Down shifting from 3rd to 2nd

Doesn't sound like a synchro issue if it pops into 4th instead of 2nd.  Shifter, perhaps?  Double clutching may slow your shift down enough that you find 2nd more reliably.

My money is on either a shifter base plate adjustment, work shift rod bushing and or coupler,

Alan

Which direction would i need to move the plate?  It shifts find from 1st to 2nd.  there is no problem getting it into reverse and fourth gear.  Those two gears are the farthest on each side.

There is no rhyme or reason just move it around tighten it and see what you have

@Bobby D is your set up the stock vw shifter?...if so, do yourself a favor...have your mechanic dude make sure the shift rod isn't wore out to egg shaped status...if so, replace it...which is a big job with radiator removal to pull the shift rod out the front....then, replace the shift bushing in the hanger with the EV4U brass shift bushing (which will be good for the life of the car).....then, invest in the VINTAGE SPEED SHIFTER with the PORSCHE BUSHING....after which will result in SMILES FOR MILES and gated FERRARI SHIFTER race car feel and zero miss shifts.....just the voice of experience speaking again....trust me, well worth the effort over the  stock wooden spoon in a bowl of  oatmeal situation

@Alan Merklin posted:

There is no rhyme or reason just move it around tighten it and see what you have

This seems funny if you have never done it, but so true.  I once welded a tiny nub on the shift plate. A friend asked me how I knew where to weld it. To this day I'm not completely sure, or why it worked so well.
-=theron

@Theron posted:

This seems funny if you have never done it, but so true.  I once welded a tiny nub on the shift plate. A friend asked me how I knew where to weld it. To this day I'm not completely sure, or why it worked so well.
-=theron

Sounds like swinging a dead chicken over your head under a full moon might help as well.

@Lane Anderson posted:

Sounds like swinging a dead chicken over your head under a full moon might help as well.

It's a live duck and the moon has to be waning.  Amateur!

@Bobby D    And "the Duck'll come down and give you a hundred dollars!"

Do you have any trouble finding reverse?

So first, before you tear the car completely apart, try loosening the base of the shift lever a little, but not so much that it's flopping around, and then tap it on the left side at the base with a small hammer, maybe 2 or 3 taps to move it slightly to the right.

Try to keep it straight front to back and gentle taps.

Re-tighten the base and do a road test to see if that cures it.

Like Alan, I might have the direction wrong, but moving the base to the right should line up 1-2 (and reverse) a bit better.  The bottom side of the shift lever moves opposite to the top 3/4's of the lever, so pushing left on the shift knob to find second moves the part below the base to the right.  To see this, hold one hand flat in front of your eyes and stick a pencil up vertically between your fingers, move the top left and right and see what the bottom does.  Now you've got it.

If you can find 4'th but not 2'nd means that it needs to go a little more towards the 2'nd side, or right, on the bottom, right?

Try messing with it and I bet it improves.

Al and Gordon

I will give the base an adjustment this weekend.

BTW I do have Vintage Shifter.  I installed it a couple of years ago.  It has work great.  This problem just crept up last month.

@Bobby D, last week I adjusted the base plate position for the 4th time in the 2 years since I put it together.

It's finally in the right spot. Just keep reading, swinging the duck and trying again. You'll get it.

i think Dr. Clock posted years ago how to do it and it worked for me

or get an automatic? blasphemy..dont kick me off Theron,i didnt mean it.

@Bobby D It's also entirely possible that the shift rod coupler just in front of the rear seat, is deteriorating and falling apart.  Pull up the carpet a bit, remove the cover and see if it has a Urethane center piece that's crumbling.  Do that before you try adjusting the shifter base.  If that's the real cause (coupler falling apart) then the shift lever base needs no adjustment.,

Gordon

I ran out to garage and checked out the coupler.  It look and feels good to me.

Ok, made a slight adjustment to shifter plate and drove to gas station.  On my way there I tried to down shift to 2nd with a pre-rev and got some grinding sounds, almost like it was trying to  go into reverse.  I filled the car up and on my way back, when I was turning into the neighborhood, I down shifted to 2nd and still didn't want to go in gear.  I continued down the street and kept down shifting with a pre-rev and all of a sudden it started to go into 2nd.  I did it about 5 more times and it seem ok.  I have no idea why it all of sudden it decided to comply. 

@Bobby D posted:

I have no idea why it all of sudden it decided to comply.

The moon is waning gibbous tonight....          just saying.
-=theron

Anybody got an extra duck?

@Bobby D

Cool that it's shifting proper! Now go out there and give those two bolts holding down the shifter a little extra tightening to make sure it doesn't move out of place during a vigorous shift!

@Bobby D posted:

Ok, made a slight adjustment to shifter plate and drove to gas station.  On my way there I tried to down shift to 2nd with a pre-rev and got some grinding sounds, almost like it was trying to  go into reverse.  I filled the car up and on my way back, when I was turning into the neighborhood, I down shifted to 2nd and still didn't want to go in gear.  I continued down the street and kept down shifting with a pre-rev and all of a sudden it started to go into 2nd.  I did it about 5 more times and it seem ok.  I have no idea why it all of sudden it decided to comply.

@Bobby D, do what Jim says.  It sounds like it's loose enough to move around a bit on you.

can u loctite the screws with the blue stuff

Carefully.... with the blue stuff:6

Ok I torqued them down pretty good.

I'd use spring lock washers and good old torque, not standard cut/spring type.

I also wouldn't use Loctite on there, even blue.

Drove it some more yesterday.   Its not as bad as it was but still happen periodically it allow the down shift to 2nd.  I changed the trans fluid last year.  I used the Valoline 80w-90 gear oil.  Is there something better?

Just to rule out a possibility:  Check the transaxle mounts (motor mounts) to assure they are not shattered, cracked, torn or loose.  If so, the transaxle can torque around up/down and side/side during acceleration and deceleration.  A symptom might be erratic smooth shifting during various torque instances (ae:  acceleration vs. deceleration) because shifter alignment is moving all over the place.

If you have red urethane transaxle mounts, I'd almost bet they are shattered.  If not, they will be.

PS: It is not your gear oil.

That^^^^

Ok I will check the mount out.

Mount bushing are black and I don't see any cracks.  I replaced the mount at the front nose of transmission last year as it was crack and moving.  I replaced it with one of those rhino mounts.

A rhino mount should outlast the rest of the car.  That's probably not it.

Also, and just because my role is to serve as a cautionary tale:

Are you 100% certain your throwout bearing is good? You had the issue with the noise during clutching, and now this. I exploded a throwout bearing and the symptoms started just like what you're describing.

^^^^  Oooo, yeah, what he said!

Stan

I have no idea of the status of the throw out bearing.  The noise was coming from the clutch pedal hook.

I posted previously that I was having some shifting issues and while under the car working on something else I notice I was missing one bolt off my trans mount and the other was 2-3 threads away from falling off as well.

Once tightened, my shifting issues went away. I don’t know if my Spyder experience relates to a Speedster, but who knows.

And FWIW, my trans feels like a whole different ball of wax with Motul Gearbox (mineral gear lube) vs anything they sell at O’PepZoneBoys.

Good for you for finding those issues before it was too late.

I have a routine, now,  to check all the bolts of the undercarriage yearly.  Why? Because I found things loose and a missing bolt once on a rear shock where the shock was floating around.  Suffice it to say, now, I make sure the whole underneath is checked.   DDrivers you never think about that but these cars, well you need to do it.

Dlearl

I might give that gear lube a try.  Did you use the 80w90?

Swepco is a really good product for smooth shifts choose the appropriate dyno or synthetic one

@Bobby D posted:

Dlearl

I might give that gear lube a try.  Did you use the 80w90?

Yeah.