Well, I've been at it all day... And I came close -- but no cigar. It
seems that the Mk3 cover that I'm trying to fit to my Mk2 gearbox is just
out of tolerance enough (either that, or a component of my gearbox is) to
allow first gear to engage with the cover on -- but not the cover is bolted
down. Aligning the cover a few thousandths of an inch or whatever so that I
can bolt it down is *just enough* to throw something out of whack, which I
believe is causing first and reverse to engage simultaneously. Looking at
the cover with the shift extension off, everything appears normal. My best
guess is that my reverse lever is bent ever so slightly or the reverse rail
of the cover is off just enough to not allow the reverse gear to get out of
the way when first is selected.
The gentleman I swapped covers with so that I could have properly working
reverse lights is being kind enough to send back my old cover tomorrow.
I'll compare the two lids and take some measurements.
I think I'm just caught in a freak situation, here. I certainly can't drive
the car without the gearbox cover bolted on! I just wish I knew how to
rectify this problem, short of finding another Mk3 cover to try...
Cheers (although I'm not feeling very cheerful at the moment)
Jeff in San Diego
|