The shifting on my mk2f has always been a bit rubbish - my first drive home in it I was pulling out of junctions in 3rd like a lunatic thinking I was in 1st and something was terribly wrong - turned out I needed to 'twist' the sifter counter-clockwise to get it to plonk into 1st. 1st to 2nd requires a lot more force than between other gears which is a bit of a pain jumping out on junctions and roundabouts. Got used to it and didn't think much of it but recently re-reading some other shifting queries I started to wonder if it doesn't need some new bushings etc.

 

I guess the question is - can this be improved with a refurb kit? Something like this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/353084687911

However if its likely to be just a simple part or two that'll make the difference i'd rather grab them from a named manufacturer.

 

The box is full of oil and leak free now but spent an unknown period of its life leaking and at least a litre low on gear oil before i bought it. Does whinge a bit at certain gears and speeds but nothing terrible.

Grabbed a minute to take the fascia off and peek at the shifter mechanism - you can see the bushing that the selector shaft run through move about laterally, guessing this isn't normal? All looks and feels very sloppy when you look at it moving.

Think you probably only need the cup and ball under the car, not selector finger and spring

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-Golf-MK2-MK3-1984-1998-Gear-Lever-Change-Repair-Kit/183365925404

 

I think mk2 golf is same as mk2(f) polo

 

It is Topran hans priess 

Edited 24 August, 20206 yr by dvderlm

Thanks! When its drier I'll have a crack at it all.

All done! Its like a different car, amazing quality of life improvement.

 

I ended up replacing the shift finger, pivot bush and socket and the seal/bush into the cabin. The main culprits for the slop were the plastic bush in the shift finger and weirdly enough the pivot ball socket - the little indents that the ball's tabs run in were the right width at the top but the ball's tabs had worn them out clockwise towards the bottom. The result was excess rotational play in the whole stick assembly.

 

Absolute pig to do though, took me much longer than expected (cleaned up and repainted the shifter housing too though). Had to unbolt the exhaust at the manifold to get enough room to remove the heat shield to get at the shifter housing bolts.

 

Followed Haynes for the gear selector setup - used an 11mm square oil plug key to set the lateral position and rigged up some cable ties to keep the stick in place. Worked a treat.