MK4 Gearbox - Stiff Gearchanges

[HOLEIN1]

hi all,

i replaced my gearbox with a fully rebuilt item over the weekend, and have found that the gear changes are somewhat stiff...

my old box had seen better days, so a more of a refined/stiff feel would be expected, but this is a little excessive...

best way to describe it is not so much a crunchy sort of stiff, but more of a hard spongey feel, sort of as someone was pushing back at you while you move the gear leaver... gears slot in fine and dont pop out or anything, just a bit more of an effort to move the gear leaver...

thinking it may just need a minor adjustment on the shifter mechanisim or the shifter cables are twisted or something...

i have the 'old school' type of linkage as my car is a 1999 model...

filled it with redline MTL...

any input would be great

cheers, dan

EDIT: found out today that i have the new linkage style with the springs on both cables

[geoff_gti]

I've recently had a replacement box fitted too, although mine was 2nd hand not a rebuild. It feels a bit more notchy when I select first, and if you move through all the gears while stationary 5th & R are a bit tight sometimes too. Have to double clutch sometimes for 1st to engage. I just put this down to the replacement box having 45000km less then the original (which blew up)...

Mine is 2003 though, so don't know about linkages etc. The mechanic thinks it's all ok and agreed it would be because it's a newer box / less wear.

Did you go straight to MTL or did you have the box running with the oem oil for a bit first? I'm considering changing to MTL but because it's thicker I expect the gears to be a bit heavier on the throw anyway.

[HOLEIN1]

went straight with the MTL, box was bone dry before i filled it up... went with it as lots of people recommended it...

sounds like yours feels like my old one before it crapped out, pretty normal i take it...

all my gears feel the same, as if the shifter mechanism is rusty or something, but without the 'notchyess'...

[Jmac]

Maybe if you have new Baulk rings you m ay want to try and bed them in. It is a process that has to be done very carefully though. You can sit stationary and push the gearstick to the desired (tight) gear and feel the car creep slightly ( with no clutch) and ease off, dont hold it for too long but this gets rid of any dags or high spots on the baulk rings. I have done this on countless NEW Vws and Porsches and had great success
Cheers
Jmac

[HOLEIN1]

thanks for the input jmac

had a word to bug racer today and he reckons its somethign rto do with the shifter linkage... im about to go see a mate to give me a hand to adjust them...

if that doesnt work ill give that a try also...

turns out that i have the newer linkage style, so should be easy to adjust...

fingers crossed

[Jmac]

Ah hard to select every gear???? yeah gear selector, and its done with a pin or a drill mate
Cheers
Jmac

[HOLEIN1]

just had a play, and looks like i was on the right track - everything works a lot easer now

not perfect, but it can wait till my next service

thanks to all, dan