Steven=Huss%Sales%TM@banyan.bv.tek.com  wrote:

I was driving along in my '85 with a manual 4sp. While in third gear I 
came to a stop and to my horror I could not get it into neutral. After 
frantically working the lever I was able to get into neutral and then 
into first gear. While doing this I encountered great resistance and 
the familiar H pattern went away only to be replaced by a nebulas stiff 
mush. Yuck! Things seemed to settle into place again and I was able to 
get home but 4th gear was not available. Later last night I was able to 
get into 4th gear but only with great difficulty. What's going on?

On the earlier buses (79 and before)  There is a shift plate thingy in the
front which directs the shift lever.  If this goes funky so does your
shifting.   Look under your floor matt by where the lever goes to the floor
should be a couple 13mm bolts.   Unbo them and the assenbly should pull up.
  There will be a plate in there.   I'm sorry I can't explain it, but take a
look in the idiot book or Haynes.

One thingy that goes bad is the shift coupler that connects the rod from the
front to the trans.   Shimmy under the bus and look where a rod sticks out
the nose of the trans to the front.   There should be a gizmo that holds the
rod to another rod leading to the front, so you can shift gears.  Get a
friens to sit in the driver's seat and shift through the gears for you.   The
connection between the rods should be firm, not sloppy.   I hope this helps.
  Tranny don't tend to fry without any warning,  so it's probably not a big
fix. 

On the earlier buses (79 and before)  There is a shift plate thingy in the
front which directs the shift lever.  If this goes funky so does your
shifting.   Look under your floor matt by where the lever goes to the floor
should be a couple 13mm bolts.   Unbo them and the assenbly should pull up.
  There will be a plate in there.   I'm sorry I can't explain it, but take a
look in the idiot book or Haynes.

hope this helps