Fitting new gear shift ball on a 16v...

[gixerthrasher]

Can anyone tell me if I need to remove my exhaust system to gain access in releasing the gear shift ball underneath please..
I've just bought the full replacement bush kit and need to know if this will stop the grinding into reverse & crunch into 2nd gear?

[VeeDubGTI16v]

you dont have to, but it makes it easier. take the heatshield off first and have a look

it wont cure the crunching, thats the syncromesh!

[rubjonny]

yeah have a look at the linkage rebuild faq, theres plenty of room to swap the ball without removing the exhaust, as above just need to pull the heat shield out

[Ben Lessani]

It won't cure either of your issues, the only noticeable difference of a worn ball is when you can select reverse without pushing down.

You'd be better off trying some different gear box oil, Redline MTL is recommended, but your box is obviously worn, so no amount of oil or bushes will make it better

As RJ said, remove the heat shield and spin it around the exhaust, disconnect the main shift rod to give you more room and you can remove it relatively easily.

The cheapest and easiest solution is to change your driving style, let the revs drop to idle before selecting reverse and don't plough in the power into 2nd.