stuck in gear

dudes…..me again1

just when you get one thing sorted……….. you pop out for a short run and on the way back your doing 60 and the car gets stuck in fifth!

it's been running better than ever lately and it just happened with no warning.

checked the forward and side to side gear linkage hadn't come off in the usual places under the bonnet (from what i saw it hadn't, but as a mook what do i know?) and then phoned green flag. a youngish boy (no disrespect but possibly born after our mk1) pulls up in his towtruck and reckons it's the gear box that's gone, he wasn't 100% though.

he managed to 'rag it' into first to put it on the towtruck and again into reverse to put it on the drive.

anyone have any ideas? and if so how much $? + any advice?

cheers
mark

weird
i hate it (and at the same time love it) when things appear to repair themselves, but, i just went out with the intention of getting the code for the 'box and tried it and all the gears selected!

woo and also hoo.

unfortunately i'm too drunk to test drive, but i went about 6 feet down the drive in first and back again and then tried the other forward gears and they all worked!

what's that all about?

mark

Gearboxes are funny things, especially if they get too hot!

I had probs with mine jumping out of fifth gear on the motorway going to santa pod lst year. On the return journey and ever since, it has been fine?  :dontknow:

G/box oil level ???
Since I topped up (a few cc) the GTI (no sign of leak) the 2nd and 3rd synchros have improved - not perfect, but they don't crunch like they did….
Same with the automatic….if the fluid is slightly down the box is jerky and does all sorts of funny things….

….just read your 'Was it you' post….I read too slow….

Just remembered an 'incident' with my first Mk1, when it 'lost' some gears……turned out to be the clutch cable had worn through the rubber 'grommet' where it mounts on the gearbox, and had 'sawn' it's way through the metal mount and slipped partly out - result was clutch not disengageing correctly - no gears.
New cable, rubber mount, a plate (large split washer) fixed over the mount and a cable tie to hold the cable vertical - fixed for the rest of the car's life!

boo hoo!

just took the car to the garage to get gearbox oil level checked and filled up. it stuck in third on the way. the verdict of my mechanic is that as the oil level is fine then the box has gone. poo!

mark

weird again!

called in the mechanics and the gears were selecting again! any ideas?

mark

I think you have a sticky detent on the selector rails

sticky detent? is it an easy or difficult fix?

thanks for the reply, i just took note of the number of your postings - you should be up for an award!

cheers
mark

git said

thanks for the reply, i just took note of the number of your postings - you should be up for an award!

…he's got nothing else to do all day….      

Prowler said

…he's got nothing else to do all day….      

I think he's cloned himself!

he manages to strip a car in a day, post on here, etc. etc… and answer the phone every time! Definately more than one Crazyquiff walking this earth IMO

I just don't sleep - not….

Getting trained up to be a Part P Domestic Electric Installer at the mo…another string worth having imo  :wink:

so you'll obviously have time to dash up to leeds and free my sticky detent then?

mark

I'm sooo knacked from driving to and from brum at the mo with the course starting at 07:30  :cry:

Exam 2morrow!

Out of curiosity, what's a detent? I'm not sure if my gearbox isn't suffering from a similar problem, and it'd be great to know of any possible solutions.

I'm not 100% sure as I've not got the engine running yet, but if I leave it parked on the drive for the day with it in gear, the lever is really sticky when I come to move the car at the end of the day…

Any ideas?

Cheers

Rich

Weeeeel - I'm not 100% with the internals on the MK1 box but I'm sure it will be the same as many of the others I've looked at.

A detent is like the ball bearing that holds your socket onto your ratchet.  It is a ball bearing or, in the case of a gearbox, a slider with a spring behind it.  the slider engages with the selector rod holding the rod in a position, typically the gear selected.  If these or the rod notch become worn they can become sticky.

Ah ha! It all becomes clear…

Excellent analogy with the old socket set - I know exactly what you're on about!   Only one thing for it now - I'll have to take it apart and have a look…

Cheers

Rich

fixed now- gearbox overhaul- replaced 3rd and 5th and reverse + bits and bobs $160 (soz no poundsign on this pc) + $60 labour. just need to get a bit for linkage from crazyquiff and all's well!

cheers all
mark

Mark - in the post this morning so you should see it tomorrow.

So they had to replace gears did they??  ?160 for the overhaul does not sound too bad - where did you get the work done?

Cheers

Rich

cheers rich! top service and exceptional value as usual!
*plug*
and where exactly is your website again, should anyone need any parts for their mk1 pride and joy?

(soz)

anyway…………………….. it was done at a place in bradford at the advice of my garage mechanic who took it off and put it back on again. if anyone needs to know exactly where i'll find out!

oh rich have you got the little clip that lives in the door that you put the arm rest into and turn 90degrees to hold the top bit in. i forgot to ask you yesterday! damn!

cheers
mark