Joy:  Will it go into first when the engine is off and the car is
stopped?   If so you might get away with temporarily leaving the van
in first gear when starting it (foot off the clutch)and once it jerks
forward and starts, you'll be okay.  In town driving that's not going
to work so well.  If you can time your stops to be on slightly
downhill grades, you can put the van in 2nd gear and gently slip the
clutch and get it going that was also.  I wonder if ice isn't
building up on the rear part of the shifter causing you some of the
grief.  As far as it going into reverse and then quickly into first,
that makes it sound kinda like a bushing issue more than a lube issue.

YMMV

DM&FS

At 02:02 PM 2/16/2009, Joy Hecht wrote:
>Hi folks,
>
>I'm in Augusta, Maine, heading north (if I can).  I'm having major problems
>getting my van (manual transmission) into 1st gear whenever I stop.  I'm
>headed to Newfoundland, hoped to get there by the weekend but obviously
>plans can change.  I had the van at Greg's place in Natick MA last week for
>other things, he said he lubricated it so I wouldn't have this problem, but
>obviously that didn't solve it.
>
>Does anyone know any mechanics along the way who might be able to work on
>it?  Augusta, Bangor, St. John (New Brunswick), etc...  Frederickton if that
>makes more sense (I know there are vanagon folks there).
>
>I don't think this is going to get better by itself.  I can get into
>reverse, but not into first - once I'm driving, though, I have little or no
>trouble shifting.  Mostly I've been able to get into first by going into
>reverse, backing up a bit, and then somehow I can it into first.  But that's
>not really a viable solution.  Driving non-stop isn't exactly viable
>either...
>
>Is anyone on the list in Augusta, while I'm asking?
>
>
>
>
>Joy
>and Matilda, '89 vanagon