I replaced my shifter bushing and coupler today as i had a lot of slop in my gears. Now i can't shift into 3rd or 4th gears.

Also, 1st and 2nd gears are where 3rd and fourth should be, and there's lots of slop or "nothing" over where 1st and 2nd should be. Reverse works but is sloppy.

This is my first time replacing the bushing and coupler so tell me if i've missed something while installing. I've got a 61 beetle, gear stick is stock.

Did you put the plate under the shifter in the wrong way around ? Do you have to depress the gear lever to get reverse ? If not the I am thinking you have it 180 degrees out.

Shifter plate is the correct way, and reverse has to be depressed as usual to get into gear. Could a worn shifter plate cause these issues? Gears were working fine before, although sloppy.

Have a read page 5 for the fitting instructions

http://www.csp-shop.de/technik/pdf/deeng/21574.pdf 

Doesnt seem right though

You SURE plate is right way

Just try moving it round and see what happens??

probably one of those dodgy couplings , look closely at the coupling it may be turning at the shift rod end but not at the gearbox end ,its a common issue with those couplings

Also the new couplers are pretty shite and the bush can move around within the cage. I cut and welded the cage so the bush is held snuggly. No slop what so ever in mine now

Also, if you can get reverse then you should have 1st n 2nd too so thats weird.

Try aligning the shifter, you may have it too far over to the left.

The coupler is the early style round black type, not the new red urethane type, but I also removed that and re-installed it just in case something happened there while installing the first time.

I found an old shifter plate in the box of parts that came with my bug and replaced it with that. All gears now work, so i'm not sure if it was a shifter plate issue or something else. And i finally got around to installing a quick shifter kit i had lying around.

Thanks for the replies everyone.