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Bugeye transmission sticks in neutral

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R

Rakos

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Hi,
At a long traffic light I sometimes put the car in neutral and let the clutch out to relax.
Sometimes (maybe 25% of time) I can not get it into first.
I have to give it a real yank into second then it slides into first ok.
Could it be clutch? Have not bled clutch lines lately, seems difficult to get at the bleeder.
John
 
Could be, but don't forget, there is no synchro on first gear - so, second to first would be a normal pattern anyways wouldn't it?
 
This happens to me all the time, and I assume it's because the gear teeth don't line up right when the input shaft stops spinning. Pulling the gearshift into second moves the gears enough that they line up. The other "fix" for this is to shift into first before the input shaft completely stops spinning. If you time it right, the gears will mesh but not grind.

By the way, putting the car in neutral and letting the clutch out while stopped is a good idea; it will save your throwout bearing. I do it routinely if I'm going to be stopped for more than a few seconds.
 
I try to do that with the Beetle all the time. SWMBO complains and doesn't want to comply so I remind her that she is not the one who has to change that TO bearing.
 
Smooth case? Buyeye
i would say change oil and make sure to not use a gear lube engine oil only
clutch maybe but it's hydro so not likely.
Could be worn carbon ...
 
I have trouble catching 1st periodically in my '69 Sprite. Scared the crap out of me the first time I experienced it. I thought I had garbaged the tranny. I can usually get it to go if I use a little bit of force or if the car moves just enough to get the teeth to line up. I was afraid of mashing the teeth, but when I changed the tranny oil, it was the same color that it was when I put it in, with no metal.

Funny thing is, I always put the car in the neutral and let the clutch out when stopped. That's just what I did when I first learned to drive stick. I will sometimes stand on the clutch and put it in gear when the light is about to turn green, just so I know that I have the gear. I also have been able to catch 1st while moving slowly without mashing any gears.
 
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