Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2014 11:09:41 -1000
Reply-To: "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott )" <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: 4th gear finally died (far from home)
In-Reply-To: <CAA5WjgiTfykLji3OCzHg=VB1aw3G9NTroB-0PXteWAD3vhk8gA@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
I'd suggest inspecting a few things underneath.
for example..I have found the nut that holds the shift lever onto the
shaft sticking out of the side of the trans loose several times.
that can lead to the splines in the side lever getting worn ..
which results in slop ..
which can't be that good for things.
At least make sure that 13mm nut is tight.
also ..in general ...IMO ..the shift linkage needs to be spray lubed in
about 8 or so places on a regular basis.
wherever things touch, move, slide, pivot etc...staring at the while
plastic parts under the shift boot in the cockpit ...to every spot that
moves from there clear back to the trans.
At least once a year.
find out what spray lube you think works best.
that spray white Lithium ...while messy looking, i find it to be quite
slippery .
On 9/5/2014 6:45 AM, Gabriel Hourtouat wrote:
> Looking forward to hearing more about this issue from those with more
> experience because I always feel that my 4th gear is only just barely
> engaged. (Manual tranny, 1986 Westy.)
>
> Is there an adjustment that needs to be done to the stick and linkages to
> ensure the gears are properly engaged? (So far, the tranny has never
> popped out -- I just have this nagging feeling that something is not right.)
>
> Getting ready for the humbling news,
> Gabby
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 9:29 AM, Vincent Dow <ianvincentdow@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Roy, thanks for the note.
>>
>> I'd like you to know that we LOVED New Brunswick. Did not intend the least
>> derision in the comment about the absence of Porsches...
>>
>> N.B. was the sleeper on this trip. So friendly and real.
>>
>> Camping on the St. John's River was idyllic. Our next trip is going to be
>> the whole coast of N.B.
>>
>> While we were roraring along the trans canada at 45mph, a young dude in a
>> Mitsubishi 4x4 van (right hand steering) pulled alongside, waved us to
>> stop, offered help, told us about Gunther, and offered to drive my old
>> transaxle back to Fredricton from montreal in two weeks time, so it could
>> be rebuilt by G. The guy is moving to Montreal, and we're going to ask our
>> landlords if they have an affordable place available he could take.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 6:13 AM, Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@nbnet.nb.ca> wrote:
>>
>>> Vince,
>>>
>>> There are quite a few of us here in NB ... you should have stopped.
>>> Gunter would have what was needed to get you operational.
>>>
>>> (BTW: There are a few Porches here in Fredericton, even a couple of
>>> Ferraris and a Lotus or two).
>>>
>>> On 04-Sep-2014, at 01:06, Vincent Dow wrote:
>>>
>>>> So I began having this problem of my tranny popping out of 4th on the
>>>> highway five years ago. The first occurrence really shook me up - POp
>> and
>>>> then a tremendous VARRROOOOOMMMM --(WTF was that???)
>>>>
>>>> Van is an 82 aircooled, converted to 1995 water-cooled subaru 2.2
>>>>
>>>> I've limped along these years with the cracked 3/4 solder. Didn't have
>> a
>>>> lot of bread. The van mostly drives around town and up to a country
>> place
>>>> one hour away. I do a lot of construction and use it for light transpo.
>>>>
>>>> I had gotten the shifting into 4th down pretty well. in 3rd i would get
>>> the
>>>> RPMs up to 3800, and then make a nice, decisive shift to 4th, give it
>>> mucho
>>>> gas and let off clutch quickly. I could make it hold w/o a bungie cord.
>>> But
>>>> I always kept a light hand on the shifter, just to feel the vibe.
>>>>
>>>> So me and my girl drove it out to Nova Scotia from montreal two weeks
>> ago
>>>> (1,350 kilometers) and I knew I was pushing it this time. On the way
>> out
>>>> east, in Levis, Que - Tranny popped out twice in just five minutes, and
>>>> that really freaked me out, as we had a long way to go. But she made it
>>> out
>>>> to Cape Lahave -
>>>>
>>>> (and of course the Westfalia camper was awesome. We even got the fridge
>>>> working for the first time!)
>>>>
>>>> But on the way home, near Moncton, New Brunswick, I let my GF drive. I
>>> had
>>>> explained my finesse way of shifting. I don't know why i thought this
>>> would
>>>> work out... She struggled with clutch action, and timed it badly twice.
>>>> After passing a toll booth, I took the controls back, and it seemed
>> okay
>>>> for a few miles, and then popped out of 4th, and would not stay in 4th
>>>> after. Nothing would make it stay in 4th gear, short of holding the
>> stick
>>>> with two hands until it bent.
>>>>
>>>> I worried that we were really boned. So i put the hazards on and drove
>>>> along in 3rd gear. It seemed pitifully slow, but we were still moving.
>>>> Ended up driving all the way home like that. Now the van is out front.
>>> The
>>>> dog is on the couch, my GF is in bed. We're home. What a good van he
>> is.
>>>> He's a boy.
>>>> His name is *Modesto.*
>>>>
>>>> In the first hour of our 3rd gear highway travel, a nice looking
>> vanagon
>>>> came up behind and put his hazards on, followed us for a bit and then
>>>> pulled alongside. It was the first vanagon i'd seen in New Brunswisk (I
>>>> also did not see a single Porsche in the whole province)
>>>> The driver signalled we could pull over, offer assistance. i waved
>>>> friendly, assumed nothing could be done there and then. Waved him on
>> his
>>>> way.
>>>> I found out later there is a veteran German VW guy in Fredricton, only
>>>> works on euro cars. Has a yard full of vanagons. Name is Gunther. I was
>>>> probably driving by his shop when the N.B. vanagon guy engaged with us.
>>> How
>>>> stupid of me to assume there was no rear engine community out there in
>>>> L'Acadie.
>>>
| 
