I see no one else commented..
as far as I know that tube starts after a certain year.

all the 90 and 91 syncro's I have seen have that tube over the shift
linkage.

another subtle upgrade starting around there sometime,........89 or
whatever............. is stronger frame rails.
If you look up into those oval holes on the bottom of the frame ..
their filled in ....like more metal added inside, to the beam or frame rail
there, on later model syncro's.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "Alistair Bell" <albell@SHAW.CA>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2010 11:32 AM
Subject: syncro - shift linkage protective pipe

> cross posted from samba...
>
>
> How common is it to have the protective pipe installed in the shift
> linkage assembly? My van does not have it, and to tell you the truth
> I can not recall seeing another van around here with it. Shown in
> image here:
>
> http://www.auto-parts.spb.ru/cat/au/pics/vw1_006920059.gif
>
>
> I believe it was part of a "bad weather" or "bad conditions" package,
> maybe it was offered as a 16" syncro option only?
>
> Last I was driving in a combination of snow, slush, then dropping
> temperatures around zero, and i found that ice / frozen slush build
> up on the shift linkage made shifting difficult. I was cursing the VW
> engineers until I found out that there was a solution.
>
>
> cheers
>
> alistair