Like all buses, my first and reverse have always had,... personalities. No big deal. We figured each other out eventually. Then a few times recently it started acting a little difficult. Did I act like an adult and gently reason with it? No. I seem to experience Shifter Rage. I stomp the clutch up it's butt and cram the shifter down it's throat until it's found the proper gear and is penitently gagging on it. (So I'm easily frustrated. We all have our quirks.) Now, quite suddenly, it seems like my entire shift pattern has slipped a bit to the left, leaving 1st, 2nd & R very nearly beyond the reach of the shifter. Does that make sense? Is it possible? So from what I have pieced together from other posts, I may need to adjust my shifter plate? So I am going to start by loosening the shifter plate, putting it in second gear, press the plate against the shifter and tighten it back down, right? I assume this plate is under the bus, not under the carpeting? (always dare to dream) Then if that fails I will check my shifter cable tension? Am I going at this properly? Thank you for your time.
It is all under the bus (you have carpet?) Get out your trusty copy of Bentley - he tells you how to do it. Bushes changed, everything greased, shifter properly adjusted, new gearbox oil...you'd be surprised how pleasant it can all be...
Get stuck in. Knowledge conquers fear, and all that... They really are quite primitive beasts...nothing to be frightened of. Well, the engines are a bit odd...
Hi mate, I had a similar problem a few weeks back, i dont want to sound patronising but check the 2 bolts that hold down the gear stick under the carpet. they worked loose with me (by that i mean forgot to tighten them properly) I could only select 3rd and 4th as this cap that bolts down acts as the pivot for the gear selector. aounds simple and is simple but something people may overlook. hope you get it sorted
wot Snotty says ^^^. Changed the coupler on the front of the box where the shifter joins it for a urethane one, changed the bushes at the front underneath the gear stick and changed the gear box oil - what a difference. By the way - if you remove the gear stick draw around the shifter plate position - it will save you grief when you put it back otherwiase you'll be out there for hours making minut adjustments to find the gears.
Very good advice about the shifter plate^^^^. Also check the condition of the front bush and the actual ball on the bottom of the gearstick. after replacing everything on my linkage, the issues turned out to be the worn ball on the gearstick. New stick and the change is like new.
Right i lost 3rd an 4th gear yeaterday an got them back by jacking my gearbox up an moving the mount all the way up as well an boom got them back, mount has moved down, might be worth a try =]
