Gear linkage bushes replacement - DIY or not?

[GT_Lyons]

My 89' GT is in for some fettling at the mo, Carb manifold, gasket, oil pump oil seal, service and that's about it, so far so good! (My history with 4 wheeled money pits is far too long)

Mechanics had it for about a week now so i just want it back, the one outstanding mechanical job is the gear linkage bushes, all the gears select fine, sometimes my placement of the shifter leads to 2nd instead of 4th, but that's more me than the car, it's just a little 'clunky' and hasn't really bothered me.

But I just wondered if replacing the bushes are a DIY kinda job? I consider myself fairly handy and if it's not too hard I'd tackle it, so is it a DIY job or should I order the parts myself and get them fitted? Any advice on how to DIY would be appreciated

[essextom]

I've done it myself, not too hard of a job. You can get a special tool to line up the gear stick when re assembling. A lot of the job is under the car work so it may be easier to get the garage to sort it.

[steve bain]

i replaced my bushes with stainless steel baljoints. i will never have to replace them again! like this, but mine were stainless steel with stainless threaded rod between. not as easy as swapping them though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13mm-BALL-SOC ... 3aab13f1eb

[steve bain]

good reading here

http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/ForSale/ ... troduction

[Blueshark]

i replaced my bushes with stainless steel baljoints. i will never have to replace them again! like this, but mine were stainless steel with stainless threaded rod between. not as easy as swapping them though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/13mm-BALL-SOC ... 3aab13f1eb

But these are not stainless steel.
It says zinc platted in the ad ?.

Joost

[steve bain]

thats why i said, 'like this, but mine were stainless steel' :) i got them from RS componants, but they don't appear to do them anymore

[PeteGLi]

These http://www.springfixlinkages.com/en do a selection of various linkages.

[james butler]

i have to be honest, these parts are perishable items and i know that replacing them with metal ones would be a long term fix but the much cheaper plastic components will do the job as vw intended and you wont have to fanny about adjusting them up.
i was going to go down the stainless linkage kit but instead bought a bush kit off volksbits pershore road and haven't had an issue since and probably not for another 10+ years.
one thing i will say, BEFORE you undo any clamps that hold the linkage going to the gear stick, mark it up first or you will be there forever trying to get 1st and reverse in the right place.
as essextom says there is a tool that fits in the gap between the gear stick and the revers blank under the car when its lined up properly.

[james butler]

my advice is to replace the easy linkages 1st then progress onto the harder ones to remove the linkage slop.
no point in removing and replacing linkages that work fine.
that being said, its most likely that the one most awkward to get to will be the one that's most fubard!

[whiteshark]

I replaced my linkages with the VW plastic kit once. Great at the start but didn't last that long. I have a TSR set in one car, great and no problems. In my other car I have this kit,
http://www.usrallyteam.com/index.php?ma ... Path=13_34, a bit more work but very smooth. Unless you have access to a pit or ramps let your mechanic do it.

[GT_Lyons]

Thanks for the advice fellas... Ended up being a bit bone idle and got my mechanic to do it... Christ it feels like a new gearbox haha!

That's it now, all done and dusted, the bushes were the last thing to do repairs wise... Fingers crossed things stay that way !

[Bonusrocco]

anything to avoid jacking up a car is a good thing in my books

I found it was easy putting the linkage together except for aligning the spline to get the full range.

I discovered that if you put it into reverse or 5th, then set up the spline, all other selections find themselves. easy.

[big_wig_074]

what measurements do you use for 5th or reverse?