First gear selection

JJ Autosleeper

JJ Autosleeper

Active Member
Can someone enlighten me as to how the gear selector adjustment system works? I have read the manual which notes using a special tool to adjust the selector mechanism - which I don’t have.

The gears have been getting trickier over the last year or so I have now greased everything up and have adjusted the trunnion rearwards (anti-clockwise) which moves the gear lever backwards. Which makes it easier to reach to operate but I can’t tell any other difference.

The selector rod I have lengthened by two turns to help get into first gear, but I still cannot get the van into first when the van is moving. Unless it’s doing about 2mph - so nearly stationary. All other gears select ok if a bit of a lottery, but given the length of the remote I’m not surprised.

I have a 1970 van with a 1725 low compression engine with a standard Rootes gearbox and a Laycock Type D overdrive. It will go into first gear when stationary, but I can’t drop down into first on a hill, which is a problem (particularly for those following!).

Is this a remote selector or a gearbox issue? Or is this just normal for a Commer PB?

Any ideas anyone…
 
It might be a worn synchro on first or worn bush in the relay shaft support bracket. I've always managed to get around the worn bushes by trial and error adjustment, you've adjusted the change rod so try adjusting the small rod with a ball joint on either end, this may line up the selectors to allow for wear in the mechanism, but do it one turn at a time as a little makes a big difference.
 
Hi Panky. I should have said it won’t be a worn gearbox as the gearbox has only done about 2500 miles. It was a new old stock item from Sunbeam Talbot Spares. It may need more running in if anything…

The smaller diagonal selection rod with the ball joints either end is one is the one I have lengthened by two turns. I may give it another turn to see what difference it makes. And just see how it goes.

As I understand without the special tool it’s a case of trial and error.
 
Maybe worth checking there’s no play where the gear lever connects to the selector rod (bolt that’s wired up). I’d had this where it was a little loose and it struggled to spect some gears, this is under the floor box that the gear level goes in to. Next - it may well be those 2x bushes that also play havoc.
I’m not sure I have tried going into 1st when moving though as it’s a very low gear on mine
 
I have replaced both front and rear bushes with MM carbon ones. I had to take off the gear stick housing and remove the ball joint socket to do the front one (which took weeks!). It fits pretty well with no signs of play at the front end.

It is low first gear, but I as it’s got synchromesh I don’t see why it won’t engage till about 2mph. It’s just a bugger if you get ti an unexpected hill as at the moment to get into first you have to stop, handbrake on, and then start off in first gear. Then it is fine.

I attach coupe of photos of underneath.

Plus one of my recent workaround when the mild steel tail pipe end clamp rusted out and I wired it up instead.
 

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Yer a sounds like I’m teaching you to suck eggs then :)
Reg exhaust - been there all the way to La Rochelle and back :)
Bit stumped in that case bar adjusting further.
I’m fortunate enough to have an ally head engine and SU carb so goes very well up hills usually. Live in the Peak District so 2nd gear does get used a fair bit though
 
You probably know this and I’m probably not helping but my first gear jumps out if I’m driving on flat or downhill any faster than walking pace as 1st is a crawler gear. I struggle to find 3rd sometimes which is a new problem.
 
Hi Soupdragon.
I have not had any problems with jumping out of gear. But my gearbox is a new old stock one and has only done few thousand miles. I guess only going into first at v low mph maybe normal due to the low gearing. It does not ‘crunch’ when selecting first at slow speed like my older (1964) Alpine gearbox which does not have synchro on first. You need to be fully stopped going into first on the older box.
 
The end of the story is that I can now shift down into second when travelling uphill - I could not before lengthening the selector rod. I still can only get into first when nearly stationary. But it’s not likely to happen much as second gets you up most hills. And what do you expect from an elderly gearbox!
 
The only time I've had to shift from second to first was crawling up the big hill on the Moffat rally run :oops:
 
I thought that ur not meant to drop down to first gear only down to second gear when driven , I never drop down to first to use like other gears , I only use first to take off from stopped , i only ever drop down to second , is this only done on older Van's cars?
 
I have used first when needed but it’s hardly necessary unless gently manoeuvring in a car park etc. The battlebus jumps out of 1st gear if it’s not under load but don’t know if all old vehicles do that.
 
Some hills can't be taken in second, it's either first or roll back down the hill. There's no problem changing down to first if you need to, the Commer gearbox has synchro on all forward gears so no crunching.
 
I did a trip through Snowdonia late August and the van was fine up all the hills/mountains I went over though I did avoid one pass and took a detour just to be sure as I was fully loaded. I did not need to go below second. But now I get from third to second all is well. It is still very reluctant to drop down from 2nd to 1st gear and will only do this at walking pace.

The manual does state first is only for starting uphill I recall. But the van definitely has synchro on first as I cannot do the shift from second to first in my 1964 SIV Alpine without coming to a full stop. This has the non syncro box with reverse on the left. I’m not sure when Rootes made the gearbox change on the PB vans but in Alpines it was mid 1964.
 
Panky said:
Some hills can't be taken in second, it's either first or roll back down the hill. There's no problem changing down to first if you need to, the Commer gearbox has synchro on all forward gears so no crunching.
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Well thankfully I havent had to use it yet , it's good to know and u can do 1st whilst its moving on a hill , i,m sure i will need to at some stage
 
But I think possibly you have the earlier box with no synchro on first. Is reverse on your van to the left and up?
 
Panky said:
But I think possibly you have the earlier box with no synchro on first. Is reverse on your van to the left and up?
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no panky my reverse is to the left and back , I bled the system the other day because of air and once or twice at traffic lights I put it in reverse by mistake , lucky I didnt hit into the cars behind me , but on the bright side by law I would be able to claim off the owner of the car I hit ,
 
Tintop said:
no panky my reverse is to the left and back , I bled the system the other day because of air and once or twice at traffic lights I put it in reverse by mistake , lucky I didnt hit into the cars behind me , but on the bright side by law I would be able to claim off the owner of the car I hit ,
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Why are my emojis not showing, people will think I am being serious ,Lol
 
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