manual transmission: can't shift when engine running

[Andrew]

Hi folks,

I know this isn't exactly Audi but I used to getting an expert advise
here when I had a 4KQ, so hopefully someone would give me an advise on
my problem with a '96 Passat.

The car in question is 1996 Passat GLS, 2 L engine (code ABA), manual
transmission (code CRU).

Yesterday on my way to work I found myself unable to get the
transmission out of the 4th gear to neutral when slowing down to a
traffic light. Luckily, I was only a mile from home, so I pulled over,
shut of the engine, opened the hood, put the car in the 1st gear from
under the hood, turned the engine on with the clutch pedal depressed,
released the clutch and crawled back home in the first gear.

I partially disassembled the shifting mechanism and found that the
shifting link labeled 49 at this picture
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/090206/15611/ybSH1nx5mO.jpg (here is a
photo from a different siteL
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/090206/15611/a9dlr3jEoB.jpg) was worn.
The steel bolt originally molded into plastic was falling out freely
and I thought that was the reason of the shifting failure.

However, after having this part replaced (wondering why it was plastic
rather than metal in the first place) I still have a shifting problem
in the car.With the engine off I can easily switch between gears but
with the engine on I can only shift with a considerable difficulty if
at all.

The clutch pedal is solid and goes all the way up as it should but I
bled the clutch anyway, which did not help with my shifting problem.

The only other thing I feel needs to be said, that the failure from
normal smooth shifting to my current situation was sudden rather than
gradual deterioration. It was not like shifting was becoming
increasingly difficult lately until it became impossible today. It was
all fine and smooth and suddenly failed today on the road and became
completely impossible.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
TIA,
Andrew