Hi,

My 90 did that.  After endless fiddling with the plate angle on the bottom
of the shifter, I realized that there was going to be no compromise there
that allowed access to all gears, so I re-centered it like it was.  It is
just as you say, the bar needs to go just a little bit left of where you
can go due to interference with the reverse gate in the shifter.  What I
did was readjust that coupling on the shifter bar just aft of the gas tank.
 With the transmission in neutral, I loosened the clamp.  I tightly held
the linkage on both sides of the coupler, and rotated the rear one a few
degrees so that transmission side of the linkage is slightly to the left of
where the shifter is.  I tightened it back up and it works great!  Now, I
don't have to spend 2 minutes at every stop light trying to throw it into
first.  Redline MT-90 in the case probably helps, too.

Michael Townsend
90 Carat
Durham NC

----------
> From: Mark Watts <MVAone@AOL.COM>
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: transmission, entering first
> Date: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 7:35 PM
>
> Does anyone on the list know what I have to adjust on the shift linkage
to
> enter first easily? I have to push down and get close to reverse to get
it
> into first. Other than that the tran works/shifts well.
>
>
> tia,
> Mark