Hey Chris, .  You need a good VW shop: call "General Parts" in Albuquerque.
They have an 800 number you can get from 1-800-555-1212.  Ask for Tom
Kozak(sp.?).  This shop is honest, reliable, and reasonable and they've been
in business a long time.
Also, don't drive that thing anymore taking off in 3rd & 4th gear--until you
talk with Tom K.  Otherwise, your clutch will be wasted in no time flat,
plus the painful strain on the engine.

Bob
87 Sycnro Westie

>In a message dated 98-09-15 02:02:05 EDT, Chrisw7971@AOL.com writes:
>
><< Dear list,
> I have just driven my 87 Syncro (w/114,000miles on it) from Mass to Santa
Fe,
> NM and have been limping since Penn.  I was getting off an exit and coming
to
> a stop when I tried to take it out of 4th gear but it wouldn't come out,
it
> was stuck. I tried moving the gear back and forth but it wouldn't move
> anywhere so I inched across a huge intersection (clutch gas clutch
gas...)and
> parked to check the situation.  I looked underneath couldn't find
anything.
>A
> mechanic down the road lifted it up and didn't find anything wrong with
the
> visible transmission parts underneath.  He pulled on the rod a few times
>hard,
> and figured it was internal (possibly one of the "forks came
off/broke...).
> So I had two choices I could wait there until Monday when maybe someone
could
> look at it some where (that guy couldn't work on it) or I could just hit
the
> road again in 4th gear the whole way.  I choose to hit the road and as I
got
> started I was able to shift into 3rd then briefly into 2nd and 1st, but
3rd
> was the most reliable if I wanted to shift into 4th gear to get on the
>highway
> (confusing??  sorry I am seeing triple and my upper back is a knot  from
all
> the stress of this Bull $%@!!#$ i have gone through in the past 3 days).
So
> basically I could shift form 4th into 3rd and back to 4th w/ no real
problem
> except a noticeable weird feel, but shifting into 2nd 1st and reverse is
> another story.  When I get off the highway I would shift into 3rd and it
>would
> hold but when I would try and take it out it would feel like it was
totally
> trashed.  So I limped like this on down the highway (once I was on the
>highway
> at speed no worries).  Then in Illinois it started pouring rain and guess
>what
> happened next, my driver side wind shield wiper went right off the wind
>shield
> and would not go back without a little help from my hand w/ my arm out the
> window.  Realizing that this was not going to work and it was becoming
very
> dangerous I got off the highway and found some Rain-X I had packed.
Applied
> that and was able to make it to Joplin Missouri in pouring rain where the
fun
> really started!!  I got gas and went to start it up and there was nothing.
> The power worked but engine didn't turn.  --OK this happened once before
at
> the final end of a drive I had made from North Carolina to CT when I
filled
> her up, and what I did was push start it--
> So I got a guy to give me a hand (absolutely pouring rain FUN FUN FUN).
We
> push jumped it and it started right up.  So I limped in 3rd gear to a
hotel
> for the night (can't sleep in her cause she is filled to the rim w/my life
> which is moving to San Diego).  She started up the next morning and this
> procedure of having to push start when stopping for gas continued all the
way
> to Santa Fe.  So here is what I know; my battery is good, I tried starting
it
> up an hour after I parked here and she started up!?  so it has to do w/ a
hot
> engine / heat needing to cool down ????  Whatever, it sucks!  -and as for
the
> transmission the only thing I can think is that (another fun thing) my
> emergency brake has not been working for over a month when I drove w/ it
on
> for 30min (ooops), and I have been having to put it in gear to park.  I
> tightened the E-Brake cable but that wasn't it VW said (last week) that in
> short it was f!@#ed and needs $1000 worth of repair (whatever they also
once
> told a new CAT would cost $995.00 and I got one through Ron for $89.00).
So
>I
> basically I don't know what to do, I need my baby fixed and I need to get
to
> CalIf...
> HELP!!!  All advice PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!
> Chris W
> 87 Syncro GL
>  >>
>Bad news Chris. You need a starter because the solenoide is bad, when hot
the
>magnet inside the starter solenoid fails causing a no start until it cools
>down. To make bad news worse, you need a reman trans with all the updates.
>Post on the list a tranns concern aimed at Todd Hill.  He can help you.
Sorry
>about all the hell  you are going through.  Been there done that, same hell
>but in a 74 Opel wagen once. It broke down right in the middle of the salt
>flats west of Salt Lake City 3:30 AM. I gave the car away for free to a
bell
>boy, when I finally made it there with a melted motor by then.    I think
>there's someone in Arizona that can help.  Good luck.
> Michael Modl
> 87 syncro
> 87 quattro