Vanagon Front Shifter Removal and Replacement

By Ken Wilford

You can use this guide to remove your shifter if it is broken or you are just pulling it to install new bushings, etc.

  1. Drop your spare tire under the van. You will see a box directly below where the shifter is located.
  2. Remove the 4 10mm nuts holding it in place and remove it.
  3. Now you will see the bottom of the shaft. There is one bolt going through the bottom of it. Remove this. (10mm wrench and socket or 2 wrenches)
  4. Go back into the cab and pull the rubber boot back from the floor.  You will see the mounting plate where the shifter is mounted to the floor.  It has two holes in it.  Mark these with some white paint so you can put the shifter back exactly the same orientation as the old one.
  5. Now you can go up into the cab and pull the whole shifter up and out of the car as one unit.
  6. Put your new/used one back in the reverse of how you did this one. Be sure to line up the mounting plate holes with the paint marks you made and your shifter alignment should be the same as it was.