Shifting problem - No 3rd, 4th, or reverse

EastMT

EastMT

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First on the list of things to figure out is why I cannot find 3rd, 4th , and reverse gears, when in neutral it feels like the shift knob will not go right enough to get to where the 3rd and 4th  gates would be or left enough where reverse would be. Looking down at the shaft that goes to the transaxle below the shifter , when in neutral the shaft does not rotate any futher past where 1st and 2nd are. I cannot move the shifter enough the other direction to get to where reverse should be.

So where do I start to diagnose this problem? How do I determine if the floor mounted shifter mechanism is worn out or needs to be replaced? What information or pictures would be helpful to post?

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Needs adjustment.

Reverse has a lockout, did you disengage that first?  Usually when they're out of adjustment you can't get either 3/4 or R, not both.

 
I would first determine that the peg at the trans is in fact going into all those gears by removing the shift shaft. Then I would proceed to investigate the shifter operation. I usually start by putting the trans in 4th, and then match the shifter rod movement at re- install.

 
Growing up with VW's you will find that shifting is very touchy on the transaxles,  front reverse over to 4th at the transaxle the shaft called a hockey stick only moves about 1/4 inch, so everything needs to be right for a smooth shift,  It will be some Heart Burn,  but going to a Fortin or a ProAmm will be halft the battle,  the other part is all the slop left,  off the billet sift box, i use roller bearing u joints on the trans and on the shifter side with a chromoly 3/4 shaft.  This will make the smoothest shift for every gear and ease of adjustment, 

 
J Alper said:
Growing up with VW's you will find that shifting is very touchy on the transaxles,  front reverse over to 4th at the transaxle the shaft called a hockey stick only moves about 1/4 inch, so everything needs to be right for a smooth shift,  It will be some Heart Burn,  but going to a Fortin or a ProAmm will be halft the battle,  the other part is all the slop left,  off the billet sift box, i use roller bearing u joints on the trans and on the shifter side with a chromoly 3/4 shaft.  This will make the smoothest shift for every gear and ease of adjustment, 
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Like JAlper said  ...Its a science to get it right  ads if the Hockey stick is worn or bent - its worse

 and you probably want to read this ...

https://californiaperformance.com/technical-tips/shift-linkage-adjusting/

 
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Jersey_Jeff73 said:
it looks like that bushing om the shift rod is worn
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I agree, saw that also. I would recommend a new shifter also like Alper said I like Pro am they are a great shifter I have never had a Fortin so can’t chime in there I also have never had a Jamar but know folks who have had good luck with them.

 
GBR said:
I agree, saw that also. I would recommend a new shifter also like Alper said I like Pro am they are a great shifter I have never had a Fortin so can’t chime in there I also have never had a Jamar but know folks who have had good luck with them.
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X2 that bushing looks trashed.

 
Thanks everyone! Now it's time to make decisions. Will report back.

 
3rd vote for Pro Am. I think a member on here had one for sale. I think it was Sunkist??

 
EastMT said:
Thanks everyone! Now it's time to make decisions. Will report back.
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Does reverse work when you disengage the lockout?  If so, then it's probably just an adjustment.  Happens a lot with these shifters.

If not, then yeah, you've got some $$$ to spend on, well, something.

 
That shifter looks like it leaves a lot to be desired. Without being able to see the mechanism inside, it's hard to say if that is the problem or not.

The shift rod back to the trans should be a 1:1 movement with the shifter lever. If there is any slop between moving the shift ball and that shift rod to the trans, that is where you need to start to see if you can tighten anything up with adjustment, or new bushings. 

The shift mechanism in the nosecone of the trans is painfully simple. It is a lever that rotates through 3 gates and pushes/pulls on the gates/heads to select each gear (unfortunately I don't have a picture of this mechanism in my vast library of pictures I have taken over the years). There are some bushings in the nosecone that be changed out to tighten up the shift rod/hockey stick, but that rarely causes any extreme shifting issues like what you are experiencing. 

Since others have already said it, I will say it too as it doesn't make me sound like a salesman (but hey, the shoe fits right?)... A new shifter would probably solve quite a few issues, and I have the Pro-Am shifters in stock and ready to ship (there's the salesman part kicking in). 

 
Rockwood said:
Does reverse work when you disengage the lockout?  If so, then it's probably just an adjustment.  Happens a lot with these shifters.

If not, then yeah, you've got some $$$ to spend on, well, something.
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Sorry, I forgot to reply to that yesterday. By golly, it does easily shift into reverse when you lift the lockout. Hopefully it is just an adjustment problem and not a bigger multi thousand dollar problem. It does look like the popular opinion is to ugrade the shifter as well as work on the adjustment.

 
Depending on the Style, 

Proamm shifters have a collar below the shift know you pull up to go into reverse, 

Fortin you push down on like a VW to go into reverse, 

Jamar is a copy of the Fortin but with cheaper parts, had one last week that locked up on the bearing inside, so if you copied a Fortin, the fortin to me is better quality than the Jamar, 

 
If its been fine and fell out of adjustment and if you fix that, why would you need to replace the shifter itself..? I fell into "yeah must be time for a new shifter", but after getting the adjustment just right (literally an RCH of adjustment) Shifts like butter again!!

x2 on the bushing

 
Shifter replacement is probably the BEST fix  - its sometimes hard to get the bushing to remain in place when the housing is worn  - I have seen many cars with "improvised" bushings due the stock not fitting and  that takes some redneck engineering ... A new shifter  like the ProAm is a luxury to shift  but can be expensive especially if you change the shift rod and u joint as well which is always a good idea, but even with a new shifter, you still have to adjust it correctly.  My personal preference is the ProAM, having used all  he popular aftermarket shifters the ProAm seems best by a huge margin -  there have two sizes of ProAM a shorter handle and longer handle  so you really should look at placement as well 

And as sean said any play in the shift rod like a bad u joint will make adjustment inconsistent and probably impossible.  You can easily chew up a few expensive  Weddle parts in the trans if the shifter does not engage all the way or "grinds"   that can happen on an improperly adjusted new shifter easily too.

 
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I have a Fortin shifter, with reverse lock out, that I am selling.

I know you ordered the Pro AM but I am selling my Fortin for a good price.

Text me if interested.

480-231-6386

 
lincster said:
I have a Fortin shifter, with reverse lock out, that I am selling.

I know you ordered the Pro AM but I am selling my Fortin for a good price.

Text me if interested.

480-231-6386
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I appreciate the offer but the Pro Am is already on it’s way.

 
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