Just had my gearbox replaced with a 2nd hand one which does carry a (short!) warranty. Goes into all gears fine without the engine running, but then when you drive the bus it's hard to get into 1st or 2nd - you can get it into gear but it doesn't go in quickly or too easily. the bus has had a new clutch before the gearbox was replaced. Could it be a gearbox issue as there doesn't really appear to be any free play in the clutch pedal and no slack in the clutch cable.
It goes into gear lovely with the engine off so reckon the plate is OK, but the biting point is quite near the floor, say about 2 inches up.
Try tightening the clutch cable a little then. I guess 3 whole turns of the wing nut - if you haven't done this before, you need to arrange to stop the cable spinning with the nut.
I'm with Zed, that biting point is a touch on the low side... biting point wants to be mid pedal stroke
for a quick see if it works type solution pull the mat out and see if it goes in a bit easier, but as above sounds like there is way to much slack in the cable
that's the weird thing, the clutch bites towards the bottom of its travel but there is no slack in the cable and no free play at the clutch pedal? Haven't looked under the bus at the front yet, but could the cable be misaligned or something - had a quick look at the back and the clutch cable is tight where it goes onto the actuating lever on the gearbox.
the cable may be tight, but there is still a certain amount of gap between the release bearing and the pressure plate... the pedal and release arm are spring loaded, so generally they won't be slack other things to check is the amount of deflection on the flexible bowden tube.. and also, as someone posted recently, the bowden tube mount on the box, as theirs fractured and broke!!
The pedal goes down half way before you can feel any great resistance so i'll get under the bus and turn the wing nut in 3 whole turns as suggested and see if that help. thanks guys.
tried turning the nut in 3 whole turns so the clutch now bites about half way up. If you press the pedal with your hand it moves down only about an inch before you start to feel and great resistance. But not really much better - took the bus out for a quick run this afternoon - sometimes it goes from 1st into 2nd nicely, sometimes it does not want to go in straight away - if you change from 3rd down to 2nd you need to wait a couple of seconds then it will go in ok. Could it be the fact that it is quite cols at the mo and the gearbox oil is quite thick being new? Goes into every gear lovely without engine running.
I have to say it's not uncommon to have to wait for 2nd gear. Still might be clutch, but do you have the gearbox supplier's view?
That's still far too slack for the clutch to disengage fully, which may be the cause of your probs. adjust the cable so you've only got about half inch of slack in it.
You can press the clutch pedal down with your hand about an inch before you can start to feel much resistance - shall I try another couple of turns? Presumably i'll know if I've gone too far as the clutch will bite right at the top. The wing nut is currently about half the way along the thread at the gearbox selector.
Yes I'd try a bit more, it's much cheaper and quicker than anything else you can try and you need to be quite sure this isn't the problem before moving on. Obviously if you over-tighten it it'll slip.
Cheers Zed - will try another couple of turns and give it a good run to get the gearbox oil warmed up - wanted to try all else before I go back to the gearbox fitter (which hopefully I won't need to do). Had the wife's Jazz gearbox rebuilt a year or so ago and when we got it back was a struggle to get into 2nd - took it back and they replaced the oil with thinner stuff and it's been fine ever since.
