You have some pretty good advice so far. Definitely try disconnecting the
linkage and testing the shifting.

Yes, the tranny is in neutral when you can pull the shaft in and out of the
tranny. Play with it and you will be able to "feel" the shift pattern.

But the bad news is that your symtoms are typical of the 091-1 transmission
when the 3rd/4th gear operating sleeve (slider) cracks or breaks. The
problem is documented on my website at
http://volksweb.relitech.com/091trans.htm

Good luck,
TomC
tcarrington@relitech.com
http://www.relitech.com/tomc
http://volksweb.relitech.com
85 Vanagon Crew Cab
82 Westy diesel=>gas conversion
81 Checker A-11 (Taxi)
65 Notchback

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Bradley Flubacher [mailto:flubach@HOME.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, August 30, 2000 6:26 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: (new to list!) tranny stuck in gear!
>
>
> '84 digijet, 4 spd
>
> I was happily driving along last night when I couldn't get it
> out of third
> gear.  Try as I might, I wouldn't go into the "real" neutral.
>  It seems to
> go into a "phantom" neutral that slightly grinds when I let
> out the clutch..
> scarey.
>
> I've tried to manually move the shaft on the tranny but
> couldn't move it
> much more than how I could inside the van.
>
> Someone recommended that I remove the linkage back at the
> tranny and try to
> move the shaft without it hooked up.
>
> I'm told by this same person that neutral is when the shaft
> slides in and
> out of the tranny,  and that each gear is a clockwise of
> counter clockwise
> rotation of the shaft.
>
> ANY INPUT??  I haven't found a trustworthy mechanic in the
> area that can
> handle this stuff.. inspections, sure,  but probably not this.
>
> Brad  (NEW TO LIST)
> Hi to person who stopped by my house (noticed my vanagons)
> and told me to
> subscribe to this list
>