901 shift coupler adjustment?

[Flieger]

I am having trouble finding 4th gear with my 901 transaxle. I can get it from 3rd after going into 5th but I cannot usually get it after being in 5th and downshifting. 1st to 2nd is also a little vague. About 2 weeks ago, I found the set screw in the coupler was loose and I tightened that, which improved things for a while. But now I am having trouble again finding 4th gear especially.

Does anyone have info on how to adjust the shift coupler? Up to this point, I have just been eyeballing it and making my best guess at the correct adjustment. There must be a more precise procedure for doing this adjustment. Can anyone who knows the correct procedure please tell me?

Thanks!

[elfenbein]

Hi Flieger

On the assumption that your bushes are in good shape, I would imagine that the coupler may have slipped since you tightened it.

I recently had new bushes into my linkage, which was inexpensive to do, and found that I had to loosen the coupler slightly, and make small trial-and-error adjustments to get a quiet shift into all the gears. If you've reached 4th gear even once, this suggests that the horizontal setting at the coupler is correct, and that you will need to rotate the coupler to get back in there more easily.

That said, reaching 5th even once should mean that the rotational setting was correct, hence my theory that it may have slipped again!

There are a few 901 threads on here where you can find more info.

I put in standard front bushes into mine, and a brass rear item , all purchased from Pelican. It made for a big improvement in the shift once I had adjusted it correctly, at the price of a few microns off the synchro teeth!! I found that I needed to drive the car to test the shift between coupler adjustments, rather than shifting the lever while stationery in the garage.

I hope I'm not stating the already obvious above.

Happy 'Winterval'

Chris

[Flieger]

Thanks for the info. It does seem to be a trial and error procedure but mine shouldn't be too difficult because it is not too far off.

I would think that the factory would have a more precise procedure for adjusting the shift coupler, such as a gear to be in and measures in millimeters of the position of the coupler relative to a datum point, etc.

I will check the bushings again and the ball cup in the linkage.

Merry Christmas and Frueliche Weihnachten!