Installing GoWesty shifter tab repair kit - feedback or pics?

[pnwkayaker]

Hello,

I'd like to install the GoWesty shifter tab repair kit (bought last year), but I'm not able to find any pics/videos/review of how to install them (besides the GoWesty PDF instructions). I never messed with the shifter in my Syncro and I'm trying to avoid any stupid (and costly) mistakes.

Does anybody have any additional information on how to install the kit or any additional information that could help me in case I need to remove the shifter and reinstall it afterwards?

Below is a link to the GoWesty shifter tab repair kit

https://www.gowesty.com/product/transaxle-drivetrain/24170/shifter-tab-repair-kit
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87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")

Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link)

[SurfaceRust]

I just did a full shift linkage overhaul. I used the GoWesty shift tab repair kit and the instructions it came with (same as pdf on the site) were adequate for installing the tabs. They don't tell you how to access the linkage, but its not difficult at all.

1. Lower spare tire clam shell (19mm) and remove spare tire
2. Remove the (4) 10mm nuts holding the lower shifter box in place
3. Remove the lower shifter box
4. Using a 13mm and a 10mm wrench disconnect the linkage rod from the shifter.

The desired tab repair area should be accessible now. Give a good clean and follow the GoWesty instructions to install. Put it all back together in reverse order.

[hardway]

You should look at the T3 Technique web site. I would not try to do this without removing the shift rod. I remove the spare tire clam shell and rods. You may have to unbolt and shift the steering rack for access to remove and install the front shift rod. It takes me quite a bit of filing to get the tabs to fit on snugly without force. A lot of threads talk about how easy it is and how easy it is to do it in place. I find it amazing that so many people can do things better and faster than I.

If you have never adjusted a bus shifter you should be careful. Scribe marks on the joint and rod as a reference for reassembly. Do not over tighten the bolt that clamps the joint to the front rod. Those parts are NLA. There are many good threads here on shifter adjustment. The tip about using a coin as a gauge to position the shift rod before clamping is especially useful. Definitely replace at least the front bushing.

The first time I did this repair was on the Beater Syncro that my wife uses. It had a cracked 3/4 hub when I got it a long time ago. Daryl went through the box for me. For a long time I thought that it still had a synchro problem because one of the gears required extra care to select. I have a lot of experience adjusting shifters. Decades worth. After I installed the selector shaft repair kit, her beater Syncro shifted better than my nice Syncro and my other rear drive buses. I couldn't believe the improvement. I have done this job many times since. Of course it is only necessary if the original plastic tabs are damaged or missing.

This repair is worthwhile. Be careful and take your time. Do not force the tabs onto the rod.

[SurfaceRust]

This video could be helpful


Link

[Sodo]

Hugo I just did this last week.
I have you beat on the install delay.
I bought the kit in July 2015.

I removed the spare tire clamshell for this task.
I did not disturb the the shift rod assembly, just did it right there.
Laying rather uncomfortably on the gravel.
It's good to find a way to rest your head.

My plastic parts were worn and broken, but appeared to be preventing metal-to-metal contact.
The steel shape of my shifter tabs was all perfect.
I filed all the sharp corners and the little plastic parts slid on tight and perfect.
So I epoxy'd them on and that went well too.
It wasn't a whole lotta fun but it was fairly quick.
Certainly easier than I expected (after 6 years).
And I may have beaten Hardway too.

=============

This ^^pic^^ is Syncro. On a 2WD I believe you would be looking at the fuel tank here.
I don't know what the access to this shift bushing looks like.

But perhaps even more important than the tabs was greasing the center slider.
On my '90 Syncro it's inside the snow-protection tube.

I have never greased the center shiftrod bushing in 17 years of ownership and It's been hard to shift for at least half those years, if not all those years.

It's been a couple weeks now and I still get the urge to take a test-drive just to feel that 'greased lightning'.

But of course it's still a Syncro (with its "strap-on" 4wd transfer-case)
....and slippery GL5 too
....but that grease.......very nice!

Of course you know to grease the rear shifter slider too, right?
I've been greasing that one for years, just never did the center slider.

PS see this Syncro PSA: Syncro transaxle shifts "slower" than 2WD transaxle
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[jimf909]

I did this a year and a half ago. Dropped the clamshell, removed the spare, removed the cover from the bottom, cleaned it up and epoxied the new tabs on. I'm curious how they're holding up.
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- Jim

[pnwkayaker]

Thanks to all for your explanations and pointers, I just spent an hour going over several YouTube videos on how to overhaul the shifter in a Vanagon (learned a lot!).

@SurfaceRust: thanks, that video was one that I had just saw, I liked the way he shows how to access the shifter box.

Tom (@Sodo): thanks for the explanation, good to know that it's possible to do the installation without removing the shift rod assembly, I think I'll try to also do it in place. I'll make sure to apply a good dose of grease to the center and rear sliders (thanks for the pics).

@jimf909: another vote for doing the installation in place, thanks!

I found a very good video in YouTube showing how to apply the tabs


Link


Also, the following video does a great job showing an overview of the shifter overhaul and installation - I'm hoping applying the shifter tabs will greatly improve the shifting, but if it doesn't, I'll refer to this video to do any additional overhaul


Link


It will probably take me a couple days to do this (I'm super slow and triple check myself), will post an update once I'm done.
_________________
87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")

Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link)

[Steve M.]

The big thing is getting the metal clean and grease free before doing the epoxy bit.
It's fairly easy to do, just the accessibility but hell-it's a laying on your back job!
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This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[pnwkayaker]

So, I just took off the shifter box and cleaned the grease off the shifter tabs to check their state (see pic below). Unless I'm mistaken, these tabs seem to be in good shape and there's no need to replace them - is this correct or there's something inherently wrong that I cannot determine?

The last pic is of the shifter box, it's actually fairly clean I think.

_________________
87 Syncro Westy EJ25 ("Tardis")

Seattle Meetup at Marymoor (link)
A collection of Simple Useful Mods (SUM) (link)

[Sodo]

Hugo you must shift like grandma.
No need to mess with that, just add some clean grease and put it back together.

Do you know if those tabs are original?
They look like the UK replacements that I just installed.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[pnwkayaker]

Tom, I'm not sure if they're original or if they had been replaced at one time, - they seem to have a metal pin (unlike the GW replacements), see pic below.

I'll add plenty of grease and reinstall the box back in; I think I will follow these instructions to see if I can adjust the shifting to make it smoother (shifting like grandma, I like that

https://www.gowesty.com/tech-article-details.php?id=178

[hardway]

I was not aware that GW is selling a different repair kit than the Holman (UK) one or that it does not use rivets. The photos of your shifter shows the Holman kit on your shifter.

The last picture shows that the rivet on the driver's side ear is not installed correctly. It hasn't been compressed (rivited). It is not centered in the plastic tab either. The install is probably good enough. It probably will not fail in service. But it was not done according to the instructions.

The photo illustrates exactly why it is a good idea to do this repair on the bench where you are able to be as careful and precise as possible. Removing and installing the rod is no big deal. It is not like it is a Syncro fuel tank. The difference is good enough? or as good as possible. To each their own.

[vegpedlr]

I isn’t install my tabs correctly when installing my Big Shot. So now I get to do it again.
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1985 Tintop 4 sp GW 2.3 “Connie”
2006 Mk V GTI 2.0 FSI “Penelope”

[Sodo]

[DanHoug]

just did shifter tabs on my 87 using the GW kit i've had lying around a couple years. my original plastic tabs were intact but the inside edge of the passenger side tab was beveled and while i don't know if that bevel is from the factory, the GW tabs are square so out they came. man, they did not want to come off! ended up using heat to soften them enough to destructively remove them. GW tabs fit without filing.

my only tip to offer during installation is that heating the forks with a torch just a small amount really helped get the grease off, which was being very stubborn until the heat came. ended up very clean and dry so the epoxy should bond well.

shift ball parts arriving with the hopes of tightening up the gates a bit. between the tabs and the ball parts, should notice a difference.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[DanHoug]

GW tabs and GP Group Classic Line lever bearing repair kit both in. the takeouts on both weren't in terrible shape but the shift gates have been tightened up considerably. reverse is a definite lockout now until lever pushed down, i could mush thru the gate with just a slight downward push prior. and once in a gear, the lever is tighter.

well worth the hassle, nothing too terrible to do.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[jimf909]

Geeze, that sounds like two vans where the plastic tabs were still in place. My van had metal to metal contact with wear on the shift box.

Replacing the shift ball before it disintegrates and leaves you navigating 5 miles home through city traffic in third, incl. a hill that required a good head start is not advisable. DAMHIK.
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- Jim

[Honuak]

Just did this job. I had metal to metal (tabs gone). I used the T3 kit.
If you plan to do this job and know that you have been metal on metal like me order a new one of these along with the tabs. It is aluminium and the shifter rod is steel. Mine was quite worn/notched/damaged.
https://vancafe.com/shift-guide/
Also I did this job with the rod insitu. I used a 90 degree drill bit attachment and a 5/32" bit with the hex shank. I think if you want to do this job with the rod still in place the 90 deg drill setup is critical to making a straight hole for the pin that holds the tab in place.
Like a lot of these smaller projects I wish I had done it a long time ago, not hard with a large positive impact. Before I did this my shifter came too close to the drivers side when I enguaged ganny (syncro) and reverse and the metal on metal sound and feel was not great. All is good now. Thnaks again for the SAMBA community.

[ALIKA T3]

I have one feedback, the GW version will crumble in a few years if you drive often (I had a set on a rental van, everything renewed, shifter guide included).

The white version made of teflon I think from T3technique is more durable.
Ian Holmann was supplying them back then, maybe still does to T3technique since he buys the 711 shifter from Ian.
Heck, even JP Group makes them now, I have no feedback on the JP Group though... How time changes!
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Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[AndyBees]

Subscribed ...
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'84 Vanagon Tin-top, ALH TDI. 1989 Tin-top
1983 Air-cool, 225k miles, 180k miles mine. Seven trips to Alaska from 1986 thru 2003.