How far does your shift knob move ?
some fore-aft movement would be normal off and on the power.
but not very far.
Like a half inch .....that would start me looking at the engine mounts.
any more than that and I'd 'really' be looking at engine mounts.

it's very common for vanagon shift linkage to be 'just driven' ..for years
and decades.
That will totally trash this very excellent shift linage system.

but lube every part of it that moves  once in a while...
and they'll last just forever.
And don't shift brutally of course.

they need to be lubed..
at the base of the shifter under the boot.
in the 'shift box' under the shifter  ( drop the spare tire to look up in
there )

where it slides in a bushing near  the aft edge of the fuel tank.

a sliding bushing on the side of the trans..
and the ball socket setup back there too ...might still be a rubber boot
there.

they need simple care like this in many spots that seldom get lubed in the
life of these excellent vans.
and the shift linkage..
it's ten times easier to take care of it that it is to replace parts on it.
50 times easier.

Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "robby kilborn" <robbykilborn@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2011 7:52 AM
Subject: Movement felt in the Shift Stick.

> Not the best title, but its where I pick up the signs...  With my hand on
> the shift stick, I can feel movement when I decelerate and accelerate.  I
> assume its some sort of torque, but is it normal? does it get worse with
> time?  It does not happen all the time, but seems to be most of the
> time...
> almost as if there is movement in the engine mounting.  Need more details,
> or is this enough to bring feedback on something that is familiar?
>
> Robby
> 1987, 2.1L WBX.