how do i remove gear shifter?

Im having real diffuculty in figuring out how the gear shifter comes out on a 1.3 mk1. I cant pull the unit upwards as the long rod that goes from the shifter to the gearbox is fouling on the tunnel, and i cant pull it through because the whole assembly is in a box thing that sits on top of the tunnel. The only other way i can see to get it out is to chop it up  

Can someone help?

have u followed the guide? have you un bolted under neath the car?

You'll need to disconnect the linkage underneath the gearstick first, then once clear it should unbolt from the top.

The guide is not the same. I have a plastic thing underneath the shifter. There are no bolts or anything which secures it but somehow its held on and i cant get it off.

Can you post pics of the problem area?

smallblock lever is totally different to the big block, you gotta drop it all out under the car.

assuming you just want to renew the housing, you might be able to do the mk2 trick of dropping the base down a bit till it sits on the exhuast, then poke/shove/wiggle till the housing comes out from under the stick in order to replace it.

the ball doesnt usually wear so most times you can just change the housing and job done. if you need to change the ball too once the housing is unbolted you should have enough room to wiggle the upper metal plate thru the hole in the base of the housing, then move it out the way then drop the stick down past the exhaust

No im replacing it with a cable shifter. I cant drop it down at all, there is just no way of it coming down, it has to be lifted out.

I dont have a pic but heres something i drew

ah sorry now i see. i misread the vag-cat diagram, to me it looked like the box came out from underneath but looking again and your diagram i see it comes out from the top! now i understand why this would present you with a problem

i take it theres not enough clearance at the front of the pole to allow you to drag it all out that way? there are 2 nuts that hold the metal plate on top of the plastic ball to the box, if you undo those then shove the plastic housing up and out of the housing, then wiggle it out from under the ball, does that give you enough room to then drop the stick out the bottom?

worst case, get the grinder out and chop the long orange rod, not like anyone is going to want to buy it anyway!

Oh i forgot to draw the reverse lock out. It basically sticks out on the yellow bit so it prevents me from lifting it out lol. I havent got time to f about… i'll get the grinder out!

I wonder how the hell they got it in there? Thanks anyway guys.