Shifter Linkages

[lord_verminaard]

Difficulty getting in/out of gears is usually a bushing issue on the levers- if there is a lot of slop, that is almost always the relay ball and/or the shift rod bushing in the bracket, which is the biggest PITA to replace of all of it.  Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and do it.

Just send the missing lynkz guy an e-mail telling him what you have and what you need and he will figure it all out.  He's good with replying usually.  You can also just get the upgraded relay ball cover and shift rod bushing from him.  I think he also sells the normal linkage and bushing kits.  I got the full package from him and am glad that I did.  Though now I have to rebuild the shift assembly inside the car now.  (the reverse lockout sometimes doesn't work)

And yeah, it always seems that you can't find the gear when you have people behind you in an intersection.  My Corrado is famous for that.

My Wife drove the Corrado the other day after being used to her Golf (with the missing lynkz stuff) and she said that the Corrado's shifter feels broken compared to hers. 


Brendan

[Rabbit on Roids]

if you find a good kit and do i write up i'd totally follow suit here Jer. I'd like to fix my shifting as well.

Ed, you should just do it, its fairly easy to do the project from beginning to completion. if you just fix the broken ones, that makes it even easier.

acutally, better yet, anyone with a worn out shifter needs to fix the bushings. its too stupidly easy to replace them to be running around with a limp shifter. i dont particularly like that it was like fifteen inches in between gears.

[8v-of-fury]

i dont particularly like that it was like fifteen inches in between gears.

Amen to that brother. lol I could only get mine through the dealer around here sadly but it is in tomorrow morning, so i will see what is up

[Rabbit on Roids]

aw, that sucks, no 3 dollar napa auto parts rebuild kit for you up there?

[8v-of-fury]

nope. but $11 from the dealer ain't to bad either lol

[Rabbit on Roids]

no, not bad at all.

[maxfax]

It'll be the best 11 bucks you spend...  Heck, I think a prothe kit is like 6 bucks and shipping..  I got ripped.. Last set from a VW dealer set me back 20 bucks 

[Turbinepowered]

acutally, better yet, anyone with a worn out shifter needs to fix the bushings. its too stupidly easy to replace them to be running around with a limp shifter. i dont particularly like that it was like fifteen inches in between gears.

I would love to change the bushings in my shifter. In all my shifters.

But VW has long since stopped making the bushings for the 4-speeds and the five speed bushings cost 75 frigging dollars. 

This is one of the rare occasions I hate owning a longitudinal VW.

[8v-of-fury]

So when I get these tomorrow morning I will be coming straight home to do them is there any words of advice to make this easier? like some preventative things to do instead of tearing right in?

[8v-of-fury]

Kinda looks like the relay shaft just unbolts from the bottom, and the relay lever is done from the top.

Can anyone verify the 4spd 5spd rear selector rod? It says here that the bend is only on the middle of the 4spd? I have a bent one, however it does not have an S bend like the ones on the missing linkz site, its one bend at about 35degrees or so..?

Also how do i go about changing out my Trans fluid? obviously drain and fill, but I have heard that some ones take a different amount of fluid.. and I can't remember where I read it! Also where is the drain and fill plugs? on the 81 we speak of.

[Rabbit on Roids]

there is a nut on the bottom of the relay shaft, and a bolt holding the relay lever, with a nut on the bottom if i remember right. shaft nut is 13mm, lever nut and bolt are usually 10mm.

[8v-of-fury]

GUYS HELP!!!

I got the bushings in, took me around 15-25 minutes from beginning to end cleaning stuff as i went along. Then i took it out for a drive, 1st every time and all the other gears were firm. 5th was a no show to the party.. how do i adjust?

I got back in to the driveway and bust out the power washer to degrease the engine hardcore. I made sure the intake was sealed, and proceeded. Washed it all up spic and span, looks like a brand new head sittin on the block However when I started it back up, it ran fine and everything was kosher. Let ir sit and run for 10 minutes to kinda heat dry stuff. I then attempted to go for a drive... attempted... I can not shift gears!! Clutch fully depressed, reverse will grind and the other gears you hit a wall...

WTF DID I DO!!!??? PLEASE HELP ME!

[8v-of-fury]

OH! I can get the gears with the car off however

[Vincent Waldon]

I wonder if perhaps some water got into the clutch and now the disk is binding on the input shaft...is the plastic cover still on the TDC inspection hole on the top of the tranny?

[rabbitman]

Weird, how's the clutch free play? It the timing hole in the bellhousing plugged? If not maybe you washed a slug of goo down into it.

As for not getting 5th, it's just out of adjustment, like you can probably almost hit reverse without pushing it down and over.