Can someone please help me with this one. When driving 66 beetle it became stuck in 3rd gear and I cant get it out. It still drives but only in 3rd gear, any suggestion,sorry to stupid but quite new at VDUBBING .Cheers Melinda.

i think its time for a gearbox overhaul

Yep time for a newy or get you box reconditioned. Your looking at around $800 to get it done.

Melinda,

I have been sucessful in releasing the same thing in an old splittie.
Remove the gearbox oil filler plug and with a brass rod (or in dire straights a screwdriver) you can move the sliding gear back. I don't have a manual with me at the moment, to give you a better instruction on the position of the gear, but if you have look in a manual yourself you will grasp the idea.
Of course the spring retainer may have come off and released the guides, then you are going to have no chance.
Good luck!

Melinda,
I should have asked first, is your gearshift lever firm, or is it very wobbly? There could be something in the shift linkage broken eg coupling, selector rod etc.

Ahhh very clever. I should have thought of that. That could be the case. And its an easy and much cheaper fix.

Quote: i think its time for a gearbox overhaul
Quote: Yep time for a newy or get you box reconditioned. Your looking at around $800 to get it
done.

You guys are unreal!!! You can sense what is wrong with a car(Gearbox) without asking any questions or seeing the car!
I wish we had some of you guys working for us, that would save a lot of time and money.
At least Graham asked a question.
:thumb

If it still drives take it to a Mechanic who can look at it and tell you what has gone wrong.
That way you won't go spending money on something you don't need, ie a new gearbox when the gearshift coupling has broken.

Amazed:o

Yeah; I agree - the first thing I'd ask is if it is actually possible to shift the lever from that position and if it feels like it is still shifting the box. I'd check out the shifting section before recommending an overhaul.

Try the simple things first - it can save a lot of money and hassle.

Its hard to tell you whats wrong with a car without actually knowing everything wrong with it or seeing it. We can only take our best guess!

Thanks to you all for your help and info. Yes the gearshift lever can be shifted but only when engine is turned off and lever is very wobbly. sorry cant give much details as not mechanically minded. But again thanks for info.
Cheers Melinda.

Find a nice friend (possibly on this forum) to take a look at it - I suspect it's nothing more than a shift bushing and adjustment:- at least, that's what I"d check first. The fact that you can't move out of gear at all may mean that the hanger has come loose - any honest mechanic (and a lot of backyarders) can weld it back in and fit a new bushing for a reasonable fee (if you find a nice veedubber, it might be the cost of the bushing; about 5 bucks, from memory.)