Tranny fixed!

["Everett Barnes" <ebus@ebus.simplenet.com>]

Just a note to say I fixed my '65 Squareback transmission (you remember,
stuck in 2nd gear, yadda, yadda, yadda, need to remove the tranny nosecone)

Anyway, here's my VW weekend:

It all started on Friday after work.  Motivated from feedback I got from
p-mails and the Type III list, I was ready to slide the entire engine and
transmission as a unit back a few inches.  I began by disconnecting the
battery, like a good VW owner who's heard too many stories of people who
have caught on fire.  Next, I unbolted the rear transmission to frame bolts
by kicking the socket with my foot since the breaker bar wouldn't fit in
that tight space between the pan and the ground.  Once those were loose
(but not removed), I unbolted the rear engine mount, undid the accelerator
cable, disconnected the fuel line, undid the heater cables, and was happy
to discover that someone had already replaced the old double-nut on the
clutch cable with one of those large thumbnuts (sorry, the exact name
escapes me right now...).  I continued my series of unbolting by removing
the front tranny mounting nuts and removing the rear transmission bolts
completely.  I finished up by removing the rear dip stick and air intake
seals.

All this time, I had the car on jack stands with one floor jack under the
engine and one under the transmission.  I gave both floor jacks a good yank
backwards but nothing moved!  I checked again, everything looks loose, so I
pulled some more.  It moved back about an inch.  Okay, forget the easy
route - I'm pulling the engine first.  I put one of the rear tranny bolts
back in and unbolted the 4 engine bolts and disconnected the electricals. 
A few minutes later, out came the engine.  Push that out of the way - woah,
didn't want it to start rolling down my driveway!  Caught it real quick,
slapped a loose screwdriver underneath one of the floor jack wheels.  Ok,
back to work!  I pulled and pulled on the tranny, but it wouldn't budge. 
My wife had rented a movie and by now it was dark, so I gave up for the
night.

Saturday am, ran some errands, went to lunch with my wife and her friend,
picked up a '61-'67 T3 shop manual from my brother who had just bought it
off a friend.  Didn't really see anything new in the shop manual that
pertained to my situation but my brother was of the opinion that I needed
to unbolt the axles from the spring plates (Duh!).  Picked up a "tranny
rebuild kit" from my local VW parts place - they don't sell the nose cone
seal separately(?).  Asked them about removing the tranny, they promptly
called up their friend the local VW repair guy at his shop.  "Oh, yeah,
they get stuck in gear sometimes.  Half the time you can stick a
screwdriver in the tranny fill hole and move the shift forks into neutral. 
If it doesn't move, don't force it!"  Great, after I pulled the engine
already, there's an easy fix...

So now I'm ready with my easy fix.  I head home and pull out the tranny
fill nut and look inside but I don't see any shift forks, only some gears. 
Whatever, I'll poke around in there anyway.  Long story short, I don't know
what he meant for me to do, but it didn't work.  I think I'll unbolt the
axles from the spring plates now.

Well, got those unbolted via the breaker bar and laid the axles on some
milk crates I have in my garage.  I'm beginning to think the previous owner
had a little too much fun tightening things when he lowered the rear end of
my Squareback.  Lo and behold, the tranny slides back like a charm!  Yes!! 
Ok, off comes the nosecone.  Looks like the shift forks are in 2nd gear to
me so I pop the 2nd gear selector into neutral (all the forks are lined up
now).  I marvel at how caked with dirt the nosecone is on the outside and
how clean it is on the inside.  I'm going to have to get the high pressure
hose up in here soon...  I decide to test it out first, so I put the new
nosecone seal on, bolt up a few nose cone bolts and push the tranny back
into place, then screw in the little shift rod screw.  Yep, all the gears
work now via the shifter.  Ok, time to reassemble!  Pull the tranny back a
little and find out it's a little difficult to get that torque wrench up
and over the nosecone but I get it done.  Push the tranny back in, bolt
everything back up, looks good.  Filled the tranny back up with fluid.

I've had a new clutch throwout bearing ever since I bought the Squareback,
so I quickly (20 minutes, is that quick for my first time replacing a
throwout bearing?  Probably not.) install that.  Okay, I'm motivated now, I
can see the end of this experience in sight.  Where's that engine?  All
right, installed the engine.  It's hard getting that rear air seal on!

Put the rear wheels back on, dropped the car off the jacks, cranked the
engine, and backed out of my garage.  Time for a spin around the block.  I
almost made it, too.  What did I forget?  Right, to tighten the rear lug
nuts.  I'm about 3/4 of the way around the block and I hear the rear
driver's wheel clunking.  I lost 2 lug nuts!  Time to walk home and get the
lug wrench, searching for lug nuts in the dark.  I found one, good enough
to get me home.  Got home, checked the lug nuts again, stole the remaining
lug nut from my Bus temporarily.

Yey, it's fixed!

How did this happen in the first place?  Who knows?  I think the shift
coupler screw may have been a little loose, because now my tranny shifts a
little differently.  Could that be the cause of this problem?  I hope so,
because I'm going to be mad if it happens again.  :) 

Bye,
Everett Barnes                    ebus@ebus.simplenet.com
'65 Squareback S (driver)         The Type II and III Experience
'55 Kombi       (project)         http://ebus.simplenet.com/Volkswagen