Re: 72 TIII Notch auto with no reverse

["Adriaan Loedolff" <aloedol@engfac.uct.ac.za>]

> I have a 72 Notch auto wihich has suddenly dropped its reverse gear.
> Appears to engage but nothing happens.
> All forward gears are OK, but a real nuisance having to push it out the
> driveway.

Oooh! That sound nasty.

Has this happened suddenly or has the transmission been doing other 
strange things as well lately?

As you might know, the 003 automatic transmission has a set of 
planetary gears, two brake bands and two multi-plate clutches. These 
bands and clutches act on various parts of the planetary gear set in 
order to give 3 forward and 1 reverse drive ratio.

In order to select reverse, the hydraulic gear control systen applies 
the first/reverse gear brake band and the direct/reverse clutch.

To check which of these are at fault do the following test: 
Start the engine, let the transmission warm up and check the oil ATF 
level. It should be at the top mark on the dipstick.Smell the oil. 
Does it smell burnt? Select position 3 on the selector lever. The 
transmission applies the forward clutch in order to engage the drive. 
How smoothly does it do this? Apply part throttle and listen for any 
sign of engine run-up during changes, particularly between second and 
third gear. Repeat this test under almost full throttle and pay 
particulat attention to the change into third gear. Any increase in 
revs during this change indicates that the direct/reverse clutch is 
worn. Stop the car and select position 1 on the selector lever. The 
transmission applies the first/reverse brake band in order to hold 
first gear. There should be no change in idling speed between this 
position and 3. Apply part throttle. Does the car pull normaly or is 
there any sign of slippage - engine speed increase without vehicle 
speed increasing. If there is it indicates that the first/reverse 
gear brake band is either too loose and needs adjustment or it might 
be broken.

Unfortunatly there is no quick fix for any of these problems. The 
transmission will have to be removed and opened. In order to do an 
overhaul you will need a gasket set which includes all the seals and 
other stuff and a set of clutch linings for the two clutches. Finding 
that shouldn't be a problem as VW used the same 003 transmission in 
the type 2 kombi with automatic transmission, 411, 412, Audi 80, 
Passat etc. Any reputable automatic transmission specialist should be 
able to supply this kit - at a reasonable price. If these kits are 
available in South Africa, where I live, it should be available over 
there as well.

Lastly, you cannot convert from an automatic transmission to a manual 
one as the automatic chassis is different and will not accept a 
manual shift lever and rod without serous modifications Its not worth 
it - rather fix the automatic transmission properly.

Regards

Adriaan Loedolff
'69 Squareback Automatic