Date:         Sun, 31 Aug 2014 12:36:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Brett Ne <brettn777@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Brett Ne <brettn777@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Air-cooled Vanagon (Westy) shifter bushing question. A follow
              up.
In-Reply-To:  <001401cfc550$c793ee10$56bbca30$@comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

That be it.  Judging by the shiny wear pattern on the rod and the snug fit,
it looks like it is still quite functional.  I'd probably replace it the
next time you have the gas tank removed for peace of mind.  When mine came
out, every time I shifted it made a horrendous metal-on-metal
scraping/screeching noise that had everyone on the street turning heads and
mothers grabbing their children.  If you can find a way to do it, a dab of
grease might help its longevity.


On Sun, Aug 31, 2014 at 12:21 PM, Tom Young <tomyoung1@comcast.net> wrote:

> Try this link, instead.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/nwjmhdc
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
> Tom Young
> Sent: Sunday, August 31, 2014 11:56 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Air-cooled Vanagon (Westy) shifter bushing question. A follow up.
>
> Hi all:
>
>
>
> I posted a couple of days ago some questions about what I thought was the
> problem with my somewhat funky shifting, that being the bushing through
> which the center shift rod passes.  I'm ashamed to admit that after 33
> years
> of continuous air-cooled Vanagon ownership and maintenance - which included
> dropping the gas tank a couple of times - I never consciously looked at
> that
> bushing or even knew it was there.    One of my questions to the group was
> "where is this bushing located?" and the answer I got back was "above the
> gas tank."
>
>
>
> So, today I dove under the van to hunt this bushing  down and see if it's
> really the source of the problem.  I first dropped the spare tire and
> crawled up there for a look and could see nothing that looked like a
> bushing.  All I could see from that end was the front side of the
> connection
> between the first shift rod and the center shift rod.  Then I dropped the
> belly pan that guards the gas-fired heater in the van and looked forward
> and
> I THINK I'm seeing that bushing up there.  It looks to be almost smack dab
> above the middle of the gas tank.  But, because I've never really "seen"
> this bushing before I took some pictures located here:
>
>
>
> https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5589B44FA96431AE!483
> <
> https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=5589B44FA96431AE!483&authkey=!AEO22XN
> IA0a38XY&ithint=folder%2c> &authkey=!AEO22XNIA0a38XY&ithint=folder%2c
>
>
>
> and I wonder if someone could take a look at these pictures and tell me
>
>
>
> 1)      Am I looking at the bushing in question?  It seems to me that I am
> as I see some "polishing" on the shift rod, indicating the shift rod is
> moving back and forth through what I take to be the bushing
>
> 2)      Does the bushing look OK?  I've seen some pictures of this bushing
> -
> removed from the vehicle - where the bushing  looked pretty deteriorated,
> and what I'm seeing looks to be in good shape.
>
>
>
> If you click on any of the three pictures they'll expand to a larger size.
>
>
>
> If the answers to the two questions are "Yes" and "Yes" I'll be greatly
> relieved.
>
>
>
> TIA.
>
>
>
> Tom Young
>



--
Brett in Portland, OR
"Albert" '82 VanaFox I4 Riviera