MC5B Shifting Linkage adjustment & Lubrication

[MCIGenes]

Well, I have made a lot of progress on the bus since I came home from vacation in July. I replaced the rear brake drums due to cracking. I built a 10-ton portable stud press and it worked great for replacing several defective wheel studs on the drive axle.
   The problem I am working on now is the shifting problem that has been a problem for a long time. After replacing the brake drums and studs outside I decided I needed to clear out the shop and get the bus over the pit so I can access the top of the transmission. I ran some tests while I had the wheels off and the shifting problem had gotten worse. I now could not shift into reverse or second gear. So the problem is not just the reverse solenoid. After winching the bus into the shop and over the pit I pulled the spare tire out of the tire bay and went in to check out the remote shifting box. It did not take long to see that the shifting box had a broken part on it. At some time in the past someone had the front cast iron dust cap off the front of the box. When they put it back on, they must have lost one of the bolts, so they used a sheet metal screw instead of the 6mm bolt and it did not hold. Over time the dust cover turned down and got in the way of the second/reverse shifting bar. This was a condition that got worse over time and at first only affected reverse. I had to repair that box while lying on my back in the spare tire bay.
   Now I am trying to fine tune the shifting linkage alignment because I know it was not adjusted right since I brought it back from New Brunswick.  The parts manual for the MC5B shows an idler lever in the middle of the shifting linkage and I do not see any way to lubricate it. Does anyone know how I can access any idler in the linkage system?  If there is some idler in the system I believe it needs to be lubricated to make the shifting linkage work smoother.
   Tomorrow I need to get up between the transmission and the rear end and make sure the transmission is in neutral and that the shifting arms are in their detent positions. Then I will go into the tire bay and adjust the linkage rods to match the remote shift rods. I just would like to make sure there is nothing in the middle of the linkage that is binding due to lack of lubrication.  Any advise or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Gene      1975 MC5B

[bevans6]

I have a 5C.  My shift mechanism doesn't have an idler that I know of, it just has two rods from the back all the way to the front.  You can access the top of the transmission very easily through the floor access panel at the rear of the bus inside (Probably under your bed.  What I would do it first simply disconnect the two shift rods from the levers on top of the transmission and see what's up.  If you shift lever works easily then your problem is inside the transmission, and vice versa.  You should be able to shift the box reasonably easily using the levers, but remember that it's a dog engagement box, it's very possible for the dogs to line up so it won't engage while the engine is off and the gears aren't spinning a bit.

Reverse and second use the same position of the shifter, and the same shift lever on top of the gearbox, but are separate inside the box.  The solenoid moves the shift lever over to engage a separate shift finger for reverse.  You can easily do the shift with a screwdriver or even by pressing over with your hand.  I have a Spicer box open in my shop, so if you have questions or need to see things I can take pictures for you.

If you do have an idler, you access it by removing the tunnel shrouds at the top ceiling of your luggage bays.

Brian

[MCIGenes]

Thanks Brian,
       Yes, I have both access panels open under the bed. I remodeled the bedroom earlier this spring and I have not put the bed back in until I get the shifting problem corrected. The problem is there are so many rods and tubes going past the access panels that I cannot get my hands in between them to access the top of the tranny. My best access is from below in the pit and I can just barely get my upper body between the rear end and the front of the tranny. I almost got trapped there yesterday. I had some tight pig skin gloves on and I reached my left hand over the top of the tranny to try to move the levers and the cuff of the glove got caught on something and I could not pull my hand back. The more I tried, the tighter the glove got on my hand. I had to use my teeth to take my other glove off and was able to reach a long bladed screw driver and then try to get my right hand in position to use the screw driver to get the glove off my left hand. My Cell phone was out of reach, so I could not call anyone.
      Today I will try to remove the tunnel cover in the front bay and see if I can access anything that will help. The back bay has the tanks in it and I am not sure I can even get to the screws that hold the cover on. MCI tech support just told me there is panel where the shifting rods come out of the tunnel, by the tranny that will aid in lubricating some support blocks for the shifting rods

[bevans6]

try to clear the access away, you can do almost nothing useful from the bottom.  You really need to get at the shift levers to see anything at all about what's going on.  There shouldn't be that much there, just some coolant tubes, the air lines to the governor and the shift and clutch linkage.

I will post a couple of pics in a few minutes.

Brian

[bevans6]

very tough to get a picture, the camera would have to be in place that doesn't exist...

First pick is of the top of a spicer shift housing so you can see what you are trying to work with. 

Second pic is with the coolant tube removed out of the way and you can clearly see the 3/4 shift lever,  1/2 is back in there a bit further.  That pic is through the front panel on the floor.  You will need to remove that coolant tube, and I have no idea how much coolant you might lose, sorry.  I think a lot.  You can try to close off the coolant valves to minimize.

Best I can do, sorry.

Brian

[MCIGenes]

Thanks Brian for all you effort in helping me. I can see your access panel has fewer lines and hoses going through it than mine. I am not sure what the difference is between the 5B and the 5C, but they seemed to do it better in the 5C. An access panel should give you access but mine is so crowded with lines, rods and hoses that I can barely see the shifting linkage. I have better access from under the transmission. I am not finished yet, but I went under the front and adjusted and reconnected the shift box in the front. The bus is jacked up so I tested the shifting while it is running and the good news is I now can shift into second and into reverse. I still am not happy with how much resistance there is to moving the linkage so I will get back out there and remove the  tunnel cover in bay 1 and see if there is any logical reason for the Resistance. It is over 106 degrees today and my shop is not air conditioned so I come in once in a while to cool down. The good news is I can shift into reverse and second now and I could not before. I will still continue to fine tune the alignment so that 2nd to 3rd shift is smoother.  Thanks Again.
Gene  1975 MC5B   

[MCIGenes]

     I took the tunnel cover off in the front bay and I was impressed as to how neet and well layed out it was.  At first sight it looks like the shifting rods are not present, but they are. I was surprized to see that the rods are incased in a black mesh course fabric. They did not look like shift rods, but I had my wife shift while I felt the black mesh and I could feel the rods move inside. But the covering eliminates any chance of lubricating the rods in the tunnel.
       I am happy that I can shift into second and reverse now, so I will do a few test drives and see if the shifting is better while under way. I still want to work on the front linkage alignment yet to make the second to third transision smoother.
       Brian, Thanks for all your help. 
      Now, I can soon put this experience behind me ( all lessons learned for future use) and put the bedroom back together and test my air operated bed lift system. Not to mention test out the new mattress.

Gene 75 MC5B  Dew Drop Inn