George... I had the same or similar = problem... I called it shuddering rather than jittering (semantics?). Anyway, it only = happened when going from a dead stop into first or from a dead stop into = reverse. Like the drive train was bucking or something. Anyway, I ended up = having a transmission problem that may or may not have been related... had a = broken pinion gear... when we replaced that my mech noticed that the clutch was = quite worn and we replaced that too. Now, no more shudder. which = fix made the difference? Or was it both? Don't know, but just thought = I would throw that out. The problem was actually quite severe and I could = only avoid the problem by either not coming to a complete stop before taking = off in first or letting the clutch out quickly... as it would only happen as = the clutch came out.

And as you said, sometimes it was worse than others.

Sound like the same problem? Don't know that I've given you any = information you can use, but there you have it.

When I start accelerating from a dead = stop (1st gear) the Vanagon gets the jitters. Sounds like a warped = flywheel to me; but just wondering if it could be oil leaking on the clutch. I = don't have the problem in any other gear. The problem seems to be = worse when I am accelerating uphill from stop.

Some days the problem is worse than others.

I had a new clutch and throwout = bearing installed several years ago.

I would appreciate any comments for = solving this problem.