I had a similar hard shifting hot condition until I switched to synthetic in
an 84. Reverse is the gear that has no syncros and if its hard to engage hot
then I think the trany might just be low on gear oil and overheating. If it
was clutch disc droop then hot or cold you would have a shifting problem

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 8:41 PM
Subject: Re: Shifting when hot

> 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.