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Date:         Tue, 4 Nov 2003 07:20:35 -0800
Reply-To:     Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Shawn Wright <swright@ZUIKO.SLS.BC.CA>
Subject:      Re: wearing down my westy
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.BSF.4.58.0311040919140.59041@gull.us>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

On 4 Nov 2003 at 9:20, David Brodbeck wrote:

> On Mon, 3 Nov 2003, Bravo Sierra wrote: > > > first, it has become very difficult to shift into first or second gear. > > it often takes signifigant force and several attempts to get into gear. > > there doesn't seem to be any temperature dependence (ambient or tranny) > > in how much effort is required. i'm pretty confident that the clutch is > > disengaging all the way, so it seems that the syncros are bad for those > > gears, except that the tranny was supposedly rebuilt last year before i > > bought the van. > > If it's hard while you're stationary, it's not the syncros. Bad syncros > cause grinding when you shift while moving. > > Before you blame the tranny, check your shift linkage for worn parts and > try adjusting it.

I had similar problems during our last trip, except that I was fairly sure it was poor lube in the shift linkage, since I had the tranny out, and rushed it back in without lubing the linkage bushings. Here's a good quick fix that I used, and should help pinpoint the problem:

Buy a can of aerosol lithium grease with a thin tube for spraying in tight places (like wd-40 uses). Insert tube into each side of bushing boot near trans and spray until grease oozes out. Repeat for boot accessible from rear of gas tank, above tank. If this makes a difference, then it means you should probably remove the linkage at some point and replace/lube the bushings...

-- Shawn Wright http://Zuiko.sls.bc.ca/swright '88 Westy 375k '85 Jetta D 263k '85 Jetta TD 482k (retired) ~This message sent by Pegasus Mail, the safe E-Mail alternative~ "Friends don't let friends use Outlook"


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