I got a reccomendation on a tranny rebuild shop out in St
Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que... called V.A.P.s
(Volkswagen/Audi/Porsche)

They did right by my neighbor Gordon on a tranny that had the same symptoms
as mine - his an 82 diesel westfalia out of British Colombia.

On the phone with VAPs, the guy said I was looking at a total rebuild...
I'm ready to bite the bullet on that. The van has cost me very little these
last five years.

Think I'm going to pursue Limited Slip Differential, so I get some upgrade
out of the project. Dude said he'd turn me around in a week. I am STOKED on
this. It has been too long, roadtripping and afraid of a catastrophic
breakdown some where it hurts and costs the most.

I'm interested in the subaru tranny conversion idea. Especially as I want
to upgrade my engine to a 2.5L from its present 2.2 block. That's also down
the road, but I think the extra power might warrant overdrive.

Or maybe I'll sell the vanagon, give it to my nieces, and get myself a 1969
chevy sportvan, which is what I secretly want. That's the tough guy's
vanagon.

On Fri, Sep 5, 2014 at 12:45 PM, Gabriel Hourtouat <ghourtouat@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Looking forward to hearing more about this issue from those with more
> experience because I always feel that my 4th gear is only just barely
> engaged.  (Manual tranny, 1986 Westy.)
>
> Is there an adjustment that needs to be done to the stick and linkages to
> ensure the gears are properly engaged?  (So far, the tranny has never
> popped out -- I just have this nagging feeling that something is not
> right.)
>
> Getting ready for the humbling news,
> Gabby
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 9:29 AM, Vincent Dow <ianvincentdow@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Roy, thanks for the note.
> >
> > I'd like you to know that we LOVED New Brunswick. Did not intend the
> least
> > derision in the comment about the absence of Porsches...
> >
> > N.B. was the sleeper on this trip. So friendly and real.
> >
> > Camping on the St. John's River was idyllic. Our next trip is going to be
> > the whole coast of N.B.
> >
> > While we were roraring along the trans canada at 45mph, a young dude in a
> > Mitsubishi 4x4 van (right hand steering) pulled alongside, waved us to
> > stop, offered help, told us about Gunther, and offered to drive my old
> > transaxle back to Fredricton from montreal in two weeks time, so it could
> > be rebuilt by G. The guy is moving to Montreal, and we're going to ask
> our
> > landlords if they have an affordable place available he could take.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Thu, Sep 4, 2014 at 6:13 AM, Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@nbnet.nb.ca>
> wrote:
> >
> > > Vince,
> > >
> > > There are quite a few of us here in NB ... you should have stopped.
> > > Gunter would have what was needed to get you operational.
> > >
> > > (BTW:  There are a few Porches here in Fredericton, even a couple of
> > > Ferraris and a Lotus or two).
> > >
> > > On 04-Sep-2014, at 01:06, Vincent Dow wrote:
> > >
> > > > So I began having this problem of my tranny popping out of 4th on the
> > > > highway five years ago. The first occurrence really shook me up - POp
> > and
> > > > then a tremendous VARRROOOOOMMMM  --(WTF was that???)
> > > >
> > > > Van is an 82 aircooled, converted to 1995 water-cooled subaru 2.2
> > > >
> > > > I've limped along these years with the cracked 3/4 solder. Didn't
> have
> > a
> > > > lot of bread. The van mostly drives around town and up to a country
> > place
> > > > one hour away. I do a lot of construction and use it for light
> transpo.
> > > >
> > > > I had gotten the shifting into 4th down pretty well. in 3rd i would
> get
> > > the
> > > > RPMs up to 3800, and then make a nice, decisive shift to 4th, give it
> > > mucho
> > > > gas and let off clutch quickly. I could make it hold w/o a bungie
> cord.
> > > But
> > > > I always kept a light hand on the shifter, just to feel the vibe.
> > > >
> > > > So me and my girl drove it out to Nova Scotia from montreal two weeks
> > ago
> > > > (1,350 kilometers) and I knew I was pushing it this time. On the way
> > out
> > > > east, in Levis, Que - Tranny popped out twice in just five minutes,
> and
> > > > that really freaked me out, as we had a long way to go. But she made
> it
> > > out
> > > > to Cape Lahave -
> > > >
> > > > (and of course the Westfalia camper was awesome. We even got the
> fridge
> > > > working for the first time!)
> > > >
> > > > But on the way home, near Moncton, New Brunswick, I let my GF drive.
> I
> > > had
> > > > explained my finesse way of shifting. I don't know why i thought this
> > > would
> > > > work out... She struggled with clutch action, and timed it badly
> twice.
> > > > After passing a toll booth, I took the controls back, and it seemed
> > okay
> > > > for a few miles, and then popped out of 4th, and would not stay in
> 4th
> > > > after. Nothing would make it stay in 4th gear, short of holding the
> > stick
> > > > with two hands until it bent.
> > > >
> > > > I worried that we were really boned. So i put the hazards on and
> drove
> > > > along in 3rd gear. It seemed pitifully slow, but we were still
> moving.
> > > > Ended up driving all the way home like that. Now the van is out
> front.
> > > The
> > > > dog is on the couch, my GF is in bed. We're home.  What a good van he
> > is.
> > > > He's a boy.
> > > > His name is *Modesto.*
> > > >
> > > > In the first hour of our 3rd gear highway travel, a nice looking
> > vanagon
> > > > came up behind and put his hazards on, followed us for a bit and then
> > > > pulled alongside. It was the first vanagon i'd seen in New Brunswisk
> (I
> > > > also did not see a single Porsche in the whole province)
> > > > The driver signalled we could pull over, offer assistance. i waved
> > > > friendly, assumed nothing could be done there and then. Waved him on
> > his
> > > > way.
> > > > I found out later there is a veteran German VW guy in Fredricton,
> only
> > > > works on euro cars. Has a yard full of vanagons. Name is Gunther. I
> was
> > > > probably driving by his shop when the N.B. vanagon guy engaged with
> us.
> > > How
> > > > stupid of me to assume there was no rear engine community out there
> in
> > > > L'Acadie.
> > >
> > >
> >
>