In a message dated 5/27/2003 1:17:27 PM Pacific Daylight Time, gull@GULL.US
writes:

> Hmm...that's what I'd have thought, too, but on this page:
> http://4crawler.cruiserpages.com/Diesel/ForSale/ShiftLinkage.shtml#FAQ7
> it says that any play will be magnified by the degree of shift throw
> reduction.  Admittedly that's for A2's and not Vanagons, but it seems like
> the basic physics should be the same.  I'm a little unclear on how this
> works out, though...I can't picture in my head why it would be true.

David,

Think of the Vanagon shifter like an uneven seesaw. One side is super long
(that's the shifter in the passenger compartment); the other super short (the
side which goes into the floor and connects to your shift rod. The fulcrum for
the seesaw would be like the pivot point for the shifter. So as you move the
fulcrum towards the long end as you would in the short throw shifter scenario in
a Vanagon, the longer end is able to travel less for any given movement of
the short side. The net result is a shorter throw from the long end, and less
noticeable play.

I think the Golf short throw shifter scenario is a different deal. The Golf
shifter is a cable actuated system with relay rods and bushings. I only skimmed
the reference you posted but it looked to me that they were talking about
added wear to the relay shaft pivot bushing which causes added play later as the
system gets older.

BenT Sheefter