And sorry for the typos... Grease fingers and smart phones...

On Oct 20, 2017 2:07 PM, "Don Hanson" <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>   Ok, VW... you've got the prize for the most part to position to assemble
> the 5sp linkage...
>    Sorry for the rant...
>   Anyway, under the floor, the shift linkage of the 5sp gearbox has a
> spring loaded plunger to allow the lever to come way over to the driver's
> side as you select reverse.  You must push down to put the plunger in a
> clear path, then it hits the "box" under tbe floor and tbere is another
> tiny hidden spring, goes up the lever in a blind bidden hole, and on top of
> that, there's a tiny ball.
>     this little ball rides against the plunger, the other spring-loaded
> tbing that keeps you from getting reverse gear when you're wanting
> something to go forward.   There is a groove around that plunger that the
> tiny soring loaded ball is supposed to ride in, until you want reverse,
> tben tbe lever pressure against the end of the plunger, levered against the
> "box" wall is supposed to overpower tbat tiny hidden spring and allow tbe
> ball bearing to get pushed out of the groove so tbat other plunger can
> slide over and you get reverse...Then, when you shift out of reverse, that
> tiny spring pushes the ball  bearing back into the groove in the plunger
> and set it in place again.
>    The ball bearing is gone.  I found one that looked close, but It's too
> small, and the groove hits it above center, forcing it to not work...
>   Anyway, what size is.tbat retaining ball for the reverse gate on a
> Vanagon 5 sp, if anyone knows.... thanks
>