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Date:         Tue, 26 Feb 2002 21:09:51 -0500
Reply-To:     Ed Carroll <ecarroll@MAINE.RR.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Ed Carroll <ecarroll@MAINE.RR.COM>
Subject:      Re: tough shifting... pilot bearing?
Comments: To: Jamie Ayotte <jayotte@DESTEFANOARCHITECTS.COM>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Jamie -- Your thoughts on the shift linkage are right on in my experience. Not that they're certainly the cause, but for the labor, you may be able to avoid the expensive parts solutions; that is, the linkages are a good place to start. Check not just the connections and good lubrication, but check the bushings where the shift rod passes through the frame member. If you have a good manual, check every linkage illustration against the actual hardware setup on your van.

Here's the basic thought to keep in mind: Your shift lever travels through maybe 6 to 8 inches, the actual working end beneath the floor moves much less; this smaller motion is transferred to a four-foot-long steel rod, which then actuates (I believe) an even smaller range of travel at the transmission. It doesn't take much going out of whack before the shift lever simply isn't putting the shift fork at the transmission in the right places.

Unless you can convince yourself that the problem lies within the transmission, I think it's worth the work even to tear down the linkage, clean it up, re-install and adjust it; you would do much of that with a new/rebuilt tranny project anyway.

Hope this helps,

Ed Carroll 87 Weekender

----- Original Message ----- From: "Jamie Ayotte" <jayotte@DESTEFANOARCHITECTS.COM> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 3:49 PM Subject: tough shifting... pilot bearing?

> hi. this is three days in a row that i have posted questions to you all... > and here's another: after researching the archives i've come up with a > conclusion that scares me. i've always worked on my own cars and vehicles, > but never anything that seems so involved as dropping a transmission... > now, the problem is that i have tght, loud shifting in all gears. by loud i > mean that it sounds like the shifter is just rubbing metal on metal- in > other words, it doesn't seem to be internal- now, does anyone think that the > problem could be as simple as getting under the van and greasing the sh*t > out of everything connected to the shifter... OR am i gonna have to cry > myself to sleep tonight trying to muster up the cohones to drop the > transmission? also, when i do drop it, what else should i change? as i > don't think i will want to do that again for a while? > > thanks, > > jamie > > 86 westy > 78 vespa > 98 golden retreiver- syd (who is my second set of hands on this one) >


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