Maybe this would help a bit?

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=665217&highlight=shifter+rod+making+noise

On Sat, Feb 15, 2025 at 9:42 AM Mark McCulley <mark@markmcculley.com> wrote:

> Yes it is fussy. Unfortunately I don't have an assistant to help. I'm
> following the method in the Bentley manual, the 23mm measurement, not so
> hard to do alone.
>
> -Mark
>
> > On Feb 14, 2025, at 4:04 PM, Richard Koerner <rjkinpb@sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > I'm not sure if this will be any help at all....but shifter linkage
> adjustment is fussy, it just is.  A 2 person job really; one guy in
> Captain's chair, one guy down below.  You holler back and forth!
> NOPE....now no good in 1st and 2nd....Nope, now no good in 3rd and 4th..
> OK....let me try Reverse....HOLD it right there, everything is working!
> >    On Friday, February 14, 2025 at 03:35:24 PM PST, Mark McCulley <
> mark@markmcculley.com> wrote:
> >
> > I've made a recording of the noise I'm hearing from the shifter. I made
> the recording by holding the phone a couple of inches above the shifter
> knob so the noise in the recording is louder than what I actually hear.
> >
> > First I run through the gears and show how putting my finger on the knob
> makes the knob go away. Then I remove the shifter knob and do another
> recording showing that the noise completely goes away. Lastly I replace the
> shifter knob and run through the gears again.
> >
> > Anyone should be able to access the recording at this link:
> >
> >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YmA17ind3T4YVvZsMPUxLyq7uteuZUO/view?usp=share_link
> >
> > My next step is to try a different shifter knob.
> >
> > -Mark
> >
> >> On Feb 14, 2025, at 11:18 AM, Mark McCulley <mark@markmcculley.com>
> wrote:
> >>
> >> I was rebuilding the shifter linkage due to worn bushings.
> >>
> >> I'm not feeling any vibrations, just hearing a noise emanating from the
> shifter. The noise is loudest in 2nd, can also hear it in 1st, don't hear
> it in 3rd or 4th. The pitch of the noise changes with RPMs.
> >>
> >> I don't think the transmission is making abnormal noises, it's just
> that sounds from the transmission are being transferred through the linkage
> and shifter into the cabin. The shifter knob is acting as a resonator. Just
> touching the center of the knob with my finger stops the noise. Removing
> the shifter knob stops the noise.
> >>
> >> My working theory is that the knob is hollow and is acting as a
> resonator with the top of the knob as a diaphragm. GW warns about the hard
> Teflon bushings conveying more noise, that's likely a factor here as well.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>> On Feb 14, 2025, at 10:42 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Were you repairing the shifter linkage due to worn bushings and a
> shifting problem or an attempt to silence the vibration?
> >>> Is the vibration in all gears, 1 and 2, or 3 and 4? Does the vibration
> change with throttle change?
> >>> In 3rd gear, light hand pressure pushing shifter forward, does the
> shifter push back when throttle applied and then move forward when throttle
> released?
> >>> Did you check the front trans mount is good?
> >>>
> >>> Dennis
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> -----Original Message-----
> >>> From: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com> On Behalf Of
> Mark McCulley
> >>> Sent: Friday, February 14, 2025 9:16 AM
> >>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >>> Subject: Re: rebuilding shifter linkage
> >>>
> >>> I have an update on the shifter linkage work. Everything is back
> together and I did a test drive yesterday. I'm not fully happy with how it
> shifts yet, think I need to do some fine adjustment on the linkage.
> >>>
> >>> I chose to use the hard Teflon bushings and Viton rubber boots from
> GW. Another option was bootless pliable bushings from VC but I wanted to
> have boots. I did not use any lubrication on the Teflon bushings.
> >>>
> >>> During the test drive I noticed something odd...that removing the
> shifter knob eliminated all of the transmission-related noise that was
> being conveyed from the transmission by the linkage. No knob, no noise,
> very strange. I'm going to play around with this some more, maybe try a
> different knob from the OEM one I'm using. I also may try adding some
> damping to the shifter rods and see if that makes any difference.
> >>>
> >>> -Mark
> >>>
> >>>> On Jan 31, 2025, at 9:24 AM, Mark McCulley <mark@markmcculley.com>
> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> I've started a winter project of rebuilding the shifter linkage, from
> the shifter to the transmission. This will be the second time I've done
> this project on this van, it's been at least 100K miles since I did it the
> first time.
> >>>>
> >>>> I spent a couple of hours under the van yesterday removing all of the
> linkage parts. It was a bit troublesome disconnecting the front and rear
> shifter rod sections but I managed to get it done. The next step is to
> remove all the undercoating on the two rod sections. I had undercoating
> applied about 20 years ago. I think I'm about 60% through with that messy
> endeavor.
> >>>>
> >>>> I also plan to replace the shift lever with one that is solid and
> install a short shift kit.
> >>>>
> >>>> -Mark
> >
>