Scott,
I love to read your write ups.  They are so well put together and go into
all the details.  Thanks a bunch.
Zoltan
----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Daniel - Turbovans" <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
To: "The Westy man" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 2:19 PM
Subject: Re: Do Shift linkage bushes wear ...

> it all adds up.
> yes, worn shift linkage, driven and shifted gently with care 'generally'
> shouldn't hurt the internals of a transmission.........
> but ............the conservative answser is .......the shift linkage needs
> to be basically pretty right, and nicely lubed, for best transmission
> life.
> it's 3 systems really, the trans itself, the clutch, and the linkage. If
> either clutch, or linkage ..........and .......actually, the 4th system,
> the driver.........if any of those 3 systems external to the trans are
> dodgey, unlubed, or weak.........
> or just plan clumsy ..........it shortens the life of the trans.  I should
> include how the throttle is applied too.
>  Some people are easy on equipment.
> a few even keep it lubed and properly adjusted and drive it nicely.
> on the other hand, some people are really rough on equipment, but don't
> know it.
> And that is even worse than people who are rough on equippment, know it,
> but don't care.
>  I will accept knowlegable abuse over ignorance any day - lol  ;-) .
>
> I'd say how well  transmission and shift linkage, and clutches  last  and
> work are very, very dependent on how they are maintained, or not
> maintained, and how they are used and driven.
> just like tires and brakes. Some people drive the hell out of those, some
> people are really easy on them.
> And really really expert drivers,  even racing drivers, can go fast as
> hell, and still be easy on equipment.
>
> btw, I sometimes wind 'er out real gently..........at only say 30 %
> throttle, then do a pretty long slow 'snick-snick' shift into the next
> gear..........just butter smooth, Like you might out in the boonies on a
> long straight road where no car comes by but once an hour.
> I have tried to teach people to shift gently ......
> and what I've noticed is that the muscle patterns are just burned into
> people's brain from years and decades of shifting the same, way, with no
> one to ever tell them they are being rough on things.
> Worst case I saw was a guy from England with a factory 1.6TD Syncro, and
> he would short shift ever shift...........like accelerate hard, but shift
> real early, like at 2,200 rpm and say, and then immeidatel floor it, every
> shift. He lugged his engine badly, every single shift.
> He drove a fully rebuilt 1.6TD engine into puking and using oil in only
> 40,000 miles that way.  Just pounded out the ring groves from excessive
> pressure on them every single shift, is my theory.
>  Besides keeping things well lubed and adjusted........the driver is the
> single biggest factor.
> that same guy just blew out those white plastic ball-like shifter parts at
> the base of the shifter too.  If you lube those once in a while with a
> good synthetic spray grease, and shift it right, they will last just
> indefenily, as will a good to start with Vanagon trans..........
> keep good oil in it, keep everything lubed and adjusted, and drive it
> right ........
> they can last basically indefenitely.
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
> scott
> www.turbovans.com
>
>
> ---- Original Message -----
> From: "The Westy man" <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2008 1:34 PM
> Subject: Do Shift linkage bushes wear ...
>
>
> I am not sure how much the worn shift linkage bushings harm the
> transmission.
> Anyone?
> Zoltan
>
>
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