Date:         Mon, 9 Jul 2001 10:34:30 -0400
Reply-To:     Michael Townsend <townsend@RTP.ERICSSON.SE>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Michael Townsend <townsend@RTP.ERICSSON.SE>
Subject:      shifter kit & adjustment
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Hi all,

I put my new shifter kit in this weekend.  Everything went fine, although
it is really a messy job if you put Moly-grease on everything before you
insert the upper hemisphere in between the shells!  That thing is like some
kind of torture puzzle.  Turns out my old one wasn't broken at all anyway.
My van was always extremely hard to get into first -- you had to push down
on the stick to get it past the reverse-protector gate and then confidently
know you are shoving exactly at the right angle to get it into first and
not reverse.  After hours of tweaking the angle of the plate at the bottom
of the shifter, I was just about to give up.  If you turn that plate too
far, then what you think is first is really third, and 1 and 2 dissappear.
Then, I had the bright idea to re-adjust the angle on the shift linkage bar
just aft of the gas tank.  I turned the back half a little bit inwards, so
that the angle would be closer to first gear without having to go under the
reverse gate.  I tightened it all up, and WOW!  It is fun to drive again!
I can actually get it into first AND second!  I should have thought of this
years ago!  The DPO had the transmission replaced at a VW dealership, and
there have been a multitude of problems with it for me -- I should have
known it wouldn't have been adjusted right, either!

Michael Townsend
90 Carat