Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2014 19:21:18 -0300
Reply-To: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Subject: Re: 4th gear finally died (far from home)
In-Reply-To: <CAF9Ro-aivMzj5+zdNA7_sKpupw5Wu1DbT++SSJU3RuA8g+224A@mail.gmail.com>
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Is that shop in Saint-jean-sur-Richelieu or across the river in Iberville? When I lived in Saint-jean in the 80s there was a very reputable shop across the river, but I do not recall the name.
There is also Benoît of "Restoration BJP" ... now recently relocated to 1313 Avenue du Frère André, Saint-Césaire, QC ... who specializes in the Subaru conversion (www.BenPlace.com)
On 05-Sep-2014, at 15:42, Vincent Dow wrote:
> I got a reccomendation on a tranny rebuild shop out in St
> Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que... called V.A.P.s
> (Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche)
>
> They did right by my neighbor Gordon on a tranny that had the same symptoms
> as mine - his an 82 diesel westfalia out of British Colombia.
>
> On the phone with VAPs, the guy said I was looking at a total rebuild...
> I'm ready to bite the bullet on that. The van has cost me very little these
> last five years.
>
> Think I'm going to pursue Limited Slip Differential, so I get some upgrade
> out of the project. Dude said he'd turn me around in a week. I am STOKED on
> this. It has been too long, roadtripping and afraid of a catastrophic
> breakdown some where it hurts and costs the most.
>
> I'm interested in the subaru tranny conversion idea. Especially as I want
> to upgrade my engine to a 2.5L from its present 2.2 block. That's also down
> the road, but I think the extra power might warrant overdrive.
>
> Or maybe I'll sell the vanagon, give it to my nieces, and get myself a 1969
> chevy sportvan, which is what I secretly want. That's the tough guy's
> vanagon.
>
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 5, 2014 at 12:45 PM, Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@gmail.com>
> 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.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
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