Better shift linkage and short throw kits for the mk1/2/3

[rabbitman]

Lot's of good parts here: http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/ForSale/ShiftLinkage.shtml

[maxfax]

Good info!! You must have read my mind..    Anyone ever find better bushings (like brass or someting) for the relay shaft and relay lever???

[Powered by Spearco]

Yes!!! 8 valve, valve guides work great. Cut to fit. Works in the shifter under car on main shaft, also at the little L shaped relay piece on trans.. Any black shifter bushing. Tightened all loose feeling when replaced with the valve guides.

[maxfax]

Brilliant!!!  I've been trying various door hinge and various small electric motor bushings with no luck on on a good fit...  Even with quality new bushings it there always still seems to be slop in those little guys...

I was able to make the two larger bushings on the relay shaft out of brass stock on the lave, that alone made an impressive difference.. I've noticed that they woudl wear rather fast with the short throw goodies..

And after all this work, I probably could have just adapted a decent cable shifter... 

[lord_verminaard]

I've got the complete 4-crawler weighted linkage kit on the Golf, it's great, except for two minor irritants- the relay ball "cover" replacement that comes with the kit is very tight in the bracket and makes the shifter stiffer than I'd like.  I'm hoping it will eventually loosen up with wear.  Also, the jamnuts on the adjustable linkage ends have loosend themselves up a few times, some locktite should be used probably to keep them from moving.  But make sure everything is adjusted before you do that.

Also, I did not realize that you needed to take the complete shifter shaft out from the bottom of the car to install the shifter "repair kit" inside the car.  I should have done that while I had the engine and everything else out, because now there is slop in the ball/stick inside the car.  Oh well, live and learn.

Brendan

[sawedoffgolf]

On both my mk1's i took one of those mk3 weighted shift rods and cut one of the ends off. I cut a end off the mk1 rod to the correct size to make up for the difference in length(mk3 rod is shorter than the mk1 rod). I also did the "dan j reed mod"http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2471732.

Ill have to grab some pics, the shifting is awesome and alot more firm now

[larry104]

Spearco, question about using the valve guides for bushings. You mean on the shifter shaft, correct? Did you machine a ball shape on the O.D. like the stock, orange urethane bushings? How'd you install the bronze bushing in the shifter box? Got any pics of the valve guide before and after machining? I had another thread on this subject started here:

http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=24776.0

Thanks.

[Powered by Spearco]

As for the valve guides, yes the shifter shaft at the shifter itself. Thats wear I used two of the guides instead of the plastic ones.
Also at the relay thingy that the two rods going to it. I used two more valve guides there.
The center of the guides have to be drilled out to fit the bolt that goes through them. Then they need to be topped, remove the little end of them where the stem seal would mont to. More needs to be reomved for the relay thingy maduwacker.
I've never messed with the shift shaft bushing unless it was worn out, but thats a stock replacement part only.

Does that all make sence  .

[VWCaddy]

I've got the complete 4-crawler weighted linkage kit on the Golf, it's great, except for two minor irritants- the relay ball "cover" replacement that comes with the kit is very tight in the bracket and makes the shifter stiffer than I'd like.  I'm hoping it will eventually loosen up with wear.  Also, the jamnuts on the adjustable linkage ends have loosend themselves up a few times, some locktite should be used probably to keep them from moving.  But make sure everything is adjusted before you do that.

Also, I did not realize that you needed to take the complete shifter shaft out from the bottom of the car to install the shifter "repair kit" inside the car.  I should have done that while I had the engine and everything else out, because now there is slop in the ball/stick inside the car.  Oh well, live and learn.

Brendan

You can slightly bend the cage on the relay shaft wider to make for a looser fit.  We try to make the ball cover the same dia. as the original ball, but sometimes a previous owner may have bent the cage in to help tighten up the shifting as the rubber ball cover wore down.

[Rabbit on Roids]

i think ill just stick with the stock pieces/bushings for now, it took me like 10 minutes to replace the offending bushings, now my shifter is golden...

[monomer]

USRT also make a nice linkage set, with weighted throw



that coupled with the techtronics short throw arm, is teh win

[Rabbit on Roids]

i drove a jetta with a short throw kit in it the other day, it was rediculious. i really didnt like how close the gears were, made them hard to find. i like the feel of my stock shifter with the weighted rod more than the short throw kit.

[truckinwagen]

I'm gonna agree with you there, compared to the other things I drive vw's already have a short shifter.

no need to make it closer...

[DarkwingDork]

On both my mk1's i took one of those mk3 weighted shift rods and cut one of the ends off. I cut a end off the mk1 rod to the correct size to make up for the difference in length(mk3 rod is shorter than the mk1 rod). I also did the "dan j reed mod"http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=2471732.

Ill have to grab some pics, the shifting is awesome and alot more firm now

Did you weld the mk1 rod flat onto the end of the weight, or did you have to drill the weight/insert mk1 rod then weld?
I picked up an mk3 weighted rod the other day in the hopes it might be useful 

[Powered by Spearco]

I got the chance to get some pics of the said valve guide for the best bushings and their location,
.

The one on the left is the original replacement, to the right of it is a cut to fit 8mm valve guide. To the right again is the valve guide uncut and the bolt used to bolt it together at the shifter under the shift box.The same bronze bushings can be used at the relay "L" shaped thingy on the trans that the little shift rods connect to.

Here is what it looks like on the shifter rod.
.
.

Wow, after replacing those, the shifting has never felt better, even with the stock bushing replacement kits. The gears literally fall in and the shifter has a posistive feeling.

Try it your self.