gearbox/linkage?

[sellers]

on my 8v, it is sometimes hard to get it into 1st gear, also it feels a bit loose, could this be the linkage or is it more probably the gear box

[Agreeable Slick]

I would do the gear linkages before you arse around getting gearboxes sorted out. Only about £6 for a complete repair kit from GSF. Should sort your problem as its usually the two big bushes below the gearstick and the one infront of the bulk head that go and make it hard to select gears

[sellers]

cheers slick

[golf gti 16valve]

was exactly the same on mine,bought the kits from gsf. and good as new, pretty simple to do to, i was worried tinking it was the g/box but it wasnt!!  

[Rain]

had same problem cept the previous owner tried to diy it and left the washer on that ball cup thing out, replaced the linkage and ball/cup thingy and then relised that reverse was now 1st gear :S carefull if you do it yourself lining the gears back up can be a pain, but really easy.

[Agreeable Slick]

Easiest way to re-align the gears (when you don't have the tool) is to get someone to sit in the car and then you or they play with the selector rods till all the gears are right, took me and a mate about 3-4 goes before they all lined up again. Had to take it out twice aswell, got into 4th, tried to go into 5th and found 3rd all along the top of the selector area, was quite funny listening apparently to it burbling along in 4th, then turning into a screaming animal spitting and hissing cos it got put into 3rd at about 85, mate looked down the road and  it was spitting flames and all sorts... 

[sellers]

so when i do this, i'll have to realign them??

[Agreeable Slick]

generally when you change them yeah, they are all interlinked and it can be bit of a bastard to get to them so unclipping them is the only way. They all end up flapping around. It's not a hard job to re-align them just need patience thats all. Sometimes they are too far left, sometimes too far right.

[sellers]

lmao, i really have no idea, but when i have a look and take it apart i;m sure i'll undertsand

[...joe]

just replace them one at a time and although some need to come off to get to others if you try to keep them basiclly all in the same place then you shouldn't go too far wrong. after its all back together just a bit of tweaking.
one tip though: use a bit of lithium grease, like you'd put on your bike, and they'll be smoother and last better from the start.