1985 Diesel Jetta manual tranny question

[dyoungen]

I have a 1985 Jetta Diesel with a 5 speed. Ever since I got this Jetta reverse was kinda hard to find first thing in the morning. Every once in a while 1st and reverse would pop out out of gear.  In the last 2 days I have no reverse or 1st gear and trying to downshift into 3rd is a crap shoot. It doesn't pop out of any gear once you get it into gear but there seems to be something in the linkage that's not quit right.

[theman53]

http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/ForSale/ShiftLinkage.shtml

that will do you permanently

autohaus and some others have oem replacement linkage.

[dyoungen]

I just looked at the link and have one question . Which kit will I need? I"m like a kid in a candy store trying to figure out which way to go.

[theman53]

MKII kit or you can piece together what you need.

[burn_your_money]

You might just need to adjust your linkages. The Bentley has a good DIY and there probably are a few on the net as well

I would also check your motor mounts to make sure they have not sagged

[dyoungen]

Good idea, I hadn't thought about the motor mounts.

[Rabbit on Roids]

Good idea, I hadn't thought about the motor mounts.

or you can spend 10 bucks on a shifter rebuild kit. comes with all the bushings you need to tighten the linkages back up. thats all my car needed.. thought the transmission was bad..

[damac]

I have the same car and went through the same crap but didn't read up enough on it before I started the job.  2 hellish days for me, but it was hot and I did not have the ideal working conditions.  All my parts looked original, I actually lost some parts.

My take on the whole project was to replace everything and start fresh.  I went with that 4crawler kit parts wherever I could get them.  Didn't want the short throw kit.  I also got a weighted clamp on weight just for the hell of it, but drove it around on a test drive after install and the thing came loose and spun down and will hit my tranny parts so there is no way I can use it???  I haven't contacted them about that yet.

Can you do all your own work and jack one side of the car up safely? 

And are you willing to pay $$$ to fix it?  My 4crawler order was $100+, and they don't sell the shifter box kit you will need.  You can get those for less than $20 on ebay.  I think the vw replacement plastic total kits are less than $100 though.  Up to you, I have no idea how long typical kits last.

You will also need to pull your shifter boot off to examine and make sure your shift rod white part has its tabs, and that your white plate on the left is intact(lift up on the shifer and see how it rides)

If I know the answers I could tell you exactly what to expect and even what parts to get.

[Baron VonZeppelin]

You can get an OEM style kit with all the bushings and the 2 levers/rods to your door for about $20-25 off ebay.

The piece that usually is in the worst condition on mk2 is the rubber golf ball on the relay shaft. Most are worn to a nub and no longer have a ball shape. Its not included with normal rebuild kits.

But there is one outfit on eBay that offered the bushings/rods/relay shaft all in one kit the last time i did one on an mk2.

The relay shaft assy is $25-35 alone.
Prothe has them for $7 and its one of the few things he sells that i can recommend as being okay.

if you're hardcore and shift like he\\ on wheels, you'd definitely want the rockcrawler stuff.

[dyoungen]

I checked the link prevously and that will cost $125 and change. Sounds kinda high or is it just me? What are the kits on ebay listed as?

[Baron VonZeppelin]

Its worth that if you need that level of quality.

The eBay searches i think i used were

mk2 shift*

jetta shift*

the asterisks are a wildcard and will bring up listings whether they list as shift rebuild or shifter rebuild or shiftkit etc...

if you don't find the kit that includes the relay shaft, you might have to buy it seperately somewhere. it was a highly inclusive kit with new hardware and stuffs.

[dyoungen]

OK, I just got the replacement parts in the mail. Now for the dumb questions. Where will the parts be that will be replaced be? Under the shifter or reachable in the engine compartment right behind where the transmission and the linkage is? Included in the bags are 1 ea rod about 8" long with ball type sockets. 1 Ea 2" long dog bone type looking linkage. Numerous bushings in a seperate bag.

[dyoungen]

Today I replaced everything I could match up. I've included 2 pictures of parts that were left over. The parts I replaced didn't help any. There are 4 rivits in the repair kit and I haven't seen any rivits anywhere in the linkage. Anybody have any idea where the parts I have left over go? Under the car? Correction, I WAS going to include the pictures.
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn107/dyoungen/VW%20linkage%20parts/P1010384.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn107/dyoungen/VW%20linkage%20parts/P1010386.jpg

[Vincent Waldon]

The FAQ has full instructions on posting pictures.  Like most forums you'll need to upload them to a free hosting service first.

[dyoungen]

Thank you!! It's been awhile since I loaded any pictures here. Now, if I can only figure out where those parts go.............