hi
i had this problem, and it was the gearlink mechanism that had came awy from the body (held on with 4 bots) abolt had broken off meaning everytime i tried 1st and reverse i was moving whole mechanism
hope this helps......
Hello, I know this is an old thread but it's exactly what happened to me. It's a November 2001 built 2.8 JTD van.
Found the loose bolt(s) on the outer casing of the gearbox and tightened the screw(s). This enabled reverse and 5th gear but only just.
Looked at the gear lever assy and saw there was an adjustment on one of the cables. This enables better selection of either reverse or 5th depending on which way the cable is adjusted, but not both.
I can now have either 1st to 5th or reverse to fourth although ther gear selection at either extreme is very very heavy and hard work. The position of the lever in relation to gear selection changes sometimes very slightly.
This sounds like a selection problem to me but I am 30 years out of repairing cars so have forgotton most of what I knew. I thought I saw a rubber/neoprane bush near the selector mechanism but now not sure as I don't currently have the facility to get under the van.
Is there an obvious problem here for example one or both stretched cables, selector mechanism bolted to the gearbox, seized cable(s) etc.
Thanks for any help that can be given.
ps: The oil level is correct and new gear oil every year. When the gear is selected all works fine. No noises apart from synchro on fourth has a little wear, but has been like that for 3 years.
