Gearbox Issues

[andykram]

So today whilst driving into Leeds I'm thinking I can't get the car into 5th gear. Sure enough, after a bit of fishing around, it's as if 5th gear has been blocked off - you simply can't make that forward slightly to the right movement to get it into that gear. Instead, it just goes straight forward into 3rd.
Being a little green in the matters of gearboxes I immediately feared the worst. But after looking in the "how to" section there's a post about gear linkage relay and I begin to hope it's just a linkage issue. But obviously I just don't know at the moment.
So what do people think? Is the above a symptom of gear linkage issues? (it'll snick sweetly between 3rd and 4th - it'll also go into 1st and 2nd well enough although they are a bit more obtrusive. It also used to go into 5th sweetly until today). Or do we think this is this something more sinister?
Any thoughts from you guys would be much appreciated before I trot off to see the mechanic.
91 16v GTi by the way - 118000 on the clock.

[VW BUSH]

Buy a linkage kit.
it most probably will sort the problem,  if you need box surgery then you will need a kit anyway to get the shift nice and smooth.
Dont want a fresh box and a sloppy stick

[andykram]

Cheers.
As I said, until today, it went into each gear without any real bother so I'm hopeful of not needing box surgery. Surely that explains why all of a sudden you just can't push it into 5th?

[sparkplug]

maybe the linkage has just come off one of the rods, have a look you may be lucky 

[Brighouse-gti]

I had a similar problem with reverse.  Bought a linkage kit from GSF, think it was around a tenner, and an alignment tool of flea bay, again around a tenner. I'd like to say I fitted it myself but took it to the local garage who did it for me as its a lot of faffing about. Robin Hood in Brighouse, not too far from you!

[andykram]

Cheers bud - have used Impact and Bespoke Detailing who are both in Brighouse so know the area quite well. Might give them a shout.
Either way, I'm glad to hear some of you who've had similar issues have been able to sort it relatively easily.

[gazareth]

i had that very thing happen to me in my old mk2 whilst stuck in traffic on the a556 on a boiling hot day happened once then never again after that. working perfectly to this day. I suspect it could be heat related.

[andykram]

Well, me and my mechanic have had a good poke around under the bonnet today looking at the gear linkage. To say it's all over the shop is a bit of an understatement so at least it looks like gearbox surgery isn't on the horizon. No wonder it's difficult to find gears at times!!

I trust this is the sort of kit which would sort me out? Similar thing on VW Heritage.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOTAL-GEAR-SHIFT-REPAIR-KIT-NEW-FOR-VW-GOLF-MK2-JETTA-MK2-1-6-1-8-GSRK-G2-5S-/361348551947?fits=Car+Make%3AVW%7CModel%3AGolf%7CPlat_Gen%3AMK+II&hash=item54220d550b

[Brighouse-gti]

Yeah that look about right, kit I got was just the bushes, that kit is new bushes and the rods up front. That kit would also mean dropping the gear lever and housing to fit that (pain in the arse to do) black ball which sits under the lever. You or your mechanic are going to have fun fitting that!!

[VW BUSH]

TSR did a metal ball joint version which was the nuts back a few years. Think you need to phone them for it.
it only takes a bit of the plastic to fall out or break off to knock out the alignment.
The main rod bush and golf ball pivot fall apart slowly  over time,  you can make up stainless items which do a better job, vortex has some good guides.
I made mine out of phozzy bronze.