Shift linkage or transaxle and how does this get resolved.

[AZ Landshaper]

My shifter looses access to reverse and then 1st and 2nd become lost behind the lockout stop plate. So then I climb my ass under the van and put a thumb on the hockey stick. Something pops and we are all back in line and moving forward or backward as usual.
I'm thinking the spring/ rod inside the trans is catching on something and not allowing the spring fully return my rod to the appropriate location. This is new and annoying as we all know.

What do u think about my hypothesis? I'm eager as hell to get this resolved before my cruise control kit shows up and I'm looking to hit the highway westy.

I don't see a great diagram in Bentley for this predicament. Can I remove the rod and spring w/o removing major motor/ trans parts? Seems I might need some seals too. Sludge appears to be caked around the trans. Lovely!
f
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[Gizmoman]

Hard to tell by your description exactly, but it reads like your issues are in the box under the front floor typically covered by the clamshell/spare. Remove the box and have a look see.

The whole linkage may need to have the parts inspected or replaced starting at the end of the lever and going all the way back to the trans. There are plenty of topics on linkage in here. One thing for sure, if it was fine and it happened suddenly, mark everything before you take it loose.
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82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale).

[levi]

Yeah thats where I would look before digging into the trans.

The plastic parts at the base of the shifter would be my focus.
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but till I do I won't be hangin round.
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gonna see life my way

https://youtu.be/cSrL0BXsO40

[VWinVT]

I bet the little plastic "ears" on the base of the shifter in the box under the floor are worn away. Their job is to keep,the shifter between the tab and the side wall of the "box". If the ears are worn, your shifter will,slip under the tab in the box and cause problems. That's my guess.
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1981 Westfalia with a 2001 Cabrio ABA

Small wheel turns by the firing rod,
Big wheel turns by the grace of God.
Every time that wheel turns 'round,
You're bound to cover just a little more ground.

[Ahwahnee]

[AZ Landshaper]

No issues above clam shell. Have the plastic spacer on drivers side and the ear on opposite side. All intact and new. There's no real play in center bushing and I recently replaced the guide pin ring. I have had no luck in making the piece stick while below. I removed the hockey stick and played with the selector rod and was amazed at how smooth it is moving about. I originally thought the center bush or the linkage in the box were issues but after repairing/ replacing those parts I don't think there's any prob there. I'll post a video.
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[atomatom]

for me it was slop in the roll pin. i removed it, bashed the roll pin out, then bashed it back in. the other direction it is working its way loose again, so i'll need to do a better fix.

http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?id=20733
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84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[Gizmoman]

[AZ Landshaper]

I spent a couple hours on this yesterday. Determined the guide pin was bent and my home made bushing wasnt helping.
I replaced the pin after bending back as best I could (those pins are going for mad money). Used a bushing I located at ACE and greased the balls and rod. Shifted smooth last night. Fingers crossed its all OK today.
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85 Weekender w/ EJ22
Previously
64, 71, 72, 73, 76, 81, 84, 85 & 87 Campmobiles and Westfalias
and a 67 bug.

[shagginwagon83]

When my van is cold it is hard for it to shift from 1st to 2nd. I try to shift easy when its cold. When shifting from 1st to 2nd, I apply sight pressure till it catches 2nd. If I try to rush it, it will grind. This sometimes happens in 3rd.

I looked at my transmission and there is a boot that is split. I'm guessing I should start there with Van Cafe's Shift Linkage repair kit.
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Brandon
"Jo Ann" - '83.5 Westfalia EJ22e w/Peloquin
Instagram @joannthevan

[wcdennis]

[shagginwagon83]

[MarkWard]

Hard shift cold to me indicates a worn 2nd gear synchronizer ring. As a test, you could change the fluid to Redline MTL. It has a thin pour viscosity like
30 wt oil. If shifting improves cold, that would support what I believe is wrong.

Redline products are not readily available locally usually. They are pricey for a test. For testing you could use ATF temporarily, but don't put a lot of miles on it unless it's below freezing.
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How cold? IF really cold does it go away after driving for a few miles? If shifting gets back to normal after heating up the tranny just double clutch till it warms up. So from 1rst clutch down shifter into neutral, clutch up clutch down and shifter into second.

[shagginwagon83]

[[email protected]]

^^^^
So I think you are good. Transmission fluid is cold hard to shift. Fluid is thick. Split boot you can just get new one. Push down and see condition of ball and condition of metal part. They should fit tight. If good clean regrease put on new boot and your good. Boot hard to get on it's very tight. Also mine wanted to slip off. Cable tie did the job

[Wildthings]

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[Wildthings]

[gears]

Red Line MTL and MT-90 were recommended by numerous VW shops in the past, because they provide incredibly slick shifting. In our Porsche gear business, we always steered shops away from using these GL4 oils, favoring proven high quality GL5 oils as recommended by Porsche.

Unfortunately, smooth shifts don't mean the oil is "protecting" (from metal-to-metal contact) better than other oils. In fact, usually the opposite is true.
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aka Pablo, Geary
9.36 @ 146 in '86 Hot & Sticky
'90 Syncro Westy SVX
'87 Syncro GL 2.5
https://guardtransaxle.com