Can not get 1st/2nd/Rev after rebuild

Hi Chaps
Some of you will be aware that I carried out a nut and bolt resto on a MK1 Golf GTi.

Once complete there was an issue with the gearbox which meant I had to find a replacement. I sourced a MK2 Golf 16V box and fitted this recently.

Yesterday I called at my garage to try and set the gear linkage up.

I tried and tried and all I seem to be able to get is 3rd 4th and 5ft.
I selected what I thought was reverse and the wheels are going forward so this must be 1st!!

As I say, I was there a few hours and had no joy. When in neutral the gear stick is 'springy' to the right but there is next to no movement to the left of central.

I have read that maybe a engine or gearbox mount may be the problem?

I notice that when set-up the gear selector bracket (one one the rubber ball sits in) does not point straight up but is angled to the left a fair bit. I am unsure whether this has anything to do with it. I have tried the finger at every possible distance from the bracket under the gear stick.

Any advice is much appreciated. 

Have you tried adjusting the end of the selector rod at the gearbox end ?, it has splines on it, undo the pinch bolt, slide off the clamp, turn it slightly then replace it so it has moved round a spline or two, usually this sorts it, there are guides on the site somewhere of how to set it all up correctly, another rough way is select reverse on the gearbox, position the gear stick so it's in the reverse position then do the pinch bolt back up, hope you get it sorted

hubbadubba said

Have you tried adjusting the end of the selector rod at the gearbox end ?, it has splines on it, undo the pinch bolt, slide off the clamp, turn it slightly then replace it so it has moved round a spline or two, usually this sorts it, there are guides on the site somewhere of how to set it all up correctly, another rough way is select reverse on the gearbox, position the gear stick so it's in the reverse position then do the pinch bolt back up, hope you get it sorted

Hi
Firstly thanks for replying.

Yes, all day yesterday I was undoing the clamp bolt and trying it in different spline positions.

I also tried selecting reverse on the box and then doing up the clamp.

Something is amiss….

TROOPER88 said

hubbadubba said

Have you tried adjusting the end of the selector rod at the gearbox end ?, it has splines on it, undo the pinch bolt, slide off the clamp, turn it slightly then replace it so it has moved round a spline or two, usually this sorts it, there are guides on the site somewhere of how to set it all up correctly, another rough way is select reverse on the gearbox, position the gear stick so it's in the reverse position then do the pinch bolt back up, hope you get it sorted

Hi
Firstly thanks for replying.

Yes, all day yesterday I was undoing the clamp bolt and trying it in different spline positions.

I also tried selecting reverse on the box and then doing up the clamp.

Something is amiss….

I say that….

I am slackening off the clamp bolt and then turning the shaft slightly whilst the shaft is still in the clamp….

That is rather then removing the shaft - turning slightly and putting it back in. This could be causing the clamp/bracket to twist as well.

Could this be the problem?

TROOPER88 said

TROOPER88 said

hubbadubba said

Have you tried adjusting the end of the selector rod at the gearbox end ?, it has splines on it, undo the pinch bolt, slide off the clamp, turn it slightly then replace it so it has moved round a spline or two, usually this sorts it, there are guides on the site somewhere of how to set it all up correctly, another rough way is select reverse on the gearbox, position the gear stick so it's in the reverse position then do the pinch bolt back up, hope you get it sorted

Hi
Firstly thanks for replying.

Yes, all day yesterday I was undoing the clamp bolt and trying it in different spline positions.

I also tried selecting reverse on the box and then doing up the clamp.

Something is amiss….

I say that….

I am slackening off the clamp bolt and then turning the shaft slightly whilst the shaft is still in the clamp….

That is rather then removing the shaft - turning slightly and putting it back in. This could be causing the clamp/bracket to twist as well.

Could this be the problem?

I guess it's possible yeah, a good sign is that you can get some of the gears, points to adjustment issue  

Hi Chaps
I made some really good progress today but it is a little strange…

I got a friend to sit in the car whilst I lay underneath so I could see excatly what was going on.
As I said the gearstick would 'spring' to the right but there was no movement to the left.

It quickly became clear that this was not a simple adjustment issue….

I mentioned before that the selector lever did not point straight up but was being pulled left.

With my friend moving the stick it appeared that the front selector rod (the short one) was simply not long enough to allow for movement to the left…….

Now I rememebered that I had a long rod in the garage that was a threaded type. It had bend in it but I cut it so that I just had the straight section. I then screwed the sockets back on making it about 3cm longer than the original fixed length rod that I removed.

As soon as I fitted it I had movement in the stick both right and left and after a small adjustment I had all gears

Why may this be??
It is a MK2 16V box??
Was the short rod supplied in the refub kit that contained all bushed too small??

It seems perfect now but naturally need to try it for sure..

Cheers

it may be you had a mix of mk1 and mk2 linkage parts, they are similar but not quite the same?

rubjonny said

it may be you had a mix of mk1 and mk2 linkage parts, they are similar but not quite the same?

You really do know your stuff don't you?

In what way are they different?

The gears are pretty good now but would you suggest that I now purchase the rods for a mk2 GTi??

It will be a shame not to get it 100% after all the work that has gone into it.

no you would need all mk1 parts when you do the swap, just if there were a couple mk2 bits mixed in there this could explain the difficulties you had getting it all lined up is all. but tbh if it all works fine now then i wouldn't worry. if you like post a picture up ofg what you have and we can see

rubjonny said

no you would need all mk1 parts when you do the swap, just if there were a couple mk2 bits mixed in there this could explain the difficulties you had getting it all lined up is all. but tbh if it all works fine now then i wouldn't worry. if you like post a picture up ofg what you have and we can see

Thanks mate
It is actually at the garage getting a few final jobs sorted.

With the gears, to make perfect I think I just need to 'unwind' the threaded rod i put in one turn each end and it will be perfect