Six Speed converted 2002 Audi S6 wagon needs help, only have reverse gear .

[wpod]

Greetings Aliens, Long time, no post! (car had been running great!). Anyways , this same situation happened to me a couple of years ago and I seem to remember it involving a little wedge of steel that somehow got loose and fell out. When I put it back together that time, I also installed the JHM improved shift linkage and it's been working flawlessly since then........ until yesterday. Getting off of RT-95 south at the RI Hospital exit, I noticed that my downshifts were very sloppy and that failure was imminent. Sure enough, tried to put it into first at the stop sign and I couldn't find first, but I did find reverse and almost backed into the guy behind me (Yikes!). Anyhow, my 62 year old memory can't remember what I have to do to get this situation fixed. I should rephrase that , I know what needs to be fixed, I just cant remember what needs to be undone, dropped, or removed to gain access. And just like last time, and the time before that (the conversion), I will be doing this on my back with jack stands in front of my house in the street. So, any words of wisdom or operating procedures will be greatly appreciated. I looked in the Bentley, but didn't see a pic of that little wedge. Thanks, in Advance!, regards, Paul, Providence, RI

[brokenwrench]

Does the shift lever move, or does it feel like it only moves back and forth in neutral and blocked from moving into the gears? The missing wedge piece would cause the shift lever to be floppy loose, I would think.

[02 A6 2.7T]

Paul, see below ... and this thread ... http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ighlight=wedge

[brokenwrench]

Paul, see below ... and this thread ... http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...ighlight=wedge

I just read through this thread a bit, didn't realize this was so common. I just re-installed my shift linkages, I'll make sure to add some Loctite to the cap nut before I bolt the tranny back in. I was thinking this sounded more like bad shift collars. I'm curious how the tranny can still go into reverse if it's missing the wedge? Oh well....

[rollerton]

Paul!
Awesome you still have that thing and run it!

FWIW, this is a 20 minute job on a 6-speed widebody. There's so much room under there it's no problem at all. You just take the nut off, pull the linkage off, slide the spacer in and put it back together. Happened to me too but I made it home before it slipped all the way. I think when I had to fix the missing wedge I just had a piece of soft metal, kind of like 'plumbers tape' and I just folded it over a couple times until it slid in there, tightened it down. That other thread had the dimensions, but for regular guys it doesn't NEED to be so precise. Seems like that part just makes up for a mistake made by some Audi engineer on a 4pm BRUNCH!



It'll still go into reverse because the shaft and linkage have a ' D " shape to them, and reverse is a one-way lockout ..or something, it has it's own gate.

[brokenwrench]

Seems like that part just makes up for a mistake made by some Audi engineer on a 4pm BRUNCH!

I'm sure that's a joke at my expense, still funny though!

[rollerton]

I'm sure that's a joke at my expense, still funny though!

It actually happened over here.. http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...llroad-strikes

Just figured he'd see it and feel included . It makes me wonder how some of the engineered parts in these cars came to exist. At what point in the assembly or 'mock up' did Heinz look over at Markus and say " You are JUST back from BRUNCH!? This linkage is fitting fairly loose, we need a shim!" . Why not just make it fit?

[wpod]

So, If I understand you correctly (20 minute job? ), there is no need to drop the tranny mounts or anything ?, I should be able to reach up and put it back together without going nuts? (or removing nuts??) Please tell me that it's going to be that easy! Thanks,, wpod

[rollerton]

So, If I understand you correctly (20 minute job? ), there is no need to drop the tranny mounts or anything ?, I should be able to reach up and put it back together without going nuts? (or removing nuts??) Please tell me that it's going to be that easy! Thanks,, wpod

It was when I did it. You could stretch it out to an hour by including the time it takes to get a beer, jack the car up , etc... but that linkage is right next to the slave cylinder on the trans and on a widebody car it's pretty damn easy to get to. But pretty sure I just reached up there, removed the nut and fiddled with getting the shim thingy i made in the linkage and putting the nut back on. Luckily there is no adjustment or anything to do. It's literally just a single nut. I suppose you could encounter any number of hassles that accompany Audi repairs, but the widebody with a manual trans has more room around there than any other Audi I can think of so that's not a part that will slow you down.

[brokenwrench]

It makes me wonder how some of the engineered parts in these cars came to exist. At what point in the assembly or 'mock up' did Heinz look over at Markus and say " You are JUST back from BRUNCH!? This linkage is fitting fairly loose, we need a shim!" . Why not just make it fit?

Ha! I see. Or like why did I have to buy 3 more sets of tools just to remove a cylinder head? Triple-square, spline, and external torx....

As a manufacturing engineer I can kind of understand why they did it this way, but I just have to think how much easier it is to work on BMW's compared to this. The only odd tool I needed on the M56 engine was a slightly longer torx bit to remove the cam sprocket...


But Paul, you may want to check my latest post on my build thread, I used a different nut for the wedge block and added Loctite. I haven't had a chance to see how long it lasts, but I used the good stuff on the threads....
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...d-Thread/page2

[Greenskycity]

I can't post pics but I had the same problem after a clutch change because I lost my wedge. After the fourth tow home I finally pulled the image off this site and had a machine shop make one, didn't take long to put in and have been banging gears without a problem since. Mine was done for free as a favor and I actually had two made but lost the other or I'd send it off to you.

Green.

[Greenskycity]

https://goo.gl/photos/bRvtPTvCBuyyjK6S8

https://goo.gl/photos/kSpwyFdMS5nDuw9M8

[wpod]

I had forgotten how wierd of a shape that counterweight? gizmo is that contains the female fitting with the hole for the transmission shaft. After turning it and trying to determine which way it would go on (for about a half an hour), I finally got it. (but I cheated) . I removed the six triple square bolts and got the axle pushed out of the way for more visability and maneuverability. So, now I've got the linkage back on the shaft and I've got my gears back, only problem, which way do I insert the wedge so that it fits properly. Yes, I made a wedge using the dimensions given in the above post, but when I thought about trying to fit it in, I realized that it could possibly fit in four different ways . So gentleman , how does the wedge go in, bevel end first I'm guessing, but whats up and whats down. Is there a close up pic or a diagram anywhere? As always, Thanks a million, you guys are the BEST! regards, Paul, Providence, RI

[brokenwrench]

The beveled end goes towards the transmission, away from the shift linkage, with the bevel resting against the transmission shaft. So I guess you could say the bevel goes in first and faces "up".