Original message:

> Is it tranny time?  83.5 GL manual.  Suddenly locks into gear.  First,
> reverse, third.  second and fourth won't engage.  If I mess w/ it for a
> bit, I can get it into neutral but when I slide it (easily, BTW) into
> any of the above gears, it's stuck again.
>
> I've checked the linkage and all appears well, but...
>

So I go buy the local boneyard's '85 tranny.  Clean it up.  Go out this
morning to swap 'em out.  Up on stands. Top left bolt out, pull AFM and
ess hose to get to top right out.  Crawl under to plug in Allen wrench
to hold bolt.  Notice that shift lever is at odd angle.  Grab and
wiggle.  It wiggles.  Drop the shifter rod and find a wallered out shift
arm on the trans.

Back to the boneyard.  Walk ALL the way to the back to the carcass of
the '85 to get shifter arm.  Not there. :o(  Walk back to the office and
find it laying in the middle of the road about halfway back. :o)! Stop
through office and let them know that tranny is coming back.

Drive back home and install new used shifter arm. Toss in a new air
cleaner as a good measure. Fire it up, seems to shift alright.  Button
it up and take it around the block. All is well.  Drive vanagon back to
boneyard and GLADLY pay 10% restocking fee on the trans.

Am convinced that the key to Vanagon trans long life (210k so far) is a
combination of fresh GL-4 85W90 every couple years and proper shifting
techniques. First, neutral, second. Second, neutral, third. Third,
neutral, fourth.

Life is good!

Jim