Well, after trying to figure out all the wrong ways why 1st and 2nd gear weren't working, I finally got some sound advice from the guys over at Wolfgang's (smart guys over there). I tried adjusting the clutch - to no avail. I made sure the bushing up front was in working order, and the two connections for the shifting linkage were in excellent working condition. The one thing I couldn't figure out was the "fence" that keeps the shifter in the right place at the floorboard. You see, the incredibly smart German engineers that developed my Type 2 Volkswagen as a commercial vehicle to move heavy loads around the city in really narrow alleyways, also thought it was important to have smooth easy shifting. Underneath this seemingly thin piece of sheet metal is a very thick piece of stamped steel to create a fence in the floorboard.
The fence keeps the steel ball at the bottom side of the shifter from chewing up the floorboard when those big burly deliver guys were shifting all the time - watching out for cyclists at every cross street.
That light gray piece between the black holder and the spring is the fence. That machined ring around the shift rod slides against it to give it the perfect placement for 1st and 2nd gear. If the fence is off by a few millimeters - it won't work.
One more thing - a 13mm wrench will fix just about anything on a VW - just about.
My next project will be to get my driver's seat back in where it should be. I have been driving around on a few Mexican blankets for the last several months.
Until next time...
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