Vanagon squeaky shifting

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Kubelwagen
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Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Sun Jul 15, 2012 12:41 pm

Ok, this is appears to be a "only a few years" problem, so I'm talking to you early Vanagon folk(s). My shift linkage is making a squeaky/grinding noise off and on that seems to be coming from above the gas tank. It appears there's a bushing there that is no longer available. According to GOWesty (http://www.gowesty.com/library_article.php?id=970) I should just buy a new transmission, but I'm looking for a different path.

Has anybody made their own? I'm waiting for Colin to come to actually drop the tank, as I think company would be nice. :cyclopsani:

I hear rumors that maybe the rabbits/golf had a similar arrangement...
Patience the 81 Adventurewagen

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SlowLane
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by SlowLane » Sun Jul 15, 2012 2:55 pm

How timely.

I'm having some shifter issues with my '81, too, and I'm hoping to take a look into them with Colin when he gets here in the next couple of days. I'm changing out the tank at the same time, so we'll be looking at the same parts.

GoWesty and Van-Cafe aren't a great deal of help with the earlier Vanagons, and the shifter mechanism in particular is an area of confusion. Seems the vendors aren't on top of what parts go with what years. Even Bus Depot claims to have shifter parts for the early Vanagons which are definitely for the newer models and just aren't part of the linkage in the earlier ones.

Took me quite a bit of perusing the Bentley to get a handle on the differences. I think there may be a few parts in common, but pretty much everything rearward of the shifter just isn't the same. I'm wondering if some of the newer bushings might be retrofittable to the older vehicles.

I'm also wondering if some of the simpler bushings couldn't be made up out of UHMW stock. Perfect excuse to buy that hobby lathe. :bom:

I'll post what we find.
Lyle
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
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Kubelwagen
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Sun Jul 15, 2012 9:49 pm

Great! Can you post pictures of what's above the gas tank? I've had mine out before, but like a dork didn't even *look* at the linkage.
Patience the 81 Adventurewagen

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SlowLane
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by SlowLane » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:58 am

I'll try to remember to take pictures. The Vanagon Bentley, however, has a much better illustration of the linkage than an under-the-van photo could provide. It's on pages 34.2-34.3. For comparison, the later linkage is on pp. 34.6-34.7.
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
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Kubelwagen
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Mon Jul 16, 2012 6:58 pm

Hmm - so we're talking about the center shift rod bushing, right? Because I did find this: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1220154
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SlowLane
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by SlowLane » Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:59 pm

Kubelwagen wrote:Hmm - so we're talking about the center shift rod bushing, right? Because I did find this: http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/ ... id=1220154
Seems to be a likely culprit. Nice find. Wonder if Ken still has them?
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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Kubelwagen
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Tue Jul 17, 2012 12:08 pm

Sent him a message on the Samba last night and he says he does. I'm thinking of getting one, at the very least I'll have it it my bin for later.

Mike

EDIT: It appears to be a little different than original from what he wrote to me. Firm plastic of some sort that flexes enough to be installed. I'll post pictures when I get it.
Patience the 81 Adventurewagen

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Amskeptic
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:31 am

Kubelwagen wrote:Sent him a message on the Samba last night and he says he does. I'm thinking of getting one, at the very least I'll have it it my bin for later.

Mike

EDIT: It appears to be a little different than original from what he wrote to me. Firm plastic of some sort that flexes enough to be installed. I'll post pictures when I get it.
Lubricate what you got. You can hit it with spray lubricant with the tank in place. SlowLane and I dropped the tank, so the picture looks more accessible than it actually is. Shifts smoother with a part that already knows how to fit:

Image
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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SlowLane
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by SlowLane » Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:41 am

Hey, maybe Kubel has a custom-fitted magneto-ballast heater-hose-dimpler fitted to his shift rod too. :evil: That's what we should have been taking pictures of.

Which reminds me: I need to get under there and remove the remaining pieces of that offending POS.
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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Kubelwagen
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:42 am

First off, I'm worried. Posts about lubrication, fitting and shift rods were put up THREE DAYS ago and no Gypsie? Maybe we better do a health and welfare check.

Since I had a source, I got a bushing. Plan to lube the one that's in - I'll look again I've not been able to *see* it with the tank in place. I figure when the original turns to dust (if it hasn't already) I'll have a spare.
Patience the 81 Adventurewagen

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SlowLane
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by SlowLane » Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:30 am

So, did you and Colin manage to silence your squeaks?
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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Amskeptic
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Aug 08, 2012 10:59 am

SlowLane wrote:So, did you and Colin manage to silence your squeaks?
Well . . . we got the shifter to be quiet.
Colin :flower:
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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Kubelwagen
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Kubelwagen » Tue Aug 28, 2012 7:51 am

Yep, lubed it up and it has been smooth shifting ever since. (Seriously, why ISN'T Gypsie on this thread?).
Patience the 81 Adventurewagen

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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by weswsimpson » Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:18 pm

I'm rebuilding my '80 shift linkage from front to back and one question I have is: Is the middle section of shift rod (the one with the splines--#32 in drawing) supposed to be straight or have a bend to it??? Some people say it should--others say it's bent because a P.O. dropped the engine without detaching the linkage and it bends the rod(s). Does anyone know for sure?
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Amskeptic
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Re: Vanagon squeaky shifting

Post by Amskeptic » Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:36 pm

weswsimpson wrote:
Thu Oct 11, 2018 9:18 pm
I'm rebuilding my '80 shift linkage from front to back and one question I have is: Is the middle section of shift rod (the one with the splines--#32 in drawing) supposed to be straight or have a bend to it??? Some people say it should--others say it's bent because a P.O. dropped the engine without detaching the linkage and it bends the rod(s). Does anyone know for sure?

Look at the plane of the rear section of rod where it rides in the bushing. Follow it to the front (right through any coupler) where the shift rod is again supported in a bushing. They must be in the exact same plane. Yours does look bent.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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