Stuck in 4th gear

[Daniels Big Mistake]

Hi after an intensive summer roadtrip, my bus has lost the ability to downshift out of 4th gear. Ive checked the shift linkage up front and the coupling infront of the tranny but I think its something like the clutch or a tranny synchro, I dont know anything about transmissions though.

Once in 4th The only way to get to a lower gear is by stopping rocking the bus backwards and then it will go through all 4 gears like butter untill it is in motion again

Has anyone ran into a problem like this or know the solution? I want to drop the engine and take the tranny off and look but what do I look for besides a wonky looking clutch?

[hambone]

I think you may be looking at a transaxle rebuild...

[AzironaZack]

Have you tried double-clutching? A friend of mine's bug was undrive-able without double-clutching through all the gear shifts (up and down).

He drove it like that for years until he was given a better transmission by a neighbor.

Synchronizers? We don't need no stinking synchronizers!

[satchmo]

Call Daryl at AATransaxle. He has tons of experience with VW transmissions and I'm sure he can give you good advice. He is also probably the premier rebuilder if you have to go that route.

(425)788-4070

Good Luck, Tim

[Daniels Big Mistake]

Gosh, somehow I feel like Ive come full circle. 2 summers ago I bought a parts bus that was a 77 riviera just like mine, it had a good trans that I sold (along with the bus) for spare money to move to utah to be a ski rat. And as that guy was driving away with what had been my spare tranny, I felt like I might regret selling it someday.

Gentleman, that day is today. I sold it for 200 obo...

I've got all winter and a new steady job to help me out, maybe 3 months of sniping craiglist will net me the big one

[Vdubtech]

I sold it for 200 obo..

$200??!! That's nuts dude--I've never sold a 6 rib for less than $500, let alone an entire Bus with a tranny in it!! That guy stole it from you.

[dtrumbo]

I sold it for 200 obo..

$200??!! That's nuts dude--I've never sold a 6 rib for less than $500, let alone an entire Bus with a tranny in it!! That guy stole it from you.

I guess that truly was Daniel's Big Mistake.

Daryl will lighten your wallet for just over a grand to rebuild your six-rib. For that, you get a good tranny and an absolutely no-hassle warranty. Of course the rub is you get good practice at R&R'ing your engine/transmission. All of that said, I do highly recommend him.

[Westy78]

Daryl will lighten your wallet for just over a grand to rebuild your six-rib. For that, you get a good tranny and an absolutely no-hassle warranty. Of course the rub is you get good practice at R&R'ing your engine/transmission. All of that said, I do highly recommend him.

Me too. Been happy with my AA rebuild. Daryl will go out of his way to help if something is faulty with the rebuild too.

[Sodbuster]

I would pull the engine and check the clutch first. Paying very close attention to the pilot bearing. and then go from there.

[Amskeptic]

I would pull the engine and check the clutch first. Paying very close attention to the pilot bearing. and then go from there.

"The only way to get to a lower gear is by stopping rocking the bus backwards"

When a symptom is specific to one gear, then all the upstream stuff like clutch cross shaft, pilot bearing, damaged splines, are out of the equation, because they would screw up the other gears too, particularly that shift from neutral to 1st. I am going out on a limb and guessing that the synchro slider has a fracture.
Colin

[whc03grady]

Okay, maybe I'm confused by the description of the problem:
So it's stuck in 4th, you stop it, rock it, and then you have fine shifting until you get to fourth, whereupon it gets stuck? So maybe you could drive around town fine all day (R, 1, 2, 3,up and down all you like), since you'd never get into 4th?

[vdubyah73]

Could be a pilot bearing and the symptoms are lost in translation.

[Amskeptic]

Could be a pilot bearing and the symptoms are lost in translation.

If it is stuck IN a gear, and the only way the slider will let go is to apply backward torque on it with the engine shut off, it is inside the transmission.
Colin
(pilot bearing sticking would make engagement into reverse and first particularly difficult)

[Sodbuster]

Could be a pilot bearing and the symptoms are lost in translation.

If it is stuck IN a gear, and the only way the slider will let go is to apply backward torque on it with the engine shut off, it is inside the transmission.
Colin
(pilot bearing sticking would make engagement into reverse and first particularly difficult)

Once the clutch is eliminated as a potential problem then the problem could be internal to the trans. A very common problem with the 091 and large mainshaft 002 VW transaxles is failure of the 3+4 slider hub. Sometimes the corner areas adjacent to the slider detent “dogs” can be damaged and brake off thus jamming the 3+4 slider locking it in gear.

3+4 slider hub and the slots where the Detent “dogs” live


The circled areas indicate where the hub can break thus jamming the slider.

[Amskeptic]

A very common problem with the 091 and large mainshaft 002 VW transaxles is failure of the 3+4 slider hub.

Sloppy engineering? Cynical cost-cutting?
Colin