# Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide



## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

For this exercise would the class to please open your Bentley manuals to chapter 8: "Manual transmission and clutch" and turn to page 8-8. Please note the names of all of the parts indicated in the exploded diagram figure 4-2 as 
there will be a quiz at the end of this lesson. 








http://www.angrymods.com/projects/scirocco/commandments.jpg
Introduction:
Shift problems manifest in different ways. Most commonly, you may be unable to _find _a gear, find its not where it *should *be, or find yourself unable to get it to *go* into gear.(Binding) 
Getting Reverse gear when you DO NOT press down is either caused by a Really bad linkage/engine alignment or more likely by a *broken reverse lockout tab*. read on.
sloppiness in the linkage might make it hard to find the right gear and will leave tons of play on the stick once in gear. this is 99% of the time due to *blown shift bushings*. 
Alignment problems happen when you have either 
A: been screwing with the shift linkage and misaligned it (most often)
B: one of your motor mounts goes bad (quite often)
C: when you have replaced bad mounts or had your motor out and didnt realign the engine correctly following the procedure in the Bentley, Chapter 3(Engine) pages 27-28
D: when the shift relay lever comes loose on the end of the main shift rod. (like never, unless; (see A))
Binding while shifting can be caused by *obstructions to the shift linkage*, old/low fluid, and wearing synchros (in that order). the first thing you should check is that there is nothing on your shift linkage that is causing it to bind. starting with the shift boot inside the car, then under the hood look for short shift kits, wires, hoses, leaves, dead rats, dead cats, small children, birds nest, etc. 








barring other *obvious *obstructions, lets move on.




*Just 1st gear.*

Cant get it into first without shifting into second... uh - first? Try this: 
Drive normally, slow down on your way to a stop, try first gear, but if it doesnt seem to want to go, just hold it there for a second or two longer. be patient. it *Should *just pop into gear eventually. this is a common problem, not *linkage* related. Go buy yourself two bottles of Penzoil Synchromesh and replace your tranny fluid. then skip to page two of this thread and look for a post with a dedicated explanation for this. 

(I accept thank-you's in the form of well wishes, kind words, and paypal...












*Reverse and 1st*

If you *cant get into first without pressing down* and moving as if you are reaching for reverse, then the problem is probably a blown motor mount on the drivers side, (or shift linkage misalignment.) 

if you are suddenly able to shift into reverse *without pressing down* on the shifter, then the issue is probably a broken reverse lockout tab on your shift lever. this is really easy to repair yourself for no money. see my howto here:
https://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3536691
note: it is also really easy to tell if this is broken without actually taking anything apart. just look under the car at the rubber boot under your shifter. 
this is what a broken one looks like (photos courtesy of BluDemon)
http://www.angrymods.com/projects/scirocco/shift_lockout/bad_part.jpg








if this is your problem, follow that DIY and repair it yourself. (be sure to post your results in that thread for extra credit points!)
*Binding in 5th.*
note that short shift kits can cause binding. if you HAVE a short shift kit and you have to press forward quite hard to get into 5th, pop your hood and look at the "connecting link". (its the rod that has the two cotter pins in it) short shifters extend the length of the relay lever amplify the throw length. this means that the connecting link attaches to the selector shaft lever(on the tranny itself) at an extreme angle. have a helper put the car in fifth and watch as the rod stresses against the bushing. this can be resolved easily with a slight bend in the rod about an inch from the selector shaft lever like so:








(if you don't have a short shift kit and you still have trouble with fifth, just keep reading.)

SLOPPY SHIFTER:
if your shift linkage is sloppy, replace all your bushings, starting with the orange blob. you can check on the orange blob by grabbing the "selector lever" and wiggling it up and down, left and right. if there's any play in it, your orange bushing is shot. this part does not come with the rebuild kits, and the stock replacement is inferior anyway, so get a delrin one from from ebay from a guy named mark1vws (now mark1svc) who makes them for 25$.
I got one and it was the best 25$ I ever spent. 
http://myworld.ebay.com/ebaymotors/mark1svc
you may as well replace all the other bushings too while you are at it. 
















_for as much as I go on about this product, the guy should send me some for free. lol_
NOT SLOPPY:
if your shift linkage is NOT sloppy and you are finding gears are offset to one direction, (ie, 3rd is where 5th should be, reverse is where 1st should be) then the most likely issue is a blown motor mount on the passenger side. this causes the PS side of the motor (and tranny) to angle down, and misaligns the shift linkage.
an easy way to check for a bad mount is to rev the engine and watch for a side to side rocking motion. I find that if I have a bad mount and I cant get over far enough to get into fifth gear, I line up the shifter for fifth and rev the engine real quick to make it rock to the Drivers side enough to get it to pop into gear. - I used to do rallycross, and I have blown a LOT of mounts.








if your mounts are fine, then your alignment is off. 
follow the bentley manual for instructions on shifter alignment, page 8-8 and 8-9, or use my shortcut:
find a helper and have them hold the stick in the neutral position with the transmission in neutral. Now attach the selector lever to the shift rod and snug it up enough that it doesn't slip. then with you under the car have your helper put the stick in the reverse position and listen for the telltale "cachunk" of reverse engagement. if you don't hear it then loosen up the relay lever, reach up over the trans and grab the shift selector lever on it and push as far as I can towards the front of the car, then over to the drivers side(listening for the click). Once you have the trans in reverse and the shifter in reverse, snug it up a little, and then have your helper run through all the gears to see if they are right. 
generally speaking, once you have it so you can get into First WITHOUT pressing down on the shifter, and you can ONLY get into reverse if you DO press down on the shifter, then you pretty much nailed it. 

*binding while shifting into first (and second):*
when your car is moving along at speed, the output shaft is being driven by the wheels rotation, so the internals of the transmission will resist being put into such a low gear since the output and input shafts are spinning at much different speeds. the synchros are synchronizing the speeds of the two shafts before the shift collar and drop into position. if the speeds are grossly mismatched the shifter will bind and resist until the shafts match speeds. once the shafts synch, the thrust on the synch ring will relax and slip enough to allow the collar to engage. 
Synchros Do play a part in this, but it doesn't mean these parts are failing. new transmission fluid may help dramatically here. I absolutely Love *penzoil synchromesh*. I spell that L O V E.








to test this theory, bring the car up to speed around 30mph. don't hit your brakes. get off the gas, push in the clutch and try to ease it in 1st or second. Hold easy pressure in the position for a few seconds and see if it eventually plops in. if so, then new tranny fluid will probably help. you will need a 17mm allen wrench (12$ at sears) to drain it, and I suggest filling it through the speedo hole with a funnel with a long hose on it. 2 bottles and your done. 

if you have trouble finding first and second while braking, the problem could yet again be a blown motor mount(probably front or rear) that is allowing the engine to tip forward, changing the geometry of the shift linkage. this would make it so when you tried for first the shifter cant reach over far enough to find it, so you would be trying to put it in gear between first and 3rd.

Addendum #1:
*second gear grind *is very common in these. it happens when the second gear synchro starts to wear a bit and the transmission fluid is old, contaminated, or the wrong stuff. Replace the tranny fluid and the problem almost allways goes away. if it doesnt, then you can pull your tranny apart and replace a synchro. not hard to do if you follow brokes guide at http://www.brokevw.com. 
Addendum #2:
*If your transmission pops out of fifth gear *during highway driving and stuff, then its highly likely that your transmission fluid is low and you the fifth gear is not getting lubricated. the frictional forces alone can cause it to pop out of gear, so if you catch it early enough you can just top off the fluid and save the tranny from any real damage. If however its been doing this for a while then you might have serious problems with the needle bearing cage in the fifth gear melting out and causing all sorts of hell. So cross your fingers, drain the old fluid through a filter and inspect it for metal and plastic chips. add 2 bottles of Penzoil Synchromesh and take it for a highway drive. if it stays in fifth gear you are safe. 
*with one caveat*: if your running low on fluid, your transmission has a leak. it will continue to leak if you dont fix it. so read Brokes page and learn about replacing the seals. 
I once had an input shaft seal blow on my tranny while leaving on a 60 mile (round) trip. at first I was hearing a high pitched whistle coming from the engine bay and within the first 30 miles it started to pop out of fifth. on the way back it was popping out of fourth too. by the time I got home I was actually having to *hold *it in fourth gear... When I pulled the transmission apart I was lucky enough to find the bearings intact. replaced the seal and filled it up, good to go.
Please forgive me for being so wordy. I 'm just trying to be thorough.
Appendix A:


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## Deflated_97 (Aug 12, 2003)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (JonnyPhenomenon)*

Nice! I'm gonna save this page and print it out. It'll come in handy when I fix my car.


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## jrgrinder (Dec 2, 2008)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (Deflated_97)*

phenom comes through once again. ok i've had a problem but never asked anyone etc. so i put a new trans in etc. all my mounts are fine cept the front one the rubber is fairly trashed. didn't get around to it yet. so i go to drive my car and i try to go into first it'd be third then fourth etc. to get into first i'd have to push down like you're going into reverse you can find first and it's difficult. so i adjusted the 2 10 mm bolts to the other side and it got better but it wasn't enough. so i dremel'd the wholes larger and again it is better. idk what i have to adjust now. thanks in advance. it's a bunch more drivable now just not perfect. thanks!!!!!


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## crazyaboutrocs (Nov 23, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (jrgrinder)*

I will second Jonny on the delrin bushing from Mark1vws. Mine had play, and 1st was hard to get into. That solved my problems and it's a top quality bushing.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (jrgrinder)*


_Quote, originally posted by *jrgrinder* »_so i adjusted the 2 10 mm bolts to the other side and it got better but it wasn't enough. so i dremel'd the wholes larger and again it is better. idk what i have to adjust now. thanks in advance. it's a bunch more drivable now just not perfect. thanks!!!!!

what holes are you talking about dremeling bigger?


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## jrgrinder (Dec 2, 2008)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (JonnyPhenomenon)*

the ones at the shifter base under the boot. i made it so you could adjust the base over farther. it seems to have made it better. just not perfect


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## D.E (Sep 21, 2007)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (jrgrinder)*

What might be the problem when all of the gears are tough to get into? You really have to use some muscle when shifting gears but there is never a problem getting any one gear in.
I'm thinking rust somewhere on the linkage...


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## ginster86roc (Apr 19, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (D.E)*


_Quote, originally posted by *D.E* »_What might be the problem when all of the gears are tough to get into?

time to grab your tools, your bentley, and a printout of phenom's 'how to' and get to work.


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## Neptuno (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (ginster86roc)*

What if the issue is grinding on second?


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (D.E)*


_Quote, originally posted by *D.E* »_What might be the problem when all of the gears are tough to get into? You really have to use some muscle when shifting gears but there is never a problem getting any one gear in.
I'm thinking rust somewhere on the linkage...

the problem here is could be a number of things. here is a short list:
start with obstructions in the shift linkage. look at your shift boot and make sure its not getting in the way, then look under the hood for hoses or wires in the way. 
when you shift into gear you are driving the long shift rod forward and backward under the car. if there is a lot of rust on this rod it might be hard to slide through the orange bushing mentioned earlier. 
on the end of the shift rod is a "selector lever" that has a little pocket in it that a little rubber ball on the end of a hunk of metal sits. (this is called a "relay lever", and it is bolted to the part called the "relay shaft") if for some reason this ball is wrecked, or the nut that is holding it to the relay shaft is loose, or if the relay shaft is rusty and the plastic bushings that the relay lever goes through in the relay shaft bracket are old and hard or missing, this could cause your shifting to be stiff when going into gear.
for a glossary of terms, please refer Appendix A:


_Quote, originally posted by *Neptuno* »_What if the issue is grinding on second?

Grinding in second, please refer to the original posts Addendum #1


_Modified by JonnyPhenomenon at 10:21 PM 2-1-2010_


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## Neptuno (Jul 16, 2003)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (JonnyPhenomenon)*

You are awsome http://****************.com/smile/emlove.gif


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (Neptuno)*

hah! thanks


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## LaramieDub (Aug 10, 2009)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (JonnyPhenomenon)*

You just saved me a few hundred bucks. Thank you!


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## LT1M21Stingray (Sep 14, 2006)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (LaramieDub)*

Nice writeup Mr Johnny.









Thanks for sharring. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## California Special (Dec 15, 2005)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (Mtl-Marc)*

Killer write up!!! Really appreciate it as I'm going to have to tackle my shifter bushings very soon. Thanks


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## VolksAddict (Aug 9, 2004)

*Re: Phenoms Howtos : mk1 shift linkage troubleshooting guide (California Special)*

Agreed, good stuff!


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## fundmc (Feb 5, 2010)

soooo a total lack of 4th and 5th gear would most likely be the bushings? my mounts are good, but the rear one was blown before.


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## gamblinfool (Sep 28, 2001)

OK - I got a couple of these Delrin jobbies and I've gotta say I'm at a loss. Not a problem getting it installed or anything like that. It's just that it's TOO tight. Takes actual muscle to move the shifter now...  tried marine grease, silicone spray...neither really helped. Cleaned the rod properly, even tried a different rod and different bushing (since I have two). Either way, something got left out somewhere - either how to properly prep things, lube things, or a problem with the recent batch...? 

What's going on with this? Wrong lube? Need to hone the ID??? help...  :beer:


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## rocconut (Feb 20, 2004)

Awesome writeup. Glad someone has the time to do all these DIYs for us to follow


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## 20th#0000 (Feb 24, 2007)

Ok a little help needed. 
Replaced front and rear motor mounts, shift bushings and the delrin shift rod bushing. I was having no problems other than kind of hard to get into 2nd sometimes. The car sat for a few months, I get in reverse and drive out of the driveway. Get to the top of the hill and all I have is 3rd, 4th and 5th. I have messed with the adjustment and can either only get reverse, 3rd and 4th or 3rd, 4th and 5th. I don't have to push down to get into reverse either. So do I need to replace my other two motor mounts or do I need to get someone to help me adjust the lever?


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

if I were a betting man, I'd say that you didnt read the entire thread starter.  

first check to see if the reverse tab is missing. if its there, your shifter aligment is off. so you just need to figure out wether its due to your motor mounts or the shift linkage. the method to figure this out is posted in this threads first post.


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## A1peopleS2wagons (Dec 2, 2010)

Looks like I have to do some reading.
My problem is.It don't want first period.
For me to get first I have to half push down then slide it to the 11:30 
position,then second is a little difficult too.
Third just push up and your in third,forth and fifth are all golden.
Do I have my shift rod not lined up right.
I had tight the shifter didn't want to move,so I put in first loosened up the 
13mm bolt,let it slide move a notch.
Now it is loose like it wants to move but still has the same issue.
Don't forget I just swapped in a 020,and got rid of the auto matic.
I have been reading this instead of my bently.








I love this picture,its worth a thousand words.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

The problem you are describing is due to improper alignment caused by change in engine mounting geometry. Engine mounts on these cars are adjustable, so if you do it wrong you can skew a lot of things, the most obvious is shift linkagde related, but you can also put unwanted stress on the frame. Follow the bentleys "engine alignment procedure" for instructions on how to dol this right. Of course this is assuming that you installed new motor mounts correctly when you did your engine swap...


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## A1peopleS2wagons (Dec 2, 2010)

JonnyPhenomenon said:


> The problem you are describing is due to improper alignment caused by change in engine mounting geometry. Engine mounts on these cars are adjustable, so if you do it wrong you can skew a lot of things, the most obvious is shift linkagde related, but you can also put unwanted stress on the frame. Follow the bentleys "engine alignment procedure" for instructions on how to dol this right. Of course this is assuming that you installed new motor mounts correctly when you did your engine swap...


Um,no I ahh..... ran out of money.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

so, no money to buy a bentley? opr no money to buy mounts?

either way, its not a sin to reuse old mounts as long as they arent totaly smoked. usually you can tell easy enough. but regardless, the shift linkage can be aligned even on an improperly mounted engine. there is a special tool to do it, but you can do it without that tool if you follow my guide. read carefully and you will find some helpful shortcuts.



> if your shift linkage is NOT sloppy and you are finding gears are offset to one direction, (ie, 3rd is where 5th should be, reverse is where 1st should be) then the most likely issue is a blown motor mount on the passenger side. this causes the PS side of the motor (and tranny) to angle down, and misaligns the shift linkage.
> an easy way to check for a bad mount is to rev the engine and watch for a side to side rocking motion. I find that if I have a bad mount and I cant get over far enough to get into fifth gear, I line up the shifter for fifth and rev the engine real quick to make it rock to the Drivers side enough to get it to pop into gear. - I used to do rallycross, and I have blown a LOT of mounts.





> if your mounts are fine, then your alignment is off.
> follow the bentley manual for instructions on shifter alignment, page 8-8 and 8-9, or use my shortcut:
> find a helper and have them hold the stick in the neutral position with the transmission in neutral. Now attach the selector lever to the shift rod and snug it up enough that it doesn't slip. then with you under the car have your helper put the stick in the reverse position and listen for the telltale "cachunk" of reverse engagement. if you don't hear it then loosen up the relay lever, reach up over the trans and grab the shift selector lever on it and push as far as I can towards the front of the car, then over to the drivers side(listening for the click). Once you have the trans in reverse and the shifter in reverse, snug it up a little, and then have your helper run through all the gears to see if they are right.
> 
> generally speaking, once you have it so you can get into First WITHOUT pressing down on the shifter, and you can ONLY get into reverse if you DO press down on the shifter, then you pretty much nailed it.


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## samsquanch.. (May 13, 2010)

edited, reworded in next post*


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## samsquanch.. (May 13, 2010)

what originally happened was the ball at the end of the relay lever and shaft came loose from the selector lever. This is where the guy from USRT told me the ball just needs to be glued back in. It just forced me to have to press the shifter down (like going into reverse) to get it into 1st. But I wasnt going to take that all apart until this winter when the caddy will get stored since it was still working fine.

But yesterday while going from 4th to 5th gear, the shifter just kind of clicked and now it feels sloppy. I can push the gear un and down and side to side, but it doesnt cause the tranny to engage the gears. I can twirl the shifter in circles at all positions. 

I got under it and noticed what I posted in that picture earlier. A buddy said that the yellowish piece on the right should be down below the darker piece on the left. I havent gotten confirmation but its definetley in a different position from last week when I had it up on the lift during an oil change.

Someone in the local forum said...



thatcrazylaxdude said:


> It almost sounds like either the spring in the shifter lever bearing assembly snapped or something is wrong with the shift rod bearing entirely. What that guide is is the reverse lockout, when you push down on the shifter to go into reverse, the fork goes down under that, so that you don't shift into reverse on accident. If it is under that, did you try pushing down on the lever and bringing it into neutral? By not letting you into any gear, is it just not moving (the stick/selector), or can it move and the transmission just won't go into gear?


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

I am a bit confused. could you be more specific about what broke, "rubber ball from the U joint" 

look at the exploded diagram in the original post to see the actual parts names..


the diagram above does not include the exploded diagram of the parts in the stick shift itself. you can open up your bentley manual to page 8-9 and 8-10 for that. 

my bet is that when you went over the tracks you blew a motor mount which caused your engine to tip to one side, and that threw your shift linkage alignment out of whack. (read my origiunal thread for an explanation of this)

then, after a couple months of driving like that, the pivot bearing on the shift lever let go. - which you fix Inside the car. not underneath it.

so get inside the car, lift up the shift boot and look underneath there. thats probably where your problem is. if the bearing broke, the ball would slide down the shift rod and the spring that is on the rod, which is providing resistive force against going into reverse, would push the whole rod assembly up. that would make the whole thing sloppy as hell and probably make it impossble to get it into gear... you might be able to get it into gear by pushing down on the shifter tho...

here is the shift lever pivot assembly from gap
http://www.germanautoparts.com/Volkswagen/Scirocco/Transmission/407/1









I guess that I should probably make some additions to my original thread to include troubleshooting of the shift lever and pivot assembly.


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## samsquanch.. (May 13, 2010)

that makes alot of sense to be honest with you. I wouldnt say that the tracks broke my mounts.. id say the large beating my pan takes (its reinforced with 3/8" steel) that the mounts were trashed that way. I was planning to replace them all this winter.. kinda ufcks me over cus this is my DD and only car. But I'll figure it out. Thanks for all the info. This thread :thumbup::thumbup:

well done sir:beer:


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## mobiuslogic (Aug 27, 2003)

Wow. Awesome write up. I just have one question...: On GAP they sell a 145 shift linkage kit with spherical bearings on all the rod ends and six screws (which obviously fit the 6 spherical bearings). My question though is how are you supposed to install those. Are you supposed to drill out the existing spheres (that the plastic ball snaps on to) and install those in the screws in their place?


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

mobiuslogic said:


> Wow. Awesome write up. I just have one question...: On GAP they sell a 145 shift linkage kit with spherical bearings on all the rod ends and six screws (which obviously fit the 6 spherical bearings). My question though is how are you supposed to install those. Are you supposed to drill out the existing spheres (that the plastic ball snaps on to) and install those in the screws in their place?


that is exactly right. you might be able to twist them out with by clamping them in a vice and twisting the bits they are welded in to. but either way, remove old balls, install new balls.

p.s. I beleive those spherical bearing things are called Heim joints.


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## mobiuslogic (Aug 27, 2003)

Heim / spherical, same thing.  But thanks. Sounds like donor hardware is necessary if I want to make myself a set and not spend 145 bucks on them.....................


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

mobiuslogic said:


> Heim / spherical, same thing.  But thanks. Sounds like donor hardware is necessary if I want to make myself a set and not spend 145 bucks on them.....................


yeah, 145 seems a bit excessive... but ive priced out heim joints and I have to say, they arent cheap.

also, if you look at the kit, it looks like they have an assortment of parts on the screws to stand the joints off at a certain spacing from the rest of the linkage. probably makes a pretty impressive shirter feel. I wonder if anyone on here has one of these installed. I would be interested to know if it was worth the money...

I can tell you when I installed a brand new shifter rebuild kit, that I was totally blown away at how crisp and responsive it was. But in the few thousand miles that I have driven since then I can clearly feel that it has loosened up a lot already. That 145$ kit might be expensive and a real bear to install, but I bet it wont ever wear out.


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## mobiuslogic (Aug 27, 2003)

Oh I agree they're likely awesome, I just feel like I could build my own set up for much cheaper. I'm looking on McMaster and they only run about 5 bucks each (even a stainless M8 ball joint linkage (Ball joint with stud) is only 7 bucks). And supposedly mine were replaced about a year ago, but yeah, they're already getting sloppy. Granted I need to replace an engine mount I think, but still! And I can make my own weighted shifter just fine.


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## mobiuslogic (Aug 27, 2003)

So I put in a short shifter this weekend and replaced the two bushings for the relay lever. There is now some noticeably increased friction moving forward and backward in the gears (when the relay lever would be rotating). I realized I forgot to grease the two bushings while under there. What kind of grease should I use for the two relay lever bushings though? Or what kind of grease for all of them? Thanks!


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## nuctech (Nov 3, 2009)

white lithium grease :beer:


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## scirockin88 (Mar 12, 2012)

My only issue is finding first. I have to push down about halfway and then either go at a 45 degree angle or go as close to reverse as I can without going into and then go up..everything else seems to be just fine but first gear is such a pain in the @$$ to get into I usually hit 3rd instead which I'm sure you're well aware is not so easy to pull out in all the time.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

scirockin88 said:


> My only issue is finding first. I have to push down about halfway and then either go at a 45 degree angle or go as close to reverse as I can without going into and then go up..everything else seems to be just fine but first gear is such a pain in the @$$ to get into I usually hit 3rd instead which I'm sure you're well aware is not so easy to pull out in all the time.


This is a very common problem and has happened to me before as well. There is a section in the original post explaining how this happens and how to fix it.  
I know the original post is really long, but i tried to put each common symptom into its own section, and you should be able to find it by skimming. 

Good luck 

edit: I just re-read my own post, and I realised that there wasnt actually a bolded section regarding the exact trouble you were having. so Ill make an addition for that right now.


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## scirockin88 (Mar 12, 2012)

Honestly man if its as easy as it looks like it will be with the whole tightening stuff up it'll make it like a new again..its SUCH a pain to find 1st all the time like that. So basically, do you put it in neutral first so that both the tranny and the lever are in the same position and then disconnect that link or do you disconnect them and then start the process? That was the only part I was kind of unclear of.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

scirockin88 said:


> Honestly man if its as easy as it looks like it will be with the whole tightening stuff up it'll make it like a new again..its SUCH a pain to find 1st all the time like that. So basically, do you put it in neutral first so that both the tranny and the lever are in the same position and then disconnect that link or do you disconnect them and then start the process? That was the only part I was kind of unclear of.


I tried to make an addition to my original post, but I gave up. I need to rework the whole post so it isn't so confusing, but the whole thing is so overwhelming, and I wrote it. *lol*



So, (assuming that you haven't been under your hood screwing around recently) your issue really is most likely caused by a blown, or failing, drivers side motormount. There are instructions in the bentley on how to replace this, but in the mean time you can compensate for it by simply realigning your shift linkage.

You do this by following my cheat, as mentioned in the op somewhere. To summarize, what I do is loosen the nut/bolt on the shifter relay lever(see the diagram in post #1) just a little bit,(so it could slip under force, but not under regular pressure) then putting it into reverse(with the car off) and then forceing the shifter a little bit to the right. Then test your alignment to see if that helped. Keep trying until you get it so you have to push down for reverse, but not for first. Then snug up that relay lever nut/bolt.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

Just to clarify, you never actually disconnect the link. Just loosen it a smidge. You might have to loosen it more if you can't get the alignment to change when you lean on the stick.

Note, if you go too far so that you no longer have to press down to get it into reverse, you can just do the opposite bu putting it into 5th and leaning the stick to the left.

Tip: in case you were unsure of how you would know if you had found reverse, reverse gear makes a very unique audible click/clack sound when you put it into gear. And also, your backup lights will turn on.


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## scirockin88 (Mar 12, 2012)

JonnyPhenomenon said:


> Just to clarify, you never actually disconnect the link. Just loosen it a smidge. You might have to loosen it more if you can't get the alignment to change when you lean on the stick.
> 
> Note, if you go too far so that you no longer have to press down to get it into reverse, you can just do the opposite bu putting it into 5th and leaning the stick to the left.
> 
> Tip: in case you were unsure of how you would know if you had found reverse, reverse gear makes a very unique audible click/clack sound when you put it into gear. And also, your backup lights will turn on.


Thats what I meant..but I know when I go into reverse its just a matter have having to re-shift..its an uneccesary hassle, should be able to just throw it in first without even thinking about it. Anyway I'll give it a shot when I have a nice day again and hopefully get that problem solved, I'll get back to you on my progress or if I hit any snags..thanks for the help though. :thumbup:


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## forestgreenjett (Jan 20, 2009)

*shifting issue*

i just got my car on the road and have a lot of issues getting it into 2nd and fourth gear in order to get into 2nd gear i have to push down on the shift knob and go all the way towards the bottom left corner and most of the time it doesn't go in any ideas of how to fix this ?


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## TBerk (Oct 9, 2000)

I'll let Phenom way in w/ the grit and weight but I'm going to suggest you get one of these to kick things off. The bushings must have deteriorated over this length of time-

http://www.parts4vws.com/catalog/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=A1798211B 









http://www.parts4vws.com/catalog/product_detail.asp?PartNumber=A1798211B


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## _papa_john_ (Sep 29, 2012)

*HELP!!!!!*

I recently got an 85 scirocco and the reverse gear doesnt work. i put it in reverse and it skoots back an inch and drops out of gear. is it linkage or someting internally??!!?!?!


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## mannweiss (Oct 4, 2006)

JonnyPhenomenon said:


> I wonder if anyone on here has one of these installed. I would be interested to know if it was worth the money...
> QUOTE]
> 
> I installed one of the USRT heim joint kits on my roommates 83 GTI.
> ...


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

mannweiss said:


> I installed one of the USRT heim joint kits on my roommates 83 GTI.
> 
> You have to grind down/twist/drill out the original ball studs on a few brackets and sort out all the hardware and make sure its all there.
> 
> ...


 Thanks for the contribution man. I havent been on for a while and I am glad that my howtos are still getting some action. Ive got another howto in the works that I really need to get off my butt and finish, but Ive been too busy!


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

because this problem popped up in another thread, I wanted to crosspost my writeup from there over here so I wouldn't have to do it again some other day... I may not be right, but this makes sense, so here we go. 



TheMasterT said:


> Hmm so driving home last night, i went to shift from 4th to 5th, and it just wasn't there. I then tried to go back to 4th, wasn't there either. In fact I lost every gear. (the shifter will move freely around as if you are playing the crane game.) I checked all the linkages that I can see, I don't really know if there are more. I am thinking maybe its something under the shift knob? I am just not sure. It seems like everything is alright in the engine bay, but when i yank on the rod going through the firewall, there is a lot of play. At least more than when i tug on the linkages.
> 
> I have an 87 16v with a short shift kit.


 

Study this picture carefully, taking note of the exact names of the parts. 









Diagnosis: the nut on the bottom of the "Relay lever and shaft" has come loose. 

Theory: the nut on the bottom of this shaft holds the relay ball (shown but not labeled) in a fixed position. if this is loose enough, forward and backward movement of the shifter will not engage gears. 

supporting arguments: (Based on your description of the problem) 
1 You described your shift rod going through the firewall as being really sloppy, but otherwise appearing intact in the engine compartment. the loose relay ball would not present with sloppy linkage feel under the hood. 
2 its a common problem and easy for this nut to come loose. 
3 the sloppy "Shift Rod" feeling is caused by a blown shift rod bearing. extremely common. 
4 occam's razor. alternative solutions are possible, but highly unlikely. 

Alternative possibilities: 
1: you missed something obvious. any one of the "Selector Rods" could have popped off the ball, or worse, the socket could have pulled off of the rod itself. 
2: the long bolt which connects the "Shift Rod" to the "Shifter"(not pictured) could have fallen out. its not easy for this to come all the way out. this would exhibit the symptoms you describe. even to the extend that you _might_ be able to pop the car into 4th by pushing down on the shifter and pulling rearward. 
3: the "selector lever" clamped to the end of your shift rod could come loose and exhibit similar symptoms, but unlikely to present with these symptoms suddenly. usually preceded by inability to to use any gear besides 3 and 4. 
4: the ball itself broke in half and fell away. happens occasionally, but usually just makes it Hard to engage a gear. but not impossible. 
5: following alternative #1, your short shifter kit may have come loose. if you used the kit which clamps onto and extends the length of the "Relay Lever and Shaft", this could loosen up and front to back movement on the shifter would not engage gears. 


take note: 
forward movement on the shifter pulls the shift rod rearward. (and vice versa.) 
the shift rod is clamped to the "Selector Lever" and it has a little pocket for the little rubber ball on the end of the "relay lever and shaft". 
forward movement on the shifter causes this ball to move rearward, which causes the metal "connecting link" to push and rotate the top of the "selector shaft lever" to the Drivers side(USA). 
Left to right movement on the shifter pulls the "selector shaft lever" in(left) and out(right) of the transmission.


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## TheMasterT (Sep 10, 2011)

nope you were quite right, had I checked my messages instead of monkeying around in the cold, I would have learned a lot more. Also somehow I didn't stumble across this thread. I apologize


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

TheMasterT said:


> nope you were quite right, had I checked my messages instead of monkeying around in the cold, I would have learned a lot more. Also somehow I didn't stumble across this thread. I apologize


awesome man, glad you got it sorted out. and also that you dropped in to let us know I was right


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## rabbitnothopper (Oct 19, 2009)

many of these pieces use what are called "stover nuts" which instead of being nylon stop nuts or regular circular nuts
they have a tapered edge and that end edge is shaped like a 0 instead of an O

these are not as affective as nylon stop nuts but they are affective enough to prevent them from falling off entirely (they will loosen but not come off the thread)


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

rabbitnothopper said:


> many of these pieces use what are called "stover nuts" which instead of being nylon stop nuts or regular circular nuts
> they have a tapered edge and that end edge is shaped like a 0 instead of an O
> 
> these are not as affective as nylon stop nuts but they are affective enough to prevent them from falling off entirely (they will loosen but not come off the thread)


thats exactly right. the trouble is most people replace it with a non "stover" nut.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

Hello again fello 'Rocconauts...

A question was posed to me via instant msg, which I wanted to add to the thread and include my response. 



Kumba1 said:


> I have bought an mk1 jetta and the previous owner did a rebuild on the shifting. Every gear shifts smooth as butter, but sometimes first gear is hard to get into. I usually have to go into 2nd and then into first while i'm at a stop, or slightly push down on the stick and then it easily glides into first. There's no grinds, but first gear is hard to find. I read your post and didnt see anything about this. Any suggestions and tips? I'd appreciate a run down on what to do. Thanks =)


Hey Kumba, this is a good question which I should add to the thread. Thanks for bringing it up!

that problem is really quite common to vw 020 transmissions. the "problem" is not with the linkage, but with the synchro rings inside of the transmission. 

the short answer to your question is: its perfectly normal, shift into second first just like everyone else with a vw does. 
a better answer, also short, is replace your tranny fluid with Penzoil Synchromesh which you can get at pep boys and it will help a LOT. 










long answer:
if you dont know anything about transmission internals, Ill give you a quick run down.
the transmission has two shafts that run the length of it. one for input and one for output. ALL of the gears are on these shafts and (most?) are meshed together regardless of which gear you are "in". 
the way that you are able to switch between gears is by sliding a locking collar into one moveable gear at a time into the position where it matches speed with a stationary gear and simultaneously locks itself onto the shaft. some gears are moveable on the input shaft, and others are on the output shaft.

in order to make the gears engage without grinding and chipping teeth, they use Synchroniser collars and rings. 

when you push it into gear, one fork or another presses the appropriate sync collar into position where it lines up the teeth and allows the gear to slip into engagement without grinding. the brass sync ring acts like a clutch to synchronise the speeds that the shafts are running at so the gears can come together. 

1st gear is often "troublesome" because when you are slowing down to a stop from anything like 3rd to 5th gear the speeds of the shafts are so dramatically different. it takes time to match the speeds of the shafts. Shifting into second before 1st gives you an extra stage two match the speeds. 

You will find that (instead of trying 2nd first), if you apply force to the shifter for an extra second longer that it will eventually just pop right into gear. You are basically giving the transmission a little more time to match shaft speeds and allow the collar to engage. 
there are other factors at play as well. For instance, the brass synchro ring on first gear gets more use than any other gear since it is allways first. (hello) The transmission fluid doesnt last forever, and is probably as old as your car. Penzoil synchromesh is a modern formulation build SPECIFICALLY for this job. It allows the transmission to be well lubricated, but allows more friction where it is needed, on those synchro rings. 

more information, with pics here
http://www.brokevw.com/gear_selection.html


Good luck!


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

^ ^ ^ +1.
That stuff is absolutely _amazing_. 

The Scirocco hated 1-2 shifts when warming up. Until I changed to that oil.
The Quantum hated 2-1 shifts (and, wasn't the happiest going into 2nd, either) when cold. Until I changed to that oil.
Magic in a bottle. Well worth the 8 or 9 dollars a quart it costs. 
(Also available at Advance. I don't believe Autozone or O'Reilly's carries it (can't find it on their sites.))


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## ducksrunner25 (Sep 7, 2010)

*Having to push down to get into reverse*

So I thoroughly read through this thread, great stuff by the way, and I'm pretty sure I need a new driver side engine mount. But just to be sure of this before I drop $150 bucks, I want to be sure this is the problem. 

The onset was rather quick, my girlfriend was driving her car just fine yesterday morning and later that afternoon it absolutely refused to go into first the normal way. So after messing around with it I found that the remedy you mentioned (pushing down as if going into reverse to get into first) worked just great. Super annoying but at least we made it home. Is it normal for the engine mount to go out that quickly? 

Note: She drives a MK1 Audi TT, 225hp


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

yes, it is normal for them to go that fast. because when they go, they go.

EDIT:
please note that the drivers side motor mount is a total paint in the rear to change. reardless of cost, replacing the mount is actually the bigger issue. So dont buy the part before you start the job. instead, inspect the old mount first. unfortunately, that pretty much means taking your engine bay half apart to get to that one just to SEE if its bad. if it isnt bad, you DONT want to replace it. because you have to take your timing belt and a few other things off in order to remove the mount carrier, so you can take it somewhere to get the old one pressed out and the new one pressed in. you simply cannot swap that mount with the engine in the car...

If you Do find out its bad, its more worth it to just to leave it apart for a couple days while waiting for the replacement parts to be ordered and delivered than it is to "just change it anyway". 

if you do have to order a replacement, GermanAutoParts.com will get it to you really fast, but it still could take a day or two. 

actually, while I am on the subject of that bastard drivers side motor mount, I guess I will throw this out there as well: Instead of pressing out the old one and installing a new one, if the mount is not toally shredded, you can just firm it up by installing a poly engine mount insert. Gap has them for about 11 bucks and all you do is lower (or raise?) the motor to expose the mount, and take this red hunk of plastic and stick it in the mount. it will fill the voids in the mount, firm it up and stop it from getting any worse. 

it will make your car buzz a little bit more, but its a fair tradeoff.









http://www.germanautoparts.com/productdisplay/72500

Note to the folks over at GAP, I havent seen any kickbacks lately, what seems to be the hold up?  :beer:


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

ducksrunner25 said:


> So I thoroughly read through this thread, great stuff by the way, and I'm pretty sure I need a new driver side engine mount. But just to be sure of this before I drop $150 bucks, I want to be sure this is the problem.
> 
> The onset was rather quick, my girlfriend was driving her car just fine yesterday morning and later that afternoon it absolutely refused to go into first the normal way. So after messing around with it I found that the remedy you mentioned (pushing down as if going into reverse to get into first) worked just great. Super annoying but at least we made it home. Is it normal for the engine mount to go out that quickly?
> 
> Note: She drives a MK1 Audi TT, 225hp


You know Ducksrunner, before you go mucking around with the motor mounts, check the linkage first. its really easy to do and doesnt cost you a dime.


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## ducksrunner25 (Sep 7, 2010)

Yeah, it turns out the linkage was out of alignment. Haha and it's a pain to get right. It's so temperamental

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2


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## JimmyJohn24 (Jun 21, 2012)

I had a dealership quote me 750 for a linkage problem. I had replaced the transmission with a 84' gti. The linkage bellarm and bellbracket? i think. Was not attached. I used my old piece and worked with a friend to find appropriate spacing. The dealer told me that The whole main shift rod was shot and I would need 450+ for parts and 350 for labor. I think this is b.s. what do you lot think?


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## ducksrunner25 (Sep 7, 2010)

I have a hard time believing that a shift rod is 450 bucks. Much less labor being 350 since you can drop those trannys in under an hour in some cases. I've heard of these rod rusting and getting stuck though so you may want to start there. If you have another car you can drive it'd be worth your time to check this out yourself while you take this one apart. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I777 using Tapatalk 2


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## JimmyJohn24 (Jun 21, 2012)

copy that! Yeah, he said its a ball/ or knuckle like part attached to the shifting knob. This engages the primary shifting shaft i suppose? He is a great tech, but I'm going to check it out myself; and do procedures form your forum before buying anything aftermarket or dropping 750. 
Thankyou, great write up dude!


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## rjohns1 (Aug 9, 2006)

Thanks for the info from this thread. I successfully rebuilt my shifter this weekend. One thing that really gave me trouble was the bolt at the bottom of the shifter, that connects to the rod that goes down the tunnel was stripped. I guess the P.O. over tightened it. I rebuilt everything else, but there was so much slop at that connection there was no way I could align everything. I had to pull the shifter and that rod out through the passenger cabin, cut the nut off, and then use a die to make new threads, and use a different nut. Once I replaced those bushings, put it back in, I had that baby aligned first try.


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## rabbitnothopper (Oct 19, 2009)

i have a 4 speed 
do i need to worry about this bend if i have a short shift? 









also my ball relay keeps wearing out... 









notice how it isnt square/rectangular anymore 
this causes slop in the forward to rear movement 

this is my OEM unit but the replacement also has the same problem 
it was perfectly square when installed 

any fix? i have a weighted rod too...


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

I dont know about the 4 speed tranny. you may not need that bend. it is easy to tell tho. either it binds or it doesnt. you can look at the linkage while someone runs through the gears too. 

if your ball relay wears out its because that nut keeps getting loose. Make sure you have a really good lock nut on there. you might want to try replacing the relay lever and shaft* too, as that is undoubtably worn as well. You could fill the void with some epoxy/JB weld too if you were feeling daring. just keep it off the threads and make sure your lock nut is secure. 

* Germanautoparts has a short shift kit that replaces that part, but it is 60 bucks. 
http://www.germanautoparts.com/productdisplay/2354 




rabbitnothopper said:


> i have a 4 speed
> do i need to worry about this bend if i have a short shift?
> 
> 
> ...


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

rabbitnothopper said:


>


 Oh! I totally forgot! you are probably missing a special washer between that but and the ball lever! 

the relay shaft has that obling section where the relay ball lever fits. if you wind the nut straight on, the base of the nut doesnt apply enough clamping force to the lever before it bottoms out on the shaft. there is a washer that is just a little bigger than the hole in the ball lever, and when you tighten down the nut it provides more force where it is needed on the lever.


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## rabbitnothopper (Oct 19, 2009)

i have the washer and the metal on the shaft is still square 
jb weld wouldnt hold up to the stresses on the two mating surfaces 
probally only welding and filing square would suffice 

i need to get a replacement "stover nut" on there as mine is almost round instead of oval now 
it doesnt seem to back off but new nuts and bolts are always the norm these days 

thanks for your input 

the thing i like about the upgraded TT short shift shafts is that they bolt into the end instead of thread onto an extrusion of the metal and attach via a nut 
that is a better design overall.


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## ryansux (Jan 18, 2004)

I'm just buttoning up my cabby after a clutch job and I've noticed the front of the relay lever is hitting the motor. I can't really get any gears. Obviously something is completely wrong, but I haven't working on a mk1 shift linkage in forever (just picked this thing up two weeks ago) any insight? It also has an adjustable connecting link that looks to be rubbing on the corner of the block.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

ryansux said:


> I'm just buttoning up my cabby after a clutch job and I've noticed the front of the relay lever is hitting the motor. I can't really get any gears. Obviously something is completely wrong, but I haven't working on a mk1 shift linkage in forever (just picked this thing up two weeks ago) any insight? It also has an adjustable connecting link that looks to be rubbing on the corner of the block.


something has gone terribly wrong... probably your rear motor mount is not attached anymore....

edit: if youve done a clutch job,m the rear motor mount was probably removed, and when you put it back together it might not have been put back correctly. Follow the Bentley manuals instructions on fastening and aligning the motor. that is in chapter 5 page 57-58 in the rabbit jetta scirocco mk1 bentley, or chapter 3 page 27-28 in the mk2 scirocco bentley. take special consideration of the image in figure 5-8, as it shows the proper orientation of the rear motor mount. also, consider figure 5-10, as it shows the orientation of the front motor mount in its ciorrect "nuetral" position.


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## j.fopps (Jul 9, 2008)

(put this in the wrong thread originally)

Awesome write up. Put in the synchromesh and it definitely made a difference. Still have some small issues but its definitely 100 times better than it was. 

Anybody know what the problem might be if you gotta push reverse and 1st completely all the way in and if its a fraction of a mm not all the way in gear it slips out of gear and grinds?(sorry for the stupid wording, can't think of a better way to say it)

Would this some kind of linkage problem or could it be the trans itself?


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Probably linkage issue (slop, and/or misaligned), and/or broken engine/trans mount(s.) 

Mounts-wise, most common are the right (engine) and rear (trans) mounts.
Linkage slop, well... how's yours feel?
Linkage alignment: impossible to correct, until/unless mounts and linkage condition are corrected. 

Don't write off the trans until you've made sure everything else is 'right.'


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## j.fopps (Jul 9, 2008)

cuppie said:


> Probably linkage issue (slop, and/or misaligned), and/or broken engine/trans mount(s.)
> 
> Mounts-wise, most common are the right (engine) and rear (trans) mounts.
> Linkage slop, well... how's yours feel?
> ...


well i definitely have major slop. just did all the motor and trans mounts so thats not the issue. guess i gotta figure out the slop


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Well, that part's easy - just replace all of the wearing parts in the linkage. 40-ish dollars, and it's like getting a new car.  
Parts needed (and sources) mentioned earlier in the thread.


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## marcmax (Feb 12, 2014)

*I've tried everthing! Please Help!*

Thank you for the excellent write up. I have been struggling with shifter issues for the past couple years, mainly I'm having difficulty getting into 3rd and 4th gear. Over time, getting into 1st became a problem too, and I'd have to go into second before shifting into first, or push down as though I were going half-way between reverse and 1st. My shift linkages are fairly new (replaced everything a couple years ago, when the shifting problems started...and that pretty much fixed it for a while) Anyway, after reading through the post, I followed the advice and changed my gear oil....no noticeable change, but glad to have fresh oil in there. Last weekend I changed all four motor / trans mounts and followed the bentley alignment procedure, and it is much, much easier to get into first now. the driver's motor mount was starting to go, and the passenger side was pretty bad. 

BUT, I still can't get it into 3rd and 4th easily. I have followed the shifter alignment procedure in the bentley manual to a T, and I have the 15 mm gap between the reverse lockout tab (and it is centered on the shift housing when in neutral) and the alignment holes are dead on up top on the shift plate inside the cab. My worry is that it's something in my trans....

When the car is sitting still I can run through all the gears like butter, but once I start driving getting into third gear requires are counter-clokwise 'hook' motion as I push up with some jiggling too. Then, to get into fourth I have to do a 'double whipping' motion until it falls into gear. It just so happens that my clutch has started to slip slightly and I'm going to replace it this weekend, so if my shifting problems are actually transmission related, I'd like to replace my trans while have it out. I should also mention that I have no grinding in any gears, no popping out, and I can easily get into 1st, 2nd, 5th, and reverse without any problems at all. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated....especially because I'm now the only one who can drive this car, and my wife would be very happy if I could fix it!

Best,
Marc


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## Shavarsh (Jan 12, 2014)

Hello, thanks for the informative thread! I am putting the linkage back together from a pile of parts and I am missing what is labelled the "connecting link" in the given picture. Where can I get a cheap replacement for that part? Thanks in advance!


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## wsparks (Apr 23, 2014)

*first and second*

sometimes the gears dont seem to shift right with the shifter in first it will be in second gear and with it in second it will be in first gear. but that is only sometimes sometimes it shifts properly. so its a guessing game as to what gear iam going to get with those two gears. it seems like if i down shift into either that i will get the right gear. do you think this is the linkage or mounts or gear oil? thanks


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## Gromel (May 12, 2012)

if nothing seems to fix your shift linkage, you have replaced everything and the adjustments are correct,clutch cable is adjusted properly, gear oil is fresh........the problem may be the clutch cable support tube at the firewall bending or broken. Sometimes they look ok but are bending under pedal pressure so the clutch is not releasing all the way.


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

Hi Marcmax! sorry I havent got back to you sooner, but I rarely get on the tex anymore these days.

you are having trouble with your 3rd and 4th gear shifting mechanism inside the tranny. the 3rd and 4th gears are operated by the shift fork and slider gear. 

So you could have a bent 3-4 shift fork, or a cracked slider gear, or maybe just something as simple as a slider key that has come out of place. 
unfortunately, fixing it would require removing the tranny, and you may as well swap in a different one while you are at it. 

Note: thanks for this valuable contribution to the thread. You brought up something the thread was missing regarding how the shifting happens inside the transmission.

So sum up: the 1st and 2nd gears operate as a pair, (as well as the 3rd and 4th) with one shift "Fork" and one "slider collar" operating between them. 

if you are having trouble getting into these pairs of gears independently from the others, then you most likely have internal troubles. 




marcmax said:


> Hi JonnyPhenomenon,
> 
> I've found your post on shifting troubles to be very helpful, but I'm still stuck. This is what I posted on the thread, but since the original is quite old I'd thought PMing you might be better:
> 
> ...


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## Shavarsh (Jan 12, 2014)

Hello all, the ball on my shift linkage sticks through the selector lever. This causes the selector lever to make contact with the metal rod holding the ball. I tried another shift rod expecting that my first was bent however that did little to correct the problem. I have also been told that the holes on the shift rod bearing bracket should be slots so I can adjust its position but as far as I can tell they are not slots. My current plan is to cut the extra length out of the ball-rod and weld it back together to shorten it but before I do is there another adjustment I can check? Thanks in advance


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## rabbitnothopper (Oct 19, 2009)

yes

check the position of the "relay shaft bracket" which is bolted to the steering rack
the mount for this bracket is welded to the steering rack

suspicions suggest that aftermarket meyle steering racks are not aligned properly and cause this issue


also im not sure if the 5spd vs 4speed are any longer or if its just the ball that is larger in diameter
you might have the wrong speed ball on there!


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## apalms93 (Nov 20, 2014)

I have to push in the shifter half way (as if im trying to go into reverse) and ease it in between reverse and where 1st should be to get it into 1st and second is also hard to find. Every other gear goes in easy.

I should mention this is in a 1.6 mk 1 with a 5 speed conversion.


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Either it's adjusted incorrectly, or you didn't replace your 4-speed linkage bits with 5-speed versions. 
Most of it's the same - if memory serves, it's just the rods that are different. 
(I think this topic was discussed earlier in the thread, though.)


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## fredybender (Nov 18, 2008)

Quoted from "missing Linkz" website:
_Note that some rare A1 vehicles have a ball of a diameter closer to 1"/25mm and also the 4-speed models likely have the smaller (~24mm) ball as well and the lever may also be shorter. The proper 5 speed lever is a shade over 3"(77.5mm) long. If this is the case on your vehicle, this part may require some modification (sanding it smaller or bending the ball cage larger) in order to fit it. And on '78 and older vehicles, there was only a simple o-ring on the end of the lever instead of the vulcanized rubber ball_


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## hardrocco (Mar 2, 2007)

apalms93 said:


> I have to push in the shifter half way (as if im trying to go into reverse) and ease it in between reverse and where 1st should be to get it into 1st and second is also hard to find. Every other gear goes in easy.
> 
> I should mention this is in a 1.6 mk 1 with a 5 speed conversion.


When you did your conversion, did you change everything over (shifter, shift rod etc) to 5 speed version?


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## Brixy (May 30, 2014)

*first or reverse - your guess*

At the start of this thread you refer to a link on how to repair the reverse lock out but the link is no longer there. Could you explain to me how to repair this or where i might find an updated link to the repair?


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Brixy said:


> At the start of this thread you refer to a link on how to repair the reverse lock out but the link is no longer there. Could you explain to me how to repair this or where i might find an updated link to the repair?


http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?3536691-Phenoms-Howtos-Shifter-Reverse-gear-lockout-repair


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

In the middle of my shifter bushing rebuild (sorry it's a Rabbit GTI but I've owned a few Sciroccos too fwiw!) and found this thread very helpful thank you. Curious if molybdenum and white lithium grease are interchangeable when lubing the bushings and selector rods to the balls how much needs to be put on? I assume just a light bit but would like to hear from the experts if more is better in this case. 

The turbo cooked the bushings completely in the Neuspeed relay lever so I'll put the stock ones in for now since I have them in hand and will by the Delrin type for next time.
Thanks Hoffa


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

In the middle of my shifter bushing rebuild (sorry it's a Rabbit GTI but I've owned a few Sciroccos too fwiw!) and found this thread very helpful thank you. Curious if molybdenum and white lithium grease are interchangeable when lubing the bushings and selector rods to the balls how much needs to be put on? I assume just a light bit but would like to hear from the experts if more is better in this case. 

The turbo cooked the bushings completely in the Neuspeed relay lever so I'll put the stock ones in for now since I have them in hand and will by the Delrin type for next time.
















Thanks Hoffa


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Hoffa said:


> In the middle of my shifter bushing rebuild (sorry it's a Rabbit GTI but I've owned a few Sciroccos too fwiw!) and found this thread very helpful thank you. Curious if molybdenum and white lithium grease are interchangeable when lubing the bushings and selector rods to the balls how much needs to be put on? I assume just a light bit but would like to hear from the experts if more is better in this case.
> Thanks Hoffa


 Moly and white lithium greases are not chemically compatible. They'll make a funky mess of each other. 
Moly is better here - better heat resistance, and better water resistance. 
And, less is more. Too much just attracts more dirt.


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## Hoffa (Jun 7, 2001)

cuppie said:


> Moly and white lithium greases are not chemically compatible. They'll make a funky mess of each other.
> Moly is better here - better heat resistance, and better water resistance.
> And, less is more. Too much just attracts more dirt.


Thank you 'Cup. I could not find MolyB in 3 stores but they do carry Moly EF which is likely similar. The tech at a local shop said to just use white lithium so that's what was used. After replacing all the bushings it feels great. Future repair will have me switch back as the old moly feels much thicker and as you suggest is probably better dealing with heat. 
Hoffa


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Next time: CV grease = moly grease. 
But, so long as all of the old grease was cleaned off first, you should be okay (for a while.)


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## JonnyPhenomenon (Jan 27, 2005)

Glad to hear this thread is still getting attention! Sure this is posted in the rocco forum, but mk1's are mk1's when it comes to shift linkage...

Any old lube would probably be OK. Not too much around the bushings. Those bushings wear out because dirt gets between them and the metal parts and grinds them down over time. Thats why many bearing points like these have boots around them to keep the dirt out. the Delrin bushing is very sturdy, and will probably "Never" wear out. mine shows absolutely no signs of wear and I only used enough lube to slip it on over the shaft. (yeah yeah, get your minds out of the gutter)

So dont sweat it really. Just put a heat shield around that turbo already!


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## Blu_Hare (Mar 13, 2007)

subscribed for later :thumbup:


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## jpawl (Apr 12, 2000)

Delrin is good in the case of dealing with heat from the turbo.


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## Solar Bozo (Jan 21, 2016)

*Rear selector rod*

Great posting. This is what I like about driving an MK1, folks are so helpful.

Been having problems getting into 1st on my 5-speed. Then last night I was stuck with third only. I stopped and popped the hood and saw that the rear selector rod end had come loose from the ball on the selector lever. I put it back on, and so far so good (though still having the first gear problem). I'll work on the first gear per your instructions, but I'm wondering if I should expect the selector rod problem to keep happening. Should I just replace it? Thanks in advance for your sage advice.


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## superloaf (Aug 4, 2005)

Great thread....but here's my story:

My Scirocco has had shifting issues for quite some time but I just haven't wanted to get underneath it so i put up with the accidental Reverse when I was going for First (always great in traffic!) and the difficulty getting into First, sometimes not so bad, other times really bad. And then a couple of days ago something got worse and I was down to only one gear: second along with reverse! No other gears could be engaged but I suppose those are the ones you want if limited to only two. So I figured I needed the Phenom-rific Custom Reverse Lock Out Metal Plate DIY Mod....went to hardware store, bought the necessary metal, bolts, nuts, washers, and then dug my drill out of storage, getting it all together for the big fix....jacked up the car, not high enough, ok, higher now....slide under there and what do I see? I see all of the OEM plastic reverse lock out material still in place just as it should be! So, now I gets worried....but the next thing I check is the relay shaft bottom bolt where it attaches to the ball and whadda ya know but that guy is loose, loose, loose! So I tighten it up, and then adjust the relay shaft with 15mm as per Bentley (Moses!) and now I have a shifter which feels better than I ever remember it!

Don't you love when you find one bolt which changes everything! Doesn't happen very often in the Scirocco world (or Alfa or Porsche world, for that matter.) 

Oh,then I adjusted my clutch cable and now my Scirocco is better than ever! 

Damn, and I was looking forward to the metal on metal gear engagement clunk!


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## scotttu (Jul 20, 2008)

cuppie said:


> Moly and white lithium greases are not chemically compatible. They'll make a funky mess of each other.
> Moly is better here - better heat resistance, and better water resistance.
> And, less is more. Too much just attracts more dirt.


Was getting ready to reassemble mine and saw that -I had the white lithium out too!

But I have plenty o' Moly - good stuff and thanks !!!!


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## Blade3562 (Aug 17, 2012)

Ok need help with this one. My shifter feels like it's rotated 10 degrees clockwise. I can't figure out what's going on. I've replaced everything except the lower ball(looked/felt) good and the actually gear lever mount(the silver and plastic thing, blanking on the name). This is really annoying because 2nd gear runs into the seat bolster! Another thing to note, I haven't checked but starting yesterday I randomly don't have to push down on the selector to shift into reverse. Maybe when I replace the front and rear motor mounts I changed the alignment? Passenger/driver ones are good. Maybe the tab just sheared off on my drive to work? Car was not originally a 5 speed it was swapped to a 5 speed from what looks like an auto. (Based on fuse panel wiring)

Shifter layout feels like

```
R 1 3 5
/_/_/_/
 / /
2 4

Instead of:

R 1 3 5
|_|_|_|
  | |
  2 4
```


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## Blade3562 (Aug 17, 2012)

Now I cannot access 5th gear. Is it possible the selector rod is out of an alignment and would cause this? We had some serious snow today maybe some built up and is preventing it, but it's too cold to climb underneath and look!


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