Kim,
When you say first, are you talking the normal 1st gear or the granny low?
If the normal 1st, it sounds like the Subie power has given you a cracked
1-2 slider hub. Yes it does happen and the hard hot shift of 2-3 is the
first symptom of that one failing. If it is the granny 1 and reverse, than
you need to check the hub and Syncros there. That one can just get
twisted. There may also be problem with the shift shaft. This can be
checked and fixed in the van.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Kim Brennan
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 7:45 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Shifting when hot

My westy continues to have a couple of annoyances. One of them is
(once again) a shifting problem. When the engine (whole vehicle) is
cold, I have no problem shifting in to first or reverse. However as
the temperatures climb (mid 30's Centigrade here in southern Ontario)
it become nigh on impossible to get it into first or reverse when the
engine is hot. This is especially bad in traffic when I've been
running the AC.

Let the engine cool down some and I can get it into first again.

I'm puzzled by this temperature related shifting problem. I just
don't know what to make of it. When the transmission was pulled last
summer the rubber mounts all seemed fine.