Kim,
I always get this problem after a long run when hot... I found 3 things that
seem to help mine.... #1 avoid traffic!!!.... #2 back at the trans, there is
a boot that covers the shaft on the side that goes in and out of the of the
trans... I inject some grease in that boot. #3..have someone shift thru 1st
& neutral, while you watch that boot area...see how it pushes in toward the
gearbox as it goes to 1st?... it needs to get as close in as it can... on
the shaft that comes from the front back, there is an adjustment you can
make, that will twist it toward that direction... NOT to much or 3&4th will
get harder to find... I think the whole trans expands as it gets hotter... I
had a guy who really knows vanagons, show me a trick which is hard to
explain, but easier to watch... when you go for 1st.. just slightly push
down as you come out of the center of the H pattern toward 1st... be
careful... don't push down to R.... it a finesse thing that works once you
get the feel.... Have a good trip... Nice meeting you at Busfusion.
RR

---------->>>>>>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.

_________________________________________________________________
Tell us your tech love story in the Summer Lovin Competition for your chance
to win laptop loaded with Windows Vista, Office 2007 and Windows Live
OneCare.
http://www.microsoft.com/canada/home/contests/summerlovin/default.aspx