Have you fiddled with the plate inside the van that acts as the fulcrum for the shift lever?  That's got to be in the correct position first, and I know others have had difficulties with this adjustment getting out of whack. 

Karl Wolz
Sent from my electronic umbilicus

On Aug 31, 2013, at 8:46 PM, neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM> wrote:

> So your van was shifting ok, then you tweaked a part in the linkage?
> Which part? Was it only the shift plate?
> 
> Have your Dad watch various parts of the linkage while you go through
> the gears (engine off). There's several spots where play can occur and
> mess up the shifter. Inspect the ears on the shifter at shift box.
> 
> If you played around with the splined shaft adjustment (joins front to
> rear rods), watch that part while someone shifts. The front/rear rods
> should move as one.... if that makes sense.
> 
> Neil.
> 
> 
> On Sat, Aug 31, 2013 at 4:12 PM, Ian MacDonald
> <overengineered42@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> I have recently bought an 85 Wolfsburg Weekender Edition and was having
>> lots of fun with it. Until I messed up the shift alignment, and lost first
>> and second, having magically turned in third and fourth. Now, after reading
>> my Bentley, I thought I had fixed it after going through the steps. But to
>> no avail.
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Neil n
> 
> Blog: tubaneil.blogspot.ca
> 
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> 
> '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"  http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
> 
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> 
> http://tinyurl.com/d7gd5ej