The Cal-look Lounge

hi, may sound like a stupid question but can you use a berg 5 speed shifter with a 4 speed box?

i have drove it on the road however i cnt make out if the reverse lock out is broken or it is because its not ment for a 4 speed. when changing down from 3rd to 2nd it always selects reverse :S and it is very difficult getting it into first

may be a stupid question and it probably needs a bit more adjusting but i just wanted to ask to make sure?

iv always thort it was just the handle was different :S

stef

no

Yes you can ;)

it works fine in all gears, i just keep getting reverse  ???

and 1st is dodgey!

So you have your answer.

i got the same problem with my Hurst shifter --  :(

Give Tim a call @ Bergs and see what it would cost to convert it to 4 speed, I would think it would cheaper than a new one, you never know.

Ted

yes, you can its just a matter of putting the shift plate in the stock config. When running a 5 speed the plate goes in the opposite of stock.
 Hope this helps.  Or just call Tim @ Berg

The current 5 speed shifter doesn't use the stock plate.  That may work for the early shifter, but not the late one.

I guess I have an early shifter as the copyrighted GBE instuctions say to turn the plate around for 4 speed use.
How much different are the early & late shifters?

The current 5 shifter has two hardened steel rails pressed into the underside of the cast Al base.  Between them is the main vertical shaft that goes down into the shift rod.  Between the rails is a horizontal pin that's attached to the button.  When the button is pushed, the horizontal pin lifts up above the rails, allowing more travel left (reverse) or right (5th).
I think they went with this because modifying the stock plate was probably too much work.  Also, the modified plate isn't hardened like the parts in the new shifter.
Quality you can feel!

okay my lockout must be broken then because im still gettin reverse when down shifting from 3rd to 2nd.

apart from that it is nice and smooth.

dont understand :S

also it is the later shifter with the two steel bars inside the base

stef

Have you checked your shift rod bushing?  Coupler?

yes that all seems fine.

just drove it after adjusting it for ages, still does the same.

If you can go into reverse going from 3rd to 2nd try moving the shifter base towards the driver (left). Also make sure your bushing in the tunnel behind the shifter is still there and that there is no play in the one under the back seat.  If that doesn't cure the problem then take the shifter out, and looking underneath it, check that sideways movement is limited by the pin in the shaft - sometimes dirt gets up inside the shaft and stops the pin travelling all the way down. If this is the case, then call Tim @ GBE for advice on cleaning.

The swap to tool steel gates was made because VW stopped making the plate that was used to make the 5 speed gate - it's not the stock bug one we use in the 4 speed shifters as the rails are slightly further apart.  Bruce is right, they were a lot of work to make!

Hope this helps. If anyone is missing their shifter instructions then PM me and I will forward.

Al Craig
@ Gene Berg Ent.