Won't go into first.

[AndyPt]

Just put a new engine in my rocco, got all the gear linkages connected back up and it's pretty much ready to go, but when you try put it into first, it doesn't want to go in.

You can do it manually by pulling the bar that attaches to the gear box in the engine bay, but it won't push in from the stick, all the other gears are fine.

Any ideas?
Also, engine hasn't been run yet, if that makes any difference whatsoever.

[bengould]

You'll need to adjust the linkage where the bar from the gear stick joins to the linkage. Mine is the same since I changed all the bushes.
Have seen a thing on ebay to help set the linkage up, I'll post a link later if I can find it.

Ben

[bengould]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160546653664? ... 2962wt_804

[mr.brown]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/160546653664? ... 2962wt_804

That's for mk2/3 Golfs.

As Ben mentioned in his previous post, you need to get under the car and adjust the the gap between the yellowy brown plastic thingy and the metal below until its about 15mm iirc.



The above pic is the view under the gearstick. Your car should have a rubber boot with plastic "lid" that you'll remove the get the same view. The long bar goes to the front of the car and the clamp bolt there needs to be loosened and the bar rotated until the correct gap is achieved.

[Mr Funk]

Got the same problem. Shall have a looky

[bengould]

That's for mk2/3 Golfs.

Thanks for the update. Glad I didn't buy that one.

Had a play with mine this morning. Used a 10mm socket that measured about 15mm O/D to set the gap. Worked first time.

Ben.

[Mr Funk]

Had trouble visualising that pic today so still got no first gear. The gear stick doesn't seem to want to go left enough, it's up on stands at the mo. may take all the linkages off tomorrow and start again. Got stainless ones which were perfectly good on the old box (although first was still a bit cack).
If someone could just answer something though, one of the bars has a kink in it, just need to know where the kink end needs to be. Hard to explain without a pic I suppose but at the mo it's on the gearbox end.

[Old Mac Rocco]

Page 155 on your Haynes shows the set up and it shows the longer leg, on the kinked one, nearest the gear box.
Page 158 shows the lever central to the stop plate when viewed from the side and 13 - 15mm away from the stop plate when in neutral.
Can pop a piccy up if required.

[Mr Funk]

Cheers but fella, made a bit more sense.
Refitted everything, managed to find first but need to push down slightly, apparently that's just everything being out of alignment but its mug easier with two people. Found this really helpful as well:
http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p ... ting-guide