Date:         Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:40:06 -0600
Reply-To:     Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Stevens <mtbiker62@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: finding gears
Comments: To: Jabin Newhouse <jabin_n@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <SNT125-W6586189833CBE143D0B35090BC0@phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252

It sounds like the shift rod joint bolt has loosened enough to allow the rod to rotate
when you put pressure on the shifter to put it into 1st gear.

bob
On Aug 25, 2012, at 2:24 PM, Jabin Newhouse <jabin_n@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:

I backed my '87 VW bus out of the driveway as I normally did. I then put into what I normally assume is 1st gear...but the engine did not react like it was in 1st...it was acting more like 3rd--almost killed the engine.  I stopped to double-check that I was in the correct gear...yes, I was.  So as I attempted to move again in "1st gear".  Well, it felt like 3rd again but I tried to start away...it did move but super slow until I got up in speed (like normal 3rd gear ironically).  It continued to act this way so I pulled back home and started trying to figure it out. I found out that 2nd gear seemed alot like 4th gear.  As a last ditch effort, I decided to try to put it in reverse to see what happened.  Well, I moved forward...yep, I was now in 1st gear finally--it was clearly the spot that reverse was normally located (close to my leg with my foot on the gas pedal).  I then moved down straight down...yep, 2nd gear...except now the shifter was almost resting on the corner of my seat as I drove.

So...I can easily shift into all the gears without any difficulty.  Everything seems to work fine.  BUT the shifter has seemed to have moved about 3 or 4 inches toward the driver’s side—even the position of 4th gear is off to the left of the center of the bus.  Can the entire "gear box" rotate??? If so, how is this adjusted?  What would cause this?


Jabin
'87 Transporter