Jetta TD: Loose Gear Shift Lever Problem

My 1987 Jetta TD with a 4+E transmission has a lot of play in the gear lever, and the reverse lock is barely noticeable. It often happens that instead of first gear, reverse is engaged when starting to move.
In my opinion, the gear lever is already too low in its resting position, which is why the lock is not engaging.
Has anyone ever experienced this before, and how can the problem be fixed?

Regards,

Hendrik.

Remove the gear lever boot and inspect the ball joint connection at the bottom of the gear lever. This plastic part wears out over time, which can prevent the lever from being properly guided.

Yes, I think so too; how do you replace that part?
Is the ball available separately from VW?
Could it be that it only goes downwards?
That's where the heat shield and the exhaust pipe are located, so they'll probably need to be removed first.

Regards,

Hendrik.

Okay, in my Golf 2, it usually only came out from the bottom, but with a lot of fiddling and coaxing, I could sometimes get it out from the top. Normally, this plastic part is attached to a mounting plate with 3 or 4 screws.

It's questionable whether you can still buy this part individually from VW; it's worth trying. In the past, it was available as a single unit (ball joint/attachment), but I don't know if VW still supplies parts for the Jetta.

Could it really be that it's coming apart upwards? Isn't the shift lever firmly connected to the guide sleeve?
Was the Golf also available with a 4+E gearbox?

Regards,
Hendrik.

K.A. is a long time ago. The Golf was a purely 5-speed, not a 4+ spare gear or whatever it was called... Possibly that's why there's a difference.

You can only remove the gear knob with the ball by releasing the shift linkage at the front of the transmission. Then, you can pull it out at an upward angle and remove the ball from its housing.
The 4+E and the standard 5-speed transmissions have only different gear ratios; otherwise, they are identical.

Regards,
Daniel.

There was/is a repair kit available for the ball.

What you can also do (but only if you're confident in adjusting the settings afterwards) is replace the two plastic bearings in the guide mechanisms on the transmission.

Specifically, the one where the long horizontal rod goes in (you won't be able to easily change the others).

191 798 116, Replacement set for gear lever, approximately EUR 13.

There's a ball bearing and a few screws in there (I had them before, but I decided not to use them because the two plastic bearings already made a big difference).

(1 171 711 181 approximately EUR 1.50.

http://www.luxus-wg.de/~martin/auto_bilder/schalt_020.gif

m;

@dieselmartin:
Thanks for the tip about the plastic bearings. I'll try that first.
Could you please tell me the frame numbers in your GIF file so I can locate the specific frames more easily?

Regards,
Hendrik.

It's right there, at the top!

Quote:

171 711 181

You need two of part number 18.

Just remove the brackets (make sure to remove all 19, they are not symmetrical!), push out the plastic bearings, insert new ones, and you're done.

If you want, you can also replace the 19 with the corresponding part from the G3. It adds about 1 kg of weight, which makes it switch a bit slower, but also with a fuller sound.

I had modified a hammer by bending and welding it , but then I ended up getting the original one from the junkyard.

Cable pull switches (like TDIs, etc.) also have this kind of weight attached to them.

m;

That wasn't the case for me.
I was able to improve the 'left-right' game by replacing part number 36 in the image.
The bearings (1 haven't been replaced on my bike yet. However, there's this ball up front, right where the long shift rod ends, and it looks completely worn out on mine. It's probably responsible for the 'forward-backward' play.
I haven't been able to identify this sphere in the picture yet.
The 'up-down' movement is most likely caused by a worn-out ball located directly beneath the shift knob. However, none of the dealers in Wiesbaden had the repair kit in stock.

Regards,

Hendrik.

The ball located at the front of the engine compartment should be number 12.

You can also manipulate the game by bending the comprehensive piece numbered 17 (or inserting something in between). I had a small wooden piece attached to the number 17 with cable ties - it worked perfectly.

m;

Hello,

Okay, here's a question in a different direction:

For those whose shifting mechanism hasn't worn out yet, could the use of a long-lasting lubricant prevent it from becoming loose?

Or does the inevitable fine dust that accumulates over time, combined with grease (which acts like a grinding paste), cause the joints to wear out even faster than if you occasionally blow the dust out of the joints (when they are dry!)?

The main problem with the G2 is its completely exposed mechanism.

"Especially the sealing rings of the shift shaft (should be 20) are difficult to replace and are always covered in dirt."

"I used to always thoroughly clean everything after winter, sometimes scrubbing off any oxidation and then applying a generous amount of grease before reinstalling it, which would keep it in good condition until the next winter."

"On my G3 (cable-operated) system, I regularly lubricate the sliding piece used for gear selection, both from the top AND the bottom. Strangely enough, this also makes shifting gears easier."
http://www.luxus-wg.de/~martin/auto_bilder/Gleitstueck.jpg

Installing part number 19 from the G3 (with the 1 kg weight) also brought significant improvements to the G2, especially if you don't absolutely need to shift in 0.01 seconds.

With the G3, I ride without the weight because it bounces uncomfortably there.
http://www.luxus-wg.de/~martin/auto_bilder/tilger.jpg

That's all there is to say about my circuit modifications .

m;

What advantage does this ball (referring to a component) offer? Because the 35i didn't have it, and it shifted better at 174,000 km than our 3B with the ball, even though it only has 130,000 km.

Best regards, WarLord.

@ Warlord

35i ... 3B ??? Both have a cable pull system. The 35i has the older cable pull system (like the G3 TDI) with the plastic cross, while the 3B has the ball joint (like the G4 TDI).

But the ball from the post above is something completely different, because it's a shift linkage component for the 020 gearbox.

m;