Just thought I'd share my tale of Vanagon T/A woe.

  Getting off the highway exit after a 180mi trip, my 86 Syncro Westy's T/A went into "neutral limbo". I was able to wangle it into 2nd gear and get to my final destination, just figuring that the linkage was hosed up.
After checking, cleaning and greasing up the linkage, I then could get into REV, Low 1st, 1st, 2nd & 4th.
   3rd would hang things up again, so I just avoided it.
  Since ignorance is bliss, I headed the 180 miles home, only to loose every gear but 2nd along the way... but I made it home!
  As I pulled the van onto my ramps to get a better look at the linkage again, all positions became permanent neutral.
  With a little research I found this link to "Vanagon sudden death syndrome"

 http://www.gowesty.com/3-4syncrohub.html

  After a numerous phone calls and emails trying to line up a re-builder, a friend at VW offered to sell me a remanufactured Syncro T/A (w/locking diff) & 1year warranty for just under $2000 ($2300 list) with mine returned as core. Since I had just basically driven my T/A into the ground and could get no concrete price in a rebuild, I took him up on the new S.African unit... which turned out to be brand spanking new. I was told that VWofA was just getting rid of stock. Good for me now, bad for everyone in the future.
  If you have a friend at VW who can possibly give you a discount, ask if they have any of your model's T/As. You might get lucky too.

  My vanagon is finally all better, and I hope yours will also be, real soon.

Jim
86 Syncro Westy (Terapn)

----- Original Message -----
From: "james@icebox500.com" <icebox500@GMAIL.COM>
Date: Friday, May 20, 2005 1:26 pm
Subject: Re: Buying a new manual transmission - considering Go Westy final drive increase

> Lots and lots of great info here. I am going to talk to a loal guy
> at aa
> transaxle about a new transmission and will likely stay away from
> the bigger
> motors. I'm sure they make a good product but when I call down
> there the
> phone vibe is really wierd... for that kind of money I want
> assurances I
> guess.
>
> Knock on wood the motor stays happy for now!
>
> James
>