TheSamba.com :: View topic - 025 Motorsport 711 Shifter Available at T3 technique...

Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:16 am

DuncanS,
Thanks for the tip. I did see your post from last Nov and the boot you were making. Looks good. I’m taking this route first to see how it looks. I’ll probably mock up a vinyl boot just to get an idea of how it might look. I really like do.dah’s idea of joining two boots together to make a taller one. If I could find another brown one, I’d try that first. But I can only find them in black and I’d have to buy two of them so I may just wait a while on that one.
John

Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:32 pm

Check this out. Can't believe the price. It's about 10" tall and the base is ~5" square.

Sun Oct 10, 2021 6:48 pm

DuncanS,
That’s a Great price. And it’s pretty nice, too. I’ll probably go with something like this when we get back from our trip. Thanks for passing this info on. I appreciate it.
John

Sun Mar 13, 2022 12:00 pm

Has anyone installed this on an aircooled setup yet? I noticed right away how differently it's set up on the aircooled version. First of all, you have to center and drill all of your own holes(much like the diesel I guess?), as it's quite different than the UK youtube video where you have 2 available studs to mount it, then drill the other two holes. If you look at the picture, you can see the aircooled shifter plate is angled instead of flat, so it tilts the shifter towards the driver seat.

From underneath, at the gear shifter box, the angle of the aircooled shifter plate pushes the guide against the reverse lockout when the shifter itself is centered. If I attempt to push the shifter towards the left side like I were going into 1st it won't push past halfway because of the odd angle that forces it against the reverse lockout in the relaxed position. I currently have my transaxle out to be rebuilt or I'd see if I can get into each gear, but it truly doesn't seem like it's possible in it's current setup.

My guess is that I need to purchase a watercooled shifter plate since it sits flat and doesn't have the angle on it. If anyone has done this with the aircooled shifter plate please let me know how you did it!

Fri Mar 18, 2022 6:35 pm

Just a small update and hopefully clarification. I did end up buying the shifter mounting plate for a watercooled vanagon from Buslab if anyone needs it:

https://www.buslab.com/product-p/251711231a.htm

The shifter range seems to have the proper reach now. Here's a picture of the difference in shifter plate just in case anyone is interested...

I'm guessing it will need more of an adjustment than a watercooled because of the original angle of the shifter. I'll update if that's the case. I'm hoping this helps other aircooled owners!

Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:45 am

I installed mine this past weekend.

Has anyone adjusted their shift linkage after? I am having a hard time getting into 3rd gear after adjusting.

Curious on what spacing I should use in the shift box (I modeled and printed 19mm and 23mm spacers) for adjustment.

Sun Jun 26, 2022 5:32 pm

That video implies that you get new aluminum chunks for the shift box below the floor...true ?
There's no "what's in the box" parts list on t3 website.
Are there new nylon or delrin bushes on the lower forks ?

The vid also shows those things on the side of the shift rod with the rubber boot...I don't think I have that, 5 speed only ?

Will the rod fit a stock knob ? I don't have a stock knob, but what I have fits the stock rod with set screws. I need that shift knob. I want to keep it. So if I got this thing I'd cut the rod and weld up a section of the stock rod if I need to.

I have always trusted Chris and all...but in the video, what's goin on under the floor dosn't look that much different so I'm curious what I'm not able to perceive there.

Pulling the heater box thing off the doka floor...ehh...sounds painful. I remember the screws on mine seem to just spin forever without coming out. Could be useful as I need to figure out why sub isn't working in my center console and that would need to come out before the heater ducting can come out.
The shifter base casting and spring sure looks fancy and cool though.

Sun Jul 03, 2022 3:31 pm

Hi Sambanistas. Haven't posted in almost 8 years; pretty sure it won't be that long until the next one. Have to share with you folks how sweet this shifter is. James Akers in his Youtube video states that it's "life changing"...well I'm not sure that this is exaggeration. I've got a DX 5-speed in the westy, had it there for the last 16 years during which I always had to depress the shifter to engage 1st gear. Not a terribly big deal, as the trans has a 5.43:1 R&P, so I start out in 2nd and use 1st as a crawl-ish gear that only sees use during off-roading or starting on steep hills.

Anyhoo, with the 025 Motorsports shifter, 1st (L on the shifter knob) is available without needing to depress the shifter...which is great! In full disclosure, Christopher Schimke with T3 Technique explained to me how the total length of the shift rod can determine whether or not engaging 1st gear needs to be done by depressing the shifter. Oddly, I didn't change the total shift rod length, yet realized the 'non-depressing' 1st gear engagement. Don't know why that happened, but very glad it did!

By the way, as many of you know, Christopher is super generous with his abundant vanagon knowledge, and he was very much so with me when I had a question about the install. The vanagon community is very lucky to have him and his company as a resource.

In summary, there is no doubt that the joy of driving coefficient is notably higher with the new shifter, so yea, I think life changing is a fair description.

Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:50 pm

Was your 5 speed retrofited, using a 4 speed shifter in your van?
The safety lock for 1st with a 5 speed 2WD 094 transmission is a spring loaded safety, horizontal. You just have to push harder to engage 1st speed.
What you describe, having to push down to get to 1st speed looks like the 094 Syncro transmission shifter arrangement, which had a shifter box and shifter similar to the 4 speed 091/1.

Sun Jul 03, 2022 6:11 pm

ALIKA T3 wrote: Was your 5 speed retrofited, using a 4 speed shifter in your van?
The safety lock for 1st with a 5 speed 2WD 094 transmission is a spring loaded safety, horizontal. You just have to push harder to engage 1st speed.
What you describe, having to push down to get to 1st speed looks like the 094 Syncro transmission shifter arrangement, which had a shifter box and shifter similar to the 4 speed 091/1.
Hi ALIKA. GoWesty installed the rebuilt DX 5-speed with a full compliment of 1983 NA diesel 5-speed shifter box, rods and lever in 2006. I really can't explain my experience with 1st gear...even though I'm a scientist, the why doesn't really interest me because the what is so impressive!

Mon Dec 11, 2023 12:41 pm

shagginwagon83 wrote: I installed mine this past weekend.

Has anyone adjusted their shift linkage after? I am having a hard time getting into 3rd gear after adjusting.

I love the shifter but I am also having a terrible time adjusting the linkage after the install.
I even had it adjusted by a "Vanagon expert" and it just came back.
I also had the linkage fully restored (new parts)
If anyone has a remedy, please help (and please don't say "go back to the old shifter".

Mon Dec 11, 2023 1:58 pm

Did you get the instructions that 025Motorsports supplies?
They note:
"Careful length and rotational adjustment of the long shift rod between the lever assembly and the transmission (gearbox) is essential to acheive engagement of all forward and reverse gears. Failure to do so may result in insufficient throw to engage 2nd gear on 4-speed/syncro (rod set too long), similary for the 5-speed in engaging 3rd gear"

The only issue I had (1991 syncro) was caused by me. I didn't tighten the locknuts for the set screws on the fork/rod end enough. After a while the set screws backed out and the shifter became sloppy because the fork/rod connection was loose. I went back in and found this - tighened and locked down the nuts properly with some blue locktight and now it shifts perfectly again.

I haven't removed the pressed steel "Top Hat" spacer 091 301 267 from the gear selector shaft within the transaxle, in order to prevent excessive effort being needed to select G or reverse gears (suggested for Syncro and 4-speed models" yet, but I don't have trouble with it.

Mon Dec 11, 2023 2:30 pm

Irishcalifornian wrote: shagginwagon83 wrote: I installed mine this past weekend.

Has anyone adjusted their shift linkage after? I am having a hard time getting into 3rd gear after adjusting.

I love the shifter but I am also having a terrible time adjusting the linkage after the install.
I even had it adjusted by a "Vanagon expert" and it just came back.
I also had the linkage fully restored (new parts)
If anyone has a remedy, please help (and please don't say "go back to the old shifter".

My issue was that my 2018 shift bushings were bad. All new shift components and I am now shifting super smooth.

Mon Dec 11, 2023 3:07 pm

What exactly were your symptoms, Brandon?

We put in a new bushing kit in 2018 also, and now alternate between perfect shifting and struggles to get into gear at all.

Tue Jul 08, 2025 4:34 pm

Hello,

I searched the web but couldn’t find the answer! Are we supposed to adjust with a 23 mm spacer before setting the shift rods ( like the original vw shifter) when installing a 711 shifter?

Leaving for a road trip, I just put in fresh Swepco 201 now wanted to be sure my shifter adjustment is top notch.

Thanks

Mathieu