Here is what I do when I need to make a minor 1st gear adjustment...
Put the van into 1st gear..shut off engine.
Gently loosen the 2 bolts that hold the shifter plate onto the floor...not
sloppy loose, but movable..
Pull the shifter toward the drivers seat. Your trying to move that plate
just enough to get it to let first into its imaginary slot..
Tighten the bolts and try it on a test drive...if there is enough adjustment
left, it will work...
If not, then you have to loosen the coupler under the van and give it a bit
of rotation..thats a whole nuther hassle..
Daryl of AA Transaxle
(425) 788-4070
aatransaxle.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Allan Streib" <streib@CS.INDIANA.EDU>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2008 7:34 PM
Subject: Re: shifter adjustment

> I'm still able to get my shifter to get all 4 gears, but not without
> some additional fiddling with the shifter base plate after following
> the Bentley procedure.
>
> From what I see in the Bentley illustrations, there should be plastic
> (teflon?) caps on both ends of the "fork" at the forward end of the
> shift rod.  Mine is missing that cap on the left side, which aside
> from any other problems it may be causing, I think it alters the "gap"
> that you are supposed to set between the left fork and the reverse
> gate to get the proper adjustment.
>
> Are these caps available?  I have not found them anywhere.
>
> Allan
> --
> 1991 Vanagon GL