Problem changing into second

I’ve had a couple of buses but never experienced as much difficulty getting into second as in this one. I’m slowly but surely getting used to it but it’s bloody difficult - every time I try to go diagonally down to second I end up in third and vice versa on way up.
Any suggestions/easy fixes?

thanks in advance

 

As a first step, you need to adjust the stop plate under the gear shift.

 

Hi Mark - as above - the plate on the floor needs fiddling with - it took me a few goes until I managed to improve it - that and fitting a CSP shifter

 

The "ski jump" stop plate on the floor is the only thing stopping you accidentally going into reverse. But, the plate also needs just a smidge of a gap to let you go into second cleanly. Should just need tweaking to one side a bit once you've loosened the shifter mounting bolts. Not being able to shift down from third to second properly is a typical symptom of tweaking-needed.

 

As well as as the shifter plate needing a tweak as above ...

Also worth checking that the coupler on the front of the gearbox is not falling apart.
The coupler can have a loose bolt, cage rotating relative to the collar (after market couplers are weak) , bolt through rubber blocks in the coupler, or the rubber blocks have disintegrated.

A missing bushing at the front of the shift rod can also cause sloppiness..

 

Superb advice - thanks so much everyone

 

Or, you could just be getting a bit cack-handed now you're getting on a bit.

 

The whole gear linkage could need the plastic cups replacing. Personally, I replaced the flimsy gear lever with a empi one. So much better now.

 

EMPI + Better in the same sentence? Interesting....
I gave up with the shift plate adjustment and just worked out the "technique" - 1mm of movement in the wrong direction lost me 2 gears so I settled for a driveable (just) solution. I consider it to be an anti-theft measure - if they can only use 1 gear they won't get far....

 

I don't understand, when you say try to go diagonally down to second what do you mean?

Going from 1st to 2nd gear should be in a straight line downwards, despite what the image on the ashtray says.

 

I think @VWFURGOJURGENS meant going down from third to second, which is where stop plate problems commonly show up.

 

^ this.

coupler, front bush probably both missing/knackered. no point adjusting at the gear stick end unless you've checked here first.

 

mark out the floor by scribing a pencil around the base plate before moving, this gives the 'home start' to show where you have moved it from.

 

There actually are some good EMPI parts but basically there is no reason why the gear change should not be positive amd precise.

Another gear change issue can be the little plastic "donut" inside the gearbox nose wearing out. Then despite the linkage being 100% the gears will still be sloppy.
A cheap part but you need to drop engine and gearbox to access it. This one shows as slop on the selector shaft at the gearbox nose..

 

My gear shift was sloppy and second hard to find. I looked underneath first of all and found the donut plastic bush was worn in its housing and the rear coupler at the gearbox end of the gear rod was also worn out adding to the slop.

The gear rod is in 2 parts, joined by a collar with bolt into it, this needs slackening off so the gear rod halves can be slid along.

A tip from a TLB member was to wrap the new front bush with ptfe tape around the groove and this made the bush fit nice and snug. Grease rod to insert through bush easily.

With both jobs done, I marked up the gear stick plate position in the cab floor and unbolted the gear stick to make sure the plate with the ramp on it was unworn. Mine was fine. Bolted the stick back and tightened the two bolts down firmly but not tight and moved its position until all gears selected easily. Then tightened the two bolts. No problems since.

 

Have heard of making the front rod bush using the plastic foot from a tent gazebo, which apparently was the same bore and has drilled screw holes in base for screwing into cross member! Top bodge?

 

To adjust the shift plate, stick it in 2nd (with the engine off), slacken the 2 bolts a bit, use the tip of a screwdriver to push the shift plate to the left till you see the gear lever just start to move. tighten bolts and try it. Sometimes takes a couple of trys. If it doesnt work, likely you need to replace the rear coupling and / or the front bush.

 

Yeah? Not the T shifter, the other one.