Help, help D:

[71superAS]

Hello all,

My daily driver is in serious trouble. It seems like I am suffering vacuum leakage, in that I can start the car up, engine is strong, but I can't engage the gears. The stick either won't move into them, or if it does, it grinds horribly. Sometimes jiggling the cable that runs from the shifter knob back to the transmission seems to fix the problem. Sometimes I hear a sound like rustling rubber coming from the transmission. Sometimes none of that and it runs beautifully, shifting and all [though much less after 2 days of this]. I have a 71 with original transmission and AS parts. What should I order to get this resolved ASAP! I am leaving town for a week and it will sit and wait for me, but I would love to order the parts now so I can get right on this when I get home. I have entertained vacuum leaks and electrical breakdowns as culprits. Any other thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

[Raymond73]

I think that wire is the ground that runs from the stick to the transmission. If jiggling it helps, maybe you have a loose ground. Follow it and look for kinks/damage. According to my manual there is a plug-in connection under the back seat. Check to make sure it is making good contact/not corroded. While you are at it, check the braided ground underneath where the transmission enters the body.

[71superAS]

Are there any diagrams out there of where the transmission enters the body? I have looked and looked but can only find them for manuals. I don't want to go in blindly ripping tings out only to have a transmission drop onto the floor and no idea how to get it back in. 

[Raymond73]

There might be some diagrams out there, but the braided ground I'm talking about is visible. Put her up on jack stands if you need the room and slide underneath. The engine and transmission are cradled between two arms that split off from the main tunnel. The two arms meet at the tunnel and that's where the transmission nose cone enters the tunnel.

If your owner's manual has disappeared, download a copy here: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/71bug.php

Some more info here too http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/manuals/72bug_guide.php

[68autobug]

Hello all,

My daily driver is in serious trouble. It seems like I am suffering vacuum leakage, in that I can start the car up, engine is strong, but I can't engage the gears. The stick either won't move into them, or if it does, it grinds horribly. Sometimes jiggling the cable that runs from the shifter knob back to the transmission seems to fix the problem. Sometimes I hear a sound like rustling rubber coming from the transmission. Sometimes none of that and it runs beautifully, shifting and all [though much less after 2 days of this]. I have a 71 with original transmission and AS parts. What should I order to get this resolved ASAP! I am leaving town for a week and it will sit and wait for me, but I would love to order the parts now so I can get right on this when I get home. I have entertained vacuum leaks and electrical breakdowns as culprits. Any other thoughts?

Thanks for reading!

Rustling Rubber

that is a hard one...

If Your engine/transaxle mountings are badly worn and most are, as new ones don't last 10  years.
the rubber comes off the metal part or on the original ones the rubber comes apart [not off the metal]

there is also a gearbox mount right at the front of the gearbox...
I've never seen a worn one of these..

but rust isn't that bad in Australia.. dry roads or just rain.. so no salt etc...
so, no rusted ones either..  If any of these are faulty and moving about then Your wires going to Your gearbox
may be loose also... I had this problem [just loose connectors] for a long time...
You can check out the connectors [they have a rubber boot covering them]
its actually a plug with 3 wires...  pull the plug off and push it back on and see if that made any difference..
its the neutral safety switch on the nose of the gearbox on the LHS..
some people stick a piece of wire in the two terminals [like a metal paper clip]

so they can start the car any time.. in or out of gear...

CHEERS

Lee in Australia

[68autobug]

Hi
If You were losing vacuum, You wouldn't be able to select gears anytime..
vacuum is used to operate the clutch, so if it doesn't work, You can't select gears.
and vacuum leaks aren't intermittant.
My guess is its the electrical problem... easier to fix too...lol
Let Us know how you go.
any questions... just ask..

best of luck

Lee in Australia

[71superAS]

The 'rustling' sound is weird. Sounds likes something is caught in the transaxle while it is spinning and rubbing. The transmission and engine mounts are new, but who knows. I'll have a better idea when I go in for a look later.

Thanks for the ideas! I will report back when I have better information.

[71superAS]

...also I didn't mean that the vacuum leaks were intermittent. I read somewhere that you can 'rock' the knob [and clutch] into gear if you have a leak. That method has worked a bit.

[68autobug]

Hi
all read and understood. and OK on the new engine mounts.
well, if the plug was loose or the wires in the plug are loose. then the method You are refering to, would work..
as I had completely rewired My car, wires were in different places...
I had one wire pulled tight over the accelerator cable so, pushing the pedal down pulled the cable and moved the plug...lol
wasn:t that easy to find though...   so sometimes I could select a gear and sometimes not...  lol

My other thoughts, are the clutch servo... If the vacuum tank hose had a very small leak, then You could get enough vacuum
at times straight from the inlet manifold...  so, wiggling the knob could also work that way??
it must be driving You crazy when You go to go...
OK with the ignition ON , You should be able to select a gear at least 6 times using the vacuum in the vacuum tank..
of course this won't work if the problem is elsewhere..  like electrical intermittant...etc..

cheers

LEE in Australia[color]

[71superAS]

Progress!!!

The PO must have run into this issue, because I found a horrid patchwork of different wire parts making up the cable running back from the knob.

It was also cracked at the shifter knob..... 

I replaced a fair length of it with some fairly high gauge, high quality wire. Now I can move the knob with the car on, no issues there. But the clutch does not engage. I shut the engine off while it was in reverse, and the car popped into gear for a split-second as it was shutting down. I must be grounding out somehow? I am going to re-check what I did and make sure I am clean as can be.

[71superAS]

Hmm, maybe I damaged the transmission pretty badly.

I can shift the knob into any gear position freely while the car is off. When I fire it up, I can shift it into reverse and low [positions] freely, but I cannot get the knob into first very often. It feels like the gear isn't there to shift into and I am just banging the knob against a blank face of the plate, not a gear position.

I shut the car down while it is in Reverse, and it pops into gear as it is shutting down. If I do the same thing while it is in low, in makes this rubber squealing sound like it is rubbing badly on something, but doesn't feel like it is engaging. It does the same if I shut it down in 1st. None of these gears engage while the car is starting. Is there a schematic of how I need to wire up the shifter knob?

If any of this seems too confusing or ignorant on my part, please let me know. I will try to clarify as best I can.


Thank you!
Patrick

[volkenstein]

Patrick,
         Have you tried adjusting the shifter stop plate, checking it's orientation and even going as far as to check the shift rod bushing in the tunnel. Lee may have some sticky pics....

Remember it'snly about a .016" gap for the contacts so the "mish-mash" of bits may be even mushier..Try the tech section for "your gear stick exposed"..if not there find it in the OLD furm section on the site front page.

HTH
Volkenstein

[68autobug]

Progress!!!

The PO must have run into this issue, because I found a horrid patchwork of different wire parts making up the cable running back from the knob.

It was also cracked at the shifter knob.....  ::

I replaced a fair length of it with some fairly high gauge, high quality wire. Now I can move the knob with the car on, no issues there. But the clutch does not engage. I shut the engine off while it was in reverse, and the car popped into gear for a split-second as it was shutting down. I must be grounding out somehow? I am going to re-check what I did and make sure I am clean as can be.

Hi
Best  to replace the whole wire from the shifter to the control valve....
its a really strange problem...  never heard of anything like that before..

the clutch servo has power to it ALL the time the engine is on - ignition is ON =
have You checked that ?? [it sounds like it has power]

using a small alligator clip on each end of piece of wire -- one end to the clutch servo CONTROL VALVE terminal the other end going to the points wire at the end of the gearshifter - You could run this wire thru the open door to make it easy... [for testing purposes]
the weird rubbery noise You are hearing is something I can never remember hearing.. a strange one..
You don't think its the clutch servo diaphram collapsing??  [normal when the vacuum hits the servo thru the control valve]

so, when You shift the gearshifter knob [normally] the shifter grounds out the points.. [wire going to the Control Valve]
and the clutch is operated [depressed] so You can select a gear and when You let go of the gearshifter knob the clutch is released..

but if Your wire between the gearshifter and Control Valve were grounding out as You thought...
so the clutch is depressed [rubbery noise of diaphram] but WON'T release until you turn the key OFF...

I think it sounds like this is happening...

As Sean suggested , there could be other problems - like the reverse lock out plate is in the wrong position or badly worn??
or the plastic bush in the tunnel has worn out allowing the gearshifter to drop lower into the tunnel...
causing all sorts of problems..

cheers

LEE in Australia
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[71superAS]

Any help out there for seeing a schematic for disassembling the shift knob and base plate? The shifter I have seems to be one piece, forged.

[Jeff54Griffin]

do you  have the right shifter?  I can feel mine give when I start to move it.  do you have a pic of it? 
It sounds like yours may be tightened all the way making it rigid, or.....possibly the wrong one
Jeff