Date:         Sat, 25 Aug 2012 15:55:59 -0700
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.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; format=flowed

Have you at least checked that the two screws or nuts under the shift 
boot inside the van are tight ??

that is *one place* adjustments are made that affect what you are 
talking about.
I  see people driving for years with loose, worn, dry, or maladjusted 
shift linkage and they don't even realize it.
It should be tight and smooth and work like it did when new - with care 
and attention that's pretty attainable.

In my world, the shift linkage needs lubrication, checking, and 
'service' once a year on all manual trans vanagons.
scott
www.turbovans.com


On 8/25/2012 1:24 PM, Jabin Newhouse 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