sounds like the power steering fluid, that is where mine is in a 86 manual
tranny van.
  If you mean by the "clutch going to the floor" that you have lots of free
play, ie no resistence to pressing the clutch over a long travel.  (should
only be a short like half inch I believe no resistance travel (ie free play)
then you probably have clutch problems, check the clutch fluid and
master/slave cylinders for low fluid or leaks.  also check no components in
the afore mentioned have come loose, check operating levers at both ends.

  The fill for the manual transmissions is a plug on the side (forgot which
side) that looks like the drain plug, but the drain plug is mounted lower.
If clutch checks out ok (ie travel is good) then may be internal tranny
problem, or hopefuly maybe a linkage issue (ie gear shift lever and related
mechanism is worn or loose)
  If tranny oil is over 20K miles, I'd go ahead and change it.  do it hot
(beware hot oil will shoot a good size stream of oil sideways out the drain
hole, beware! set catch pan to catch it shooting out.)
  Use a clean catch pan, so you can examine the old oil for junk, also
examine the drain plug magenet.  Fine metal "hairs" are normal if long time
between drains, chunks of metal, gear teeth and such are a sure sign for a
rebuild soon (wait longer, and more expensive parts will be mashed, and your
core trannsmission may be worthless for rebuild if taken to destruction)
  good luck, hope it is something simple to fix.
  PS I highly recommend a synthetic tranny oil such as Redline (check
Redline for best oil for your application).  I solved a poor shifting issue
in a 914 simiply by replacing the standard oil (which was brand new anyway)
with sythetic, I was told it would improve sycronizer action, I guess it
did) also is much thinner when cold, so cold shift issues go away.  I have
had it in a 356, a Bug, 914's, and my Vanagon, some for over eight years,
much better than the old standard oil I believe.

dave   Calif. USA  86 Vanagon Weekender, Blue.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jorge Osorio [mailto:josorio@PIGSEYE.KENNESAW.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, January 08, 2003 1:18 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: 85 Man Tran Fluid

I'm on a similar boat here too (ditto on the 85 1.9) I changed the oil
this past weekend and while peeking around the engine noticed that the ATF
fluid reservoir was below the MIN line.  ATF ? I thought.  But my Westy is
a Manual! After looking thru the archives I'm getting the idea that this
is the power steering fluid reservoir, but if so, is there a MTF?? Are our
Westys also composed of 90% fluids like the human body or what!!

PS: BTW I'm L.A.I.Rd too

 On Wed, 8 Jan 2003, Jeffrey Wiegand wrote:

> Where can I add fluid to the transmission?
> I can't find the reservoir anywhere, I'm at work, and it is almost
> impossible to shift gears. The clutch is almost to the floor.
>
> 85 Vanagon Manual 1.9L
>
> Thanks!!!
>
> JW
>
>
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>        Jeff Wiegand  |  Head Cook  |  electroponics, inc.
>  jeff@electroponics.com  |  Blog: http://www.unsubscibe.com/
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