The above link posted by damogti in the FAQ's isn't working Can anyone reinstate it please? My wife's been complaining about the gear selection for a while now. Just had a look and something's obviously dropped as the white plastic detent can easily go through the gate on the stop, making it relatively easy to get reverse instead of first. I can lift the gearshift vertically by about 5mm, which is where it looks like it ought to be, looking at the wear lines on the stop. So I presume this is just wear on the ball and it's time for an overhaul kit.Can anyone vouch for the GSF ones? Is it really as easy as Haynes makes it look? (Not done it before ) Would I be stupid to try it without that very special tool from Dave2227? Under the gaitor was an esso token and a spring. Now I know about the Esso token, but can't see any real place for the spring: I was running out of light, but does anyone recognise it as having a place nearby, or is it merely an interloper? Grateful for any advice. Cheers Gaz :-)
Never seen that spring before ??? As for tool ,yes it is a help if you want to save messing around finding right position. Essential ? depends on if you get it right first time by any other method or not. I will pm you some instructions.
Yeah, I'd go along with that, just can't see a place for it and I wondered if it's shape wasn't quite right for the outside of a leccy connector. Cheers for the PM Dave Am I right in thinking the easiest way to get a tool from you is through eBay? (It was the comment about getting it right first time that was an alien concept to me ). Gaz
That spring is for holding temp sensor plugs in place, newer level sensor plugs also use em as do the plugs for the spot lights, indicators and fogs etc. The list goes on As for the guide I'm just putting one together a complete guide for the FAQ section, but here is the basic how2 I wrote a while back: Its pretty straightforward to do but a bit fiddly. You can still get the repair kit from VW, part number is 191 798 116A. I would recommend you get the genuine kit, this isn't a job you want to be doing twice! 1. Remove the gearstick gaitor & centre console to give you more room to work 2. Undo the 2 10mm nuts either side of the gearstick. Now get under the car 3. Remove the exhaust centre heat shield by removing the 6 nuts/clips holding it on, then rotate it round the exhaust an off the car 4. Shove the housing up into the car, it is only held in by gravity & grease at this point 5. Remove 4 13mm nuts holding the shiftbox to the car 6. Now get back in the car, pull up on the stick and push down on the shiftbox 7. Next Jiggle the gearlever housing about until you can get it out, bit of a fiddle but it can be done! 8. If the ball looks like it is worn you can remove it, I didn't bother as it looked OK. Its tricky, you need to press the ball upwards while someone holds the gearlever down, then you need to remove the split pin. Not an easy task! 9. Refitting is the reverse of removal Edited by: rubjonny
Thanks RJ "That spring is for holding temp sensor plugs in place" Who the hell put one of them down there then?? It's size isn't clear from the photo, but it's nearly 1/2" wider than the one on the WUR and obviously more than the temp ones - I was wondering if it had any business being under the gaitor, that were all. "I would recommend you get the genuine kit" - That's what I'm gonna do then "this isn't a job you want to be doing twice!" [:^(] [:^(] If the weather turns foul tomorrow it's coz my local VW had one in stock (Yeah, right) If it's not in stock, I'd expect lots of weather around Tuesday or Wednesday - my plans for working on the GIT seem to have a consistent barometric effect Gaz Edited by: Pecker
Keep it handy till you figure out what its from Actually if yours is a 16v it might be from the ISV controller which is behind the centre console, not sure though I've never seen one
Now that would be really interesting as despite cleaning the ISV, the revs still dip to 400 from time to time. Would be great if it's simply a dislodged connection! Part was on the shelf at VW so I take back the previous sarcasm. It's now in it's rightful place (the kitchen) until the alignment tool arrives from Dave. And a perhaps silly question: Haynes says use HMP grease on the ball, this is presumably coz of the exhaust under it. But I have a lovely tub of JCB grease. If I use JCB grease will I kick myself when I get boiling greasy smells in the car? Oooh, decisions decisions! Gaz
I'm stuck!!! It's a work in progress at the mo' and I'm taking my time and taking photo's. I have everything undone and the heatshield completely out of the way. I've even undone the shift box so it can drop, even though the nice Mr Haynes doesn't mention it With everything moving freely, I can't see how on earth you can clear the shift rod out into the car until it's clear of the bush at the front (looks to be mounted on the rack) as it can't drop down to an angle that'll let it escape the floor pan. Item 7 on RJ's list. As it is, I can't seem to release the bottom of the gear shift (i.e. the ball) out of the box it sits in, not that I think this'll make the difference in any case. I don't want to force it coz I know my luck Item 6 on RJ's list. Please help -what am I missing? Feeling just a bit less frustrated having taken a few minutes break - time for another Earl Grey! Gaz
Just got the ball and shiftbox separated But I still can't see for the life of me how to get the gearstick and shiftrod out into the car So near yet so far. Anyone please??!! Gaz
OMFG I am such an idiot It had a modified quickshift fitted in 1995. Just found it in the service history. The shiftrod looks 084, as does the gearshift. But the gearshift housing is clearly 020 It's a downpipe off jobby I feel like a right pillock. Oh well, that was a good hour wasted. Can anyone tell me if the part number 191 798 116A will still be right, or shall I call it a day and start putting it back together Gaz Edited by: Pecker
I've just had a look and the downpipe topstuds and nuts and there's really no decision to make It's time to give up and put it back together. I'm chickening out - really can't be done with shearing things at the moment. And just looking at them makes me feel like they'll itching to give up. Live to fight another day. Discretion and valour and all that jazz. Pig sick actually I suppose, on the bright side, at least I've got the pucker alignment tool. Somebody tell me I'm doing the right thing. Please!! Gaz
what a day you've had You don't take the gearstick out of the car, you just wiggle the fcker about till you can get the ball housing out then fit the new one in
Nnnooooooooooo!!!!!!!! [:^(] [:^(] [:^(] And yes, it's been a bit of a day So at the point I got the gear lever and its ball out of the housing: I'd gotten far enough?? You mean you can lever the ball housing out? [:^(] (or, I suppose shove it out from underneath). I wish I was flexible enough to kick myself up the backside. But how in the hell do you get the ball off the gear lever? There's surely too little access for attacking the miller pin? I haven't put it all back together yet except for bolting the shift housing back on, as I ran out of daylight - and had had enough by then. I feel cheered up RJ - if a bit daft that I didn't clock the possibility Gaz
Aye at that point you wiggle the stick around and the housing will come off from inside the car, there isn't much room in there so its a bit of an bottom but at least you arn't lying on your back under the car so not so bad Shame you've put it all back together now To get the ball off you need to get under the car and have someone hold the stick while you push the ball up against the spring and bash the pin out... But normaly you don't need to as its the housing that wears away not the ball. I didn't bother on my GTI or my driver and it was spot on!
BINGO!!!!! It is done. And when you've got the ball housing out, the gear lever will drop through the hole in the gear shift housing, with a little wiggling and pulling the exhaust over just a tad. So I changed the ball too I took lots of photo's. Dave2227's alignment tool is an extremely useful bit of kit The detent is now sitting right where it should against the gate and all is now hunky dory Thanks RJ for putting me back on track - I wouldn't have given it another go without it. I might try writing it up for an FAQ seeing as how I have notes, piccy's and it's all fresh in my mind. Gaz
Pecker, i just did my 16v the other day. I'm doing some major work on the engine and had the downpipe off so i though i might as well do all the linkage bushes too. I got the whole box out from the bottom of the car, changed the bush where the rod goes through the box but couldn't get the pin out and therefore change the ball, how did you do it? should i have taken a hammer to it? Also, i couldn't get the ball housing out, just didn't want to start prising things apart in case there weren't supposed to be apart, done that before. After changing the ball did this lift you're gearstick up to the correct height or did you get a new spring with the VW repair kit? Cheers, James. ps, what exactly was in the VW kit? i got a bush kit from GSF but they only have one of the orange bushes in there and some clear bushes that go in the engine bay, nothing at all for the shift box.
Yes. The pin needs tapping out with a hammer and punch. I used a vice to support the gear lever while I tapped the pin out. It was tight - wouldn't fancy trying it under the car! Actually that's a lie I held the ball out of the way up the spring while my son tapped the pin out - credit where it's due. I found this a hell of a job and cracked the bottom of the housing while forcing it up with my thumb . Ended up using a jack to force it up and then pushed the shift housing down off of it. It does come out, but it did need a lot of force - the seal was knackered by the time I'd finished! Yes, the detent on the lever was then exactly how it should be There was no new spring in the VW kit, but it didn't need it as the spring was fine. In the VW kit was: Ball housing, Ball, Stop plate, 10mm nyloc nuts x 2, spacers x 2, and a Miller pin. Gaz
Excellent, thanks for the great reply. My gearstick feels great now, the only parts i didn't change were the ball and housing and stop plate. Ican't face taking it all apart again just yet.
