A2 Shifter Rebuild Tips?
The Bently shows the obvious stuff...
drop the exhaust
take out the heat shield
remove the center console stuff
unbolt stuff underneath
pull the box and "rod" out as a unit.
Installation is revers of removal.
If yer putting on a new "ball end", the
assembly is tight enuff that you can
get away w/o the cool VW tool.
Some have used Cassette tapes to determine
the proper spacing - I just eyeballed it (the
tool showed up via UPS the very next day - figures)
I could NOT get the "rubber ball" assembly off
of the rod, so I pulled the shifter box,
rod and part of the linkage out as one big unit.
I was able to "push" the cat and long pipe over to the
side to get the assembly out. Luckily the "clips" on
the exhaust did not "pop".
The biggest PITA is getting the roll pin off
of the bottom of the shift rod. The bottom "ball"
is spring loaded (thats how the reverse lockout
functions).
In my case the bottom of the ball had worn away so much
that the shifter had "dropped" and was no longer spring
loaded.
Getting the roll pin out is easy - use a ball
peen hammer.. and pull with some pliers.
Save the old pin - you may need it!
The super easy way to get the roll pin back in is to
use an SP tools roll pin holder.
The second easiest is to get an assistant.
Assembly the ball/spring/plate componenets on the
shifter.
Put the shifter knob back on the shifter.
Using a sturdy work bench at waist height,
place the shifter knob on your waist and
use the edge of the bench to compress the bottom
ball so that the roll pin hole is exposed.
Use your first hand to hold/steady the assembly so
that it does not fly across the room.
Curse, find all the peices, wipe the dirt/dust
off all the componets and try again. Use your
hand to hold it this time.
Use your second hand to grip the needle nose
pliers that are holding the roll pin
Use your third hand to use the ball peen
hammer to tap the roll pin into the hole.
Oh - you dont *have* a third hand?
The roll pin is "tapered" at one end to
make it easier to go in. make it easier
on your self and note this.
Once done retrieving the roll pin from across
the room a few times, give up searching after
1/2 an hour and re-use the old roll pin.
You'll discover the roll pin in a box of nails
next spring....
EWong
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