Kevin, you might try this simple fix:
-unfasten the rubber boot on the gear shift and slide it up the stick
-you are going to move this oval shaped plate so run a marker around it marking its current
position
-make sure the the van is on level ground so that it won't roll while out of gear and hand
brake off
-loosen the two nuts holding the oval shaped plate
-now carefully move the gear shift into 2nd gear and hold it
-while holding it tighten the two nuts
-try shifting into 1st gear
-if not quite smooth enough repeat the above 4 steps
-if ok, take the van for a test drive
-refasten the rubber boot
This procedure should buy you some more time before any real transmission work is needed.
-Larry

badger18@hotmail.com wrote:

> i am the proud new owner of an 87 syncro gl. i have had good luck
> thus far but have recently encountered something strange. i have had
> problems engaging into gears. senario- i will be driving along and
> come up to a stop, take it out of gear and go to put it in first or
> second and i am having some difficulty getting it in, its as if the
> shift slots have closed.
> in addition when traveling along in 4th gear every so often the van
> will rev and knock-rpm shoot up slightly, as if it just slipped a
> gear. sometimes it works fine with it not occuring at all, others it
> may happen every 2 minutes but it never does it a bunch. of course it
> is a big concern- i dont want to waste my tranny or something. if any
> one has any ideas of how to fix either of the problems please let me
> know.
> thanks
> kevin
>
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