You didn't mention any grinding noises(will it shift into first whith engine
off?)

Thinking outside the box, what shape are these parts in?
http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=251711131C

http://www.busdepot.com/details.jsp?partnumber=251711551

Ken

----- Original Message -----
From: "craig cowan" <phishman068@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, November 05, 2011 8:21 PM
Subject: [VANAGON] Transmission Woes

>I have longstanding history of random transmission issues. Here's what's up
> this time.
>
> While driving today, I came to a stop light and put it in neutral. When I
> went to get going again it simply would not go into first (or second
> gear).
> Several tries and some rev matching of the engine finally got it and it
> ran
> fine for maybe 40 shifts. Then it did it again, won't go into any gear.
> That seems to me like it's a clutch related problem.
> So, I went and bled the clutch. It seems to have bled fine. There wan't
> really any air in there but the fluid coming out was shockingly dark.
>
> There is fluid in the transmission, i tired to add some and sure enough,
> it's full up (with good clean fluid, only a year or so old).
>
> It seems to come and go pretty randomly.
>
> I have tried pumping the clutch when it does it and can't really tell if
> this makes a difference or not. I have noticed though that When it does
> it,
> if I shut the engine off I can put it into a gear then fire the engine
> right back up just fine in gear (clutch in) and then it will work and
> shift
> as needed. This seems to conflict in my mind with the idea that the clutch
> is bad, or else it would have lurched when cranking in gear right?
>
> Any thoughts?
> This is an '85 vanagon GL that I turned into a Westfalia years ago, then
> recently turned back into a 7 passanger. It has a BOSTIG zetec engine and
> recently had a break line fail to rust (making me think a clutch line
> could
> have started leaking...).
>
> -Craig
> '85GL WESTY-7passanger
> ZETEC in the back
> '87 SUNROOF Syncro Westfalia
> '90 GL
>