Date:         Wed, 03 Jan 1996 18:05:31 -0700
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Gary Shea <shea@xmission.com>
Subject:      Re: '80 Vanagon tranny questions 

"Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" writes:
>
>I was spending some quality time under the V6anagon over the weekend
><not>, with an eye toward replacing the transmission oil. Found the
>drain plug in the expected place, but I'm d*mned if I can find where
>to fill it up.

Hi Steve -- On my Vanagon ('81), and in the Bentley,
it shows all Vanagon tranny's as having the drain plug about 1/3 of the
way up the right side, maybe 6 inches back from the front of the tranny,
directly, like one inch, back from where the selector shaft
comes out of the tranny and hooks to the linkage.  I went out
and looked... it was there.  It's easy to find when the tranny
is sitting on the floor of the garage... sigh.

It appears that for the early Vanagons you fill the tranny until
oil runs out the drain plug.  Bentley isn't too clear on it...

>On mine, there appears to be the remains of a boot on this heavy rod,
>just rattling around loose. There is also a brownish-yellowish plastic
>ring rattling around loose on the heavy rod, that looks like it was once
>a bushing or seal, inside the tube end of the long shift rod. The shift
>rod itself, flops around fairly loosely on the heavy rod, tho shifting
>still feels pretty good (for a VW-- this is my first Vanagon).

My boot is history too, but I think my bushing is ok.  you probably
just need the bushing, although the boot would be nice too :)
--
Gary Shea (shea@xmission.com)
http://www.xmission.com/~shea