Shift Carrier Lever DIY

[D2Beetle]

Ok, whom ever put the whammy on me can stop as I have more now than I can handle!

Well I cannot shift Valdez into reverse and it is probably that plastic shift lever on the transmission; which is only available from the dealer. Unfortunately it is supposed to rain tomorrow so I will not be able to look into any of my other two (1, 2) repair issues.

[D2Beetle]

Well I took a look at the shifter lever yesterday after the rain stopped and The Cheat was right, the nut was loose. Unfortunately I did not know exactly where to set it on the adjustable slide so I set it in the middle and tightened it down.

Here are the DIY steps...

Step One: [VNR DIY 001] Remove the engine cover; Bolts, 1, 2 and 3. For those NB's that have a SAP, disconnect air box hose, connections 4 and 5.

Step Two: [VNR DIY 002 and 003] Disconnect the air box intake tube from the intake manifold, connection 6 and the MAF sensor, connection 7. You should use the locking pliers on the air box tube clamp as it will make it easier to put it back it on when the time comes. The MAF sensor connector release is on the underside and you need a flat head screw driver to release it.

Step Three: [VNR DIY 004, 006 and 007] Remove the air box, screws 1, 2 and 3. Screws 2 and 3 are not meant to come out; they are designed to rise and release, but stay in place. Only screw 1 is to be removed. It will take some twist and pull effort on your part to get the air box cover out. Remove bolts 4 and 5 to get the lower part of the air box out.

Step Four: [VNR DIY 008] Yellow circle 1 is the plastic lever and green circle 2 is the nut that I had to tighten. This lever is adjustable; I put it in the middle and tightened it down. When you try to tighten the nut it will move the lever toward you, so it is necessary to put something in the way to prevent lever movement. I choose to use a broken oil stick tube as I did not want to bend anything by adding to much torque.

[Cris_A]

Hello my plastic shift carrier of broken off not even there anymore ,was looking to see how do you change this and how it attaches to the cables ,I never done this ,so if you can give a hand I'll appreciated ..thanks

[D2Beetle]

Originally Posted by Cris_A

Yes I do ....same problem just shifting between 3rd and 4th and neutral .

What I can do this weekend is add the photos that show you how to actually replace the carrier shift lever. Seeing how that is what I created this thread for in the first place.

[D2Beetle]

OK, here are the steps to actually replace the shift carrier lever. Remember this part requires two people; unless you are a really talented DIY'er. As you loosen and tighten on the two remaining nuts, the shifter cables are going to move and you need to ensure they do not without breaking them.

Pic 009 Shows you the shift carrier lever as should be; the numbers coincide with IPB pic above.

Step Five: [VNR DIY 010] Lets remove the bolt labeled "B", which will disconnect the lower shift cable; this is a stud bolt and it comprises of the bolt, washer and a nut. By moving balance lever "A" to your left it will expose the bolt (13mm). Be careful and do not lose the washer "B1"; the nut "B2" is inside the slide housing and I suggest that you remove it. Because you will be moving this lever to get the old carrier out and putting the new carrier in and you do not want the nut fall out. If you lose this nut, you will be SOL!

Step Six: [VNR DIY 009] To release the upper shift cable look at pics 016 and 018. The top portion of the lever is supposed to be flexible; the idea is to left up on the very end just enough to slide the shift cable connector off of the carrier lever. After wards remove nut #14.

Step Seven: [VNR DIY 011 thru 13] Pic 011 shows you the pieces that you should have, the carrier lever, the carrier lever bracket and the "B" stud. Pic 012 shows you what the shift carrier looks like installed noting the #18 tube where the #17 o-rings slide into; Also, but not seen in pic 009 is the lever bracket guide #13. You need to ensure that "D" is properly positioned in #13 or the bracket will bend and snap the lower portion of the lever breaking it. Pic 013 shows you what your shift cables look like without the shift carrier lever.

Step Eight: [VNR DIY 014 thru 018] Before you install the new shift carrier lever the lower half of it must be lubricated; pic 014 shows you the amount of grease (DO NOT USE OIL) I used and pic 015 shows you how I spread it around. Pic 016 shows you how to bend the top of the lever to connect/disconnect the upper shift cable. Pic 017 shows you how to install the new lever; do not forget to check that #13 and "D" are properly aligned. It will take some slight movement to work the o-rings #17 into the #18 tube. Refer to pic 012, to be sure that you have it installed correctly. Pic 018 shows you how to reconnect the upper shift cable.

Step Nine: Reinstall the "B" bolt and you are done! With the motor off, have someone go through all the gears twice while you watch the movement. If it all looks OK, put the rest of it back together and take it for a test drive.