Adjusting gear box linkages

Willie

LCR Track car
Aug 6, 2004
8,939
1
Sunny Scotland
Found this on an American VW site.

http://vimeo.com/6881683

If you have problems getting into gear this will help you discount the linkages.

Some of us have aftermarket GB linkages.
When I fitted mine I didn't do any of this and still sometimes have an issue with getting into 2nd.
I'll try this when I get my new gear box in.
 

matt_s

4 8 15 16 23 42
Dec 23, 2004
651
16
I was expecting something complicated. I might try that, reverse is sometimes a bit awkward.
 

8bit

Active Member
Feb 11, 2010
3,401
3
Aberdeen
Cheers for the reminder, now subbed to this thread as I'm gonna have a look at this sometime this afternoon.
 

CupraTurbo81

Guest
I used this guide off youtube when modded my linkage a month or two ago. Really good guide, completely dummy proof!!
 

andycupra

status subject to change
good find,
ive seen this procedure written up with photos and it seems complicated, - but thats a piece of piss.
Well ok so access isnt quite as easy but easy non the less.

One thing, - when he puts the pin (bent nail) to hold the gear in the home position and seemed to infer getting the right size pin was inportant, when he pushes it down doesnt the gear stick move when the bend part imarts a sideways force into the gear stick?
 

Willie

LCR Track car
Aug 6, 2004
8,939
1
Sunny Scotland
I found a LONG thin screw driver that fitted perfectly as I couldn't find a bent nail anywhere, lots of straight ones though, LOL
 

andycupra

status subject to change
ok bit of trouble doing this today. - any comments welcome.

When i get the two holes on the gearstick lined up and put a pin in to hold it in position, i cannot push the metal selector down 1/2 an inch, it moves 1mm at most.
But when the gear stick is sitting in the center in neutral then you can push the metal selector down 1/2 inch. - however clearly the two holes are not then lined up.

What exactly is 'home position'. is it not with gear stick in the middle and in neutral?


Also i used a 6mm drill bit as this fitted nicely, but i think i know the real reason they use a bent nail, - the holes that you line up dont have a 'bottom' so the drill bit can drop down through the two holes and into the mechanism. FFS que me spending ages try to get that out with no easy axcess, had to remove all the trim around the bear / handbrake in the end.
PITA.

I also noticed that on the video, on the 5 speed he pushes the chrome linkage down 1/2 inch, but then the locking mechanism doesnt turn so he raises the chrome linkage back up before turning the locking mechanism.
 
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andycupra

status subject to change
Good point, I hadn't even considered anything dropping "through" the gear lever...my drill bit was a snug fit though, and I think the natural "springiness" of the lever would hold it in place.?
Yes i also used 6mm drill bit which was very snug and all was going well, it hadnt fallen through or anything, however with some movement of the gear level it dropped through.
doh.
oh well i have managed to retreive it, and now i know how to remove the long centre consol around the handbrake and gear level :)

Stupid question as I assume you've watched the videos, you're undoing the circular clips on the selector cables all the way and locking them in the "released" position first, right?
No worries not a not stupid question as i often ask the obvious on here as many people forget the most basic steps.. but in this case yes i had released the cable springs and secured them in the released positon.


For the selector I had no problems pushing it down, the "home" position isn't in neutral, from memory it's kind of halfway towards where second is? That's normal, because the home position on the box itself isn't neutral either, hence the slight pushing down. I assume it's designed like that so that there's the upward pressure on the selector from the springs to keep it in place whereas in neutral there's no forces acting on it.

Ive managed to get it done now, although only after experimenting a bit.
It seems to me that the 'home position is in fact in neutral, but to the far left so that the gear lever is between 1st and 2nd gears... However for some reason when i locked it in this postion (this time i found that a 4mm allen key was a pretty good fit and avoided the previous potential issue) the chrome selector still would not move down at all.
So i went through the procedure and did it with the gear selector sitting in the resting position, (ie sitting between 3rd and 4th) - know i know this isnt correct, so i then secured the gear level in the correct home postion with the allen key and tried again and this time it worked... :)

not really sure why it wouldnt before, unless it had been incorrectly adjucted previously by persons unknown..

Been out in the car and its definately better than it was before, less notchy. :)
 
Last edited:
Aug 1, 2009
511
0
Hemel Hempstead
Been meaning to give this a shot actually, since I had my short shift fitted, there is a little notchiness, so will probably give this a shot. Havent given it a proper shot yet, but when I was in the car the other day, I tried to unclip the gear surround and I swear it wouldnt come off. Any tips? Will have to have a search, but seeing as you've both done this recently, then maybe its fresh in your mind...

But just out of interest - how does doing this help with clearing 'notchiness'???
 

jaybeee

[e]
Feb 24, 2006
202
0
Belfast
www.metalrhino.com
Havent given it a proper shot yet, but when I was in the car the other day, I tried to unclip the gear surround and I swear it wouldnt come off. Any tips?
Not sure if it's the same for the LCR, but for the LC there are 2 "spring type clips" that need squeezing to un-house the clips; these are situated nearest the back window end of the gear stick surround. The other end has clips that just slide into place as it were. Hope that makes sense.
 
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