Sounds like it is time to open up the tranny and flip the ring and pinion
over to the other side of the housing. Like Otmar, I would worry about if it
would clear the reverse gear on the other side. I can eyeball it on one of
my opened-up tranny's this weekend if you would like.

For a picture of the diff in the "normal" position, take a look at:

http://volksweb.relitech.com/tomc/vanagon/intrans.jpg

You will see that the ring gear is on the left side of the housing. Move it
to the right side, and the tranny output runs the other direction.

Or does anybody make reverse-rotation camshafts and starter motors for a
Honda? They exist for marine applications, etc. Always made me laugh when I
saw a Chevy small block going the wrong way. Setting the timing was funny,
too. Instinct would make me always swing the dist the wrong way at first.
And my oh-so-cool dial advance timing light was pretty worthless, too. :)

TomC
tcarrington@relitech.com
http://volksweb.relitech.com
85 Vanagon Crew Cab
82 Westy diesel=>gas conversion
65 Notchback

>     My diesel in the new camper that I bought broke.  In search for
> another
> engine I found another Vanagon that had been converted to a Honda Civic
> car
> engine.  It looked to be in good shape but was sitting on the ground in
> the
> wrecking yard.
>     I was able to purchase the motor and adapters for a fair price and put
> them into my camper.  However my friends I am having one major problem.
>     I go to do my first test drive and the camper goes BACKWARDS in all
> the
> gears but R.  And goes forward in R.  What did I do wrong?
>