Real Hard to Shift my '87 Vanagon. What Can I* do?

More complicated. It probably needs an alignment, shifter rod, and bushings, etc..

Most importantly does it ever pop out of gear? My last Van was an 87 and started with popping out of gear in 3rd to 4th shift and also had a hard time with 1st gear engaugement from a stop light. Almost always I had to double clutch to get going in proper gear. After much research I discovered a common problem with the 3rd gear inside the transmission.

I wound up on my maiden voyage in another province (Canada) at a transmission shop for 3days while they rebuilt the transmission and replaced the syncro's inside aswell. I had originally suspected bushings too and though not finding too much play once I examined them, I regreased the one located above the spare tire (you have to drop it for access) and it did help for temporary smoother shifting but was inevitable a rebuild was required. I wouldn't assume my concern was the same as yours but something to investigate all the same.

Tristen Snell

86 Golf (pepi) 88 Westfalia (Bogart)

I have this same problem in mine... mine is an 87 syncro...

| > > Wonder if there is some way to lubricate the shifting so it will | > > go into each gear smoother. Sometimes it's almost impossible | > > to get into reverse, and to first. Is this a lub problem, or more | > > complicated. Thanks guys. | > >

| > More complicated. It probably needs an alignment, shifter rod, and | > bushings, etc.. | | Most importantly does it ever pop out of gear? My last Van was an 87 | and started with popping out of gear in 3rd to 4th shift and also had | a hard time with 1st gear engaugement from a stop light. Almost | always I had to double clutch to get going in proper gear. After much | research I discovered a common problem with the 3rd gear inside the | transmission. | |

| | I wound up on my maiden voyage in another province (Canada) at a | transmission shop for 3days while they rebuilt the transmission and | replaced the syncro's inside aswell. I had originally suspected | bushings too and though not finding too much play once I examined | them, I regreased the one located above the spare tire (you have to | drop it for access) and it did help for temporary smoother shifting | but was inevitable a rebuild was required. | I wouldn't assume my concern was the same as yours but something to | investigate all the same. | | Tristen Snell | | 86 Golf (pepi) | 88 Westfalia (Bogart)

hey, thanks for the location to grease... but no, it does not pop out of 3rd. it's a solid shift all the way around. i'll drop the tire tomorrow.

in article c6rd3p$f9vts$ snipped-for-privacy@ID-206256.news.uni-berlin.de, highcastle at snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote on 4/29/04 10:12 AM:

Had the same problem on my 84 Vanagon, so I crawled underneath and cleaned all the joints and bushings along the shift rod that runs the length of the van along the center best as I could. Then I sprayed some lube (basically liquid grease) that is supposed to not attract dust to those moving parts. I also removed the rubber boot at the bottom of the shifter and lubed all those joints, too. It helped quite a bit. Every year or so I give the joints underneath a good lubing.

Hope that helps

Yes, that's the ticket. But what kind of lube under the rubber boot? Something that won't decay the rubber, like regular tubed grease, or ?? Thanks.

| Had the same problem on my 84 Vanagon, so I crawled underneath and cleaned | all the joints and bushings along the shift rod that runs the length of the | van along the center best as I could. Then I sprayed some lube (basically | liquid grease) that is supposed to not attract dust to those moving parts. I | also removed the rubber boot at the bottom of the shifter and lubed all | those joints, too. It helped quite a bit. Every year or so I give the joints | underneath a good lubing. | | Hope that helps |