The first concern is the gear shifter movement with throttle change in 4th
gear. The usual cause of this is the gear carrier housing is shot and the
input shaft main bearing is slamming back and forth and the shifter is
moving due the 3-4 slider hub moving with the input shaft. Not addressed if
you are lucky the first symptoms will be popping out of 3rd or 4th gear.

As for the idle there are a number of things that can cause this. Bad basic
settings along with a weak O2 sensor system will cause this effect.
Especially if it only happens after a good warm up. A bad idle control unit
or a bad input such as the temps 2 sensor can also be a cause. Then there is
the possibility of a bad idle control valve. Unplug it and see if the
problem goes away. If so then you need to diagnose if it's the valve or the
controller. The AC and power steering can also bump up the idle. If the AC
or steering is doing it then most likely you have a bad idle controller.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Roy Nicholl
Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2014 11:18 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Now it starts: racing idle

After signing praises for the Hyena yesterday for its 5800km journey w/o
incident, I went to drive it this morning for the fist time since our
return.  After I was on the road for 10-minutes, I had to stop for
construction.  While stopped, the idle climbed to ~2000 RPM and pegged
there.  I tapped the fuel feed pedal and it momentarily dropped to normal
and then climbed again.  I tried tapping the pedal a few additional times
and had the same result.   Interestingly, when I let the clutch out a little
and put a but of load on the engine, idle dropped to normal and stayed there
.... until the next time I stopped.

This process repeated itself twice on the way home, but there were several
time when I stopped that it did not happen.

I have been unsuccessful trying to reproduce the symptom while sitting in
the drive.  I have checked and lubed the throttle cable, but do not think
that is the cause.

I have an odd theory I wanted to run past the list to see if I am out to
lunch.   Is it possible that I have loose/worn transmission or engine mounts
which are allowing enough play to affect the throttle at idle?   The reason
I ask is that when driving (even on our trip home) in fourth gear, I can
feel/view ~1.5-2" of movement in the shift level when I take my foot off the
fuel feed while driving.  In my '66 Westy there was always movement -
greater than in a car due to the length of the shift linkage and shifter -
but not this much (I realize this is an apples and pomegranates comparison,
but it's my only point of reference ... other than the test drives I
conducted in other Vanagons).

Is this a feasible explanation for my problem, or am I headed in the wrong
direction?

Roy