug · 14 June 2010, 08:21

Quote from: Airhead on 12 June 2010, 10:15
Sunny Sheffield

You can pick up the rear gearbox mounts from GSF or Heritage as Volkenstein says try The Samba for the front or maybe EVW?

Cogbox in London did rebuild some of the AS transmissions but that was years ago, sounds like you got stung by the guy who charged you £1000
I picked up a spare transmission when I was looking for one in hindsight you could have had it cheap but it sounds like your problem could be something else other than the transmission itself.

Steve

You mean the front gearbox mount...??
I've never seen any of these worn out ??

the rear gearbox/engine mounts are easy to find at any VW parts shop..

the gears in the Autosticks are extremely Heavy duty German made bearings...
so, its strange to say ALL the bearings had to be renewed...??

I also would presume that the gearbox/transaxle would be whining its head off if the bearings were worn..??

it seems the fellow didn't know about the selectors detents etc...??
or maybe anything about VW gearboxes...

Its a shame its not the lockout plate in the gearshifter...
and You have to take the gearbox out again...

but once the problem is fixed You will be Autosticking again..

cheers

LEE

singlecab61 · 14 June 2010, 16:45

Quote from: volkenstein on 09 June 2010, 07:27
Gavhan,
If your friend drove it in 1st with the coupler disconnected and it still popped out, for 1000 quid I'd throw it through your trans' shop door/window until they fix it . The gear train is similar to a manual, just without 1st and a one piece input shaft.

Volkenstein

Hello there,

I agree with Volkenstein. I would toss that tranny on the floor of the rebuilder and tell him fix it right and your not paying for this repair because it wasn't fixed!!!! With the shifter disconnected at the transmission, and it still pops out of gear, just like it did before the rebuild you have eliminated all but the transmission itself.

Your tranny guy said all the gears were fine but all the bearings were bad, clearly he did not take a good look at the gears. The "dogteeth" on 1st gear (mid range) are worn out and the slider gear is most likely shot too. The only way to repair this is to replace the gear and slider. There is a very slight possibility the shift fork is not correctly adjusted but I put my money on the gear and slider. I know 2nd (high range) can have the "dogteeth" ring replaced separate from the gear but I can't remember if 1st (mid range) is the same way. I have to take a look at one of my disassembled gearboxes to say for sure. Either way, it will need replacing. Broken motor mounts would only cause this issue with the shifter connected.

I would also bet money he didn't replace all the bearings like he said he did unless he has a secret stash of NOS bearings locked away in a safe somewhere. There are several bearings in there that are no longer available and have been that way for many years now. 99% of the bearings inside the transmission are the same as a 4 speed manual gearbox. I use LONG Enterprises and RON's Transaxles here in California. I have had several transmissions rebuilt by both places and according to the owners of both businesses, a lot of the bearings that get replaced, are replaced with good used bearings because new ones are unobtainable. LONG Enterprises has a stash of some NOS bearings (I know, I have seen the stash he has in a VERY secure building on his property) but they are very expensive and he only installs them if the tranny is seeing serious horsepower and abuse. Otherwise, good used bearings are installed.

I have been inside several transmissions both VW and non VW. The direct cause of your described issue is as I described above. As much as you don't want to hear this, it needs to come back out, gone through again, and fixed properly. You spend a big chunk of change for basically nothing.

-Evan.

gavhan · 14 June 2010, 21:00

thanks for all your info mate you really are a star the box is coming out next week again but if you could let me now about that 1st gear dogteeth ring juat want to get her back on the road for the little summer we get in the uk

gavhan · 14 June 2010, 21:04

yes did mean the front gear box mount was told this could be a problem but most people like youself seem to think this unlikley but would like to thank you to because untill i found this site i was lost so many thanks hope to save another auto from 4 gear hell.