020 linkage upgrades

Hi all. Thought i would start this rather than clogging up a dedicated thread.
Just been reading daved's entrepreneurs section about his new bushes? has anyone fitted them yet?
I want to upgrade mine and ive been looking at the missinglinkz ones. Are they worth the money? What has everyone else changed? my gear changes are so notchy and i dont rate the adjustable throw linkage.
Would chopping the linkage down about 20mm be ok rather than the adjustable throw kit?
I want the best possible gear change thats all..
Hate notchyness!! id rather replace all bushes etc if they will last. TSR linkage kits to...opinions on them?

Thanks guys

 

I've got one of the tsr adjustable linkages, works well for me. I've had the box fully rebuilt and use a neuspeed short shift kit, weighted shift linkage and new bushes through out. The shifter feel is great and extremely short throw for gear changes.

 

I have some of daved's bushes and the quality is top notch.

On an 020 box the notchiness can be for a number of reasons. To improve the quality of the gearchange I'd do the following

1. Drain the box of oil and refill with 2L of Redline MTL. This is THE stuff to use
2. Purchase a gearchange bush kit from GSF and the brass bushes from daved
3. Purchase a relay shaft ball cover from missinglinkz
4. Acquire a weighted shift rod from any 8v mk3 golf gti

Fit all of the above and your gearchange will be crisp and precise once more... No requirement for a TSR linkage kit IMO

 

Chris. Thanks for your comment.

A few notes on the 020 gear change:

There are a lot of flexible elements in the standard 020 system. Any flexibility will give rise to a less precise action.

Some of the flexible bearing elements are quite soft plactic materials. Plastics bearing systems have an inherant 'stiction', initial drag, which you have to break to get the parts moving

So, starting at the gear lever:

1. The connection between the lever and the change shaft is a hard plastic ball with a soft silicone rubber ring on it. This runs in the painted bore of the tube which is welded to the change shaft. = Flexiblity and drag. Replace this with a stiffer more resiliant spherical bearing sliding in a machined tube.

2. The welded connection between the tubular part and the change shaft is not very stiff. = Flexility. Fit a stiffening plate.

3. The spherical bearings supporting the change shaft are quite soft plastic, running on the painted shaft. = Flexibility and drag. These are replacable with stiffer more resiliant sphericals, running on a polished shaft.

4. The spherical relay shaft ball is quite soft plastic. = Flexibility. Replace with a stiffer more resiliant material.

5. The linkage rods are made from steel bar. = Flexibility. Fit tubular linkages which are both lighter and stiffer.

6. Plastic sockets on the shift rods. = Large clearances, flexibility and drag. Replace with steel ball and socket joints.

7. Plastic bushes on the 'bent end' linkage rod. = Large clearances, flexibility and drag. Replace with steel ball and socket joints.

8. Plastic bushes in the linkage pivots. = Flexibility and drag. Replace with stiffer more resiliant bushes.

9. Engine mounts are flexible and thus allow the whole sytem to move about. = Lack of precision.

A note on the weighted shift rod:

This is fitted to serve one purpose. Although it does help that it is stiffer than the non-weighted rod.

It is there to add momentum into the final meshing of the gears. Once it is moving, after all the energy losses due to flexibility and drag, the energy it does carry is all transferred into the sliding gears so that they 'clunk' into mesh and can't jump out easily.

I have tried to address these matters on this thread:

http://www.clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=222786

 

Thank you for the replies guys. Will get cracking
Daved can i send you details and have a set of those bushes please?

Were can i get a set of metal rods with metal sockets rather than the crappy plastic ones? ive only seen the tsr ones

and a new ball and socket at the lever that soes have play in it?

What oil? 75/90??

 

I'll be putting some more of the balljointed kits in the entreprauners section soon once I OK it with Chris. Weighted and non-weighted.

 

These the metal rods fella? can the mk2 short shift kit be used i cant seem to find one for the mk1.

 

Yup these are the metal rod kits for the mk2, and yes will work with the short shift.
I can make them for the mk1, although I haven't got a pattern to take lengths yet.

 

marts kits are top notch. mine is fantastic

 

Pls run it past me on PM - thanks Mart.

 

+1 for HotGolf's ball-jointed 020 linkage kits. Awesome bit of kit really firms up the gear shift. I will miss it after going cable change.

 

I run the USRT kit and am happy with it.

http://www.usrallyteam.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=13_34

 

Frechem is that a mk1 or mk2 kit. Looks pricey. Havent checked yet

 

ive got all the missing links bits on mine , works a treat and everyone that trys it comments how nice it shifts

 

That kit is for a MK2 but they also have a MK1 kit.

 

Thanks alot guys.
What about the lever side of things?
or just replace the ball and socket quite often!! think mine has around 5 mm play.....horrible!

Il keep an eye for you hotgolf in the entrepeneurs section.

Rubjonny have you had the mk1 brass bushes? didnt think he had a pattern for them yet

and is 2.0 litres what vw reccommend for gearbox filling?

 

The USRT kits are really pricey IMO and don't include the vital bushes that wear out long before any of the parts of their kit

A combination of a gsf rebuild kit, bushes from daved, weighted mk3 shift rod and/or shift rods from hotgolf will be every bit as good for a lot less money!

The 020 box indeed takes 2L from empty

 

thanks for the info guys great help