Date:         Mon, 11 Nov 2002 07:16:41 -0500
Reply-To:     dr <dxrobertson@NETSCAPE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         dr <dxrobertson@NETSCAPE.NET>
Subject:      Re: auto -> manual?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

I had done this on a 73 bus with auto.  I had a junk 74 bus with manual
also, so I had all the parts to do this.  From what I remember, most
everything bolted right up to the 73; it came from the factory with all
the mount points for the clutch pedal, clutch cable, shift rod, trans
mount, etc.  There were 2 exceptions to this; the shifter mount up under
the cab and the tube that the clutch cable runs through from the clutch
pedal area back to the trans.  I used a truck air brake plastic line as
the clutch cable tube, you could also use copper tubing or something
similar (it has to be able to bend).  The shifter mount is where you
have to do some serious fabrication.  This is where the shifter goes
down through the floor and connects to the shift rod that goes back to
the trans.  This mount could not be easily removed from the junk bus- i
believe it was welded in place and not bolted.  I fabricated a box and
had access to a lathe to fabricated the pin that the end of the shift
rod slides on.

The parts you will need from a manual (I may be forgetting some):
trans and mounts
axles
clutch
clutch cable
small rubber clutch sleeve that the cable goes through at the trans
shift rod and all bushings, etc
shifter and all hardware
clutch pedal
starter

The job was not really all that bad except for the fabrication of the
shifter housing.  Dont forget to first put the shift rod in before the
engine and trans, LIKE I DID!

david




Dan Barrett wrote:
> Folks,
> I noticed in the archives people have asked about coverting a bus from auto
> trans. to manual trans, but there isn't much in the way of substantial
> discussion.
> Is this essentially a non-starter?
>
> Best,
> d.