On Sun, Aug 16, 2009 at 3:36 AM, Alistair Bell<albell@shaw.ca> wrote:
> i recently got an '85 syncro and the sliders on that van work smoothly and
> quite nicely. I never could get my 82's sliders to work 1/2 as well. They
> must have changed the cable construction or something.
> I agree about the look of the sliders vs rotary, but if the SA vanagon
> rotary dials do indeed move cables then you still have the cable system
> weakness.
> Alistair

Yes, the cables will always be a weakness. I've had cars with rods;
these worked well.

If the cables are separate push-pull they are likely to work better,
but with twice the complexity... haven't looked inside a T3 dash. I
assume that they will be solid-core (ie wire) push-pull items. If
there's a kink they could bind in their sheaths, and no amount of
lubrication would help.

If not kinked, then CRC Tac-2 motorcycle chainlube (at least that's
what it was marketed as when it first came out) is great... grease in
a solvent; spray it in and the solvent carries the grease right in and
then evaporates, leaving the grease where you couldn't normally get it
without soaking the whole cable in melted grease.

--
Regards
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin, New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Mollusc, Toyota & VW van nut