[Vwdiesel] 16v list and shift cable questions

[Unit One]

Hello fellow diesel freaks!
Is there a good mailing list for VW Passats out there? Or ones dealing with the 2.0l 16v engines (a la GTI)?

Another question, I am having a problem with the dual cable shift mechanism in my 1992 Passat. The car goes into gear incredibly rough. It's almost like the "gates" feel mis-aligned. At speed, if you drop into neutral, it takes an act of god to get the car into 4th gear sometimes. 1st gear is a huge problem as well. You have to really force the stick into it. Sometimes a healthy bit of pressure to the left will make it go in "easier"
The previous owner toyed with it to see if he could fix the problem. Who knows what he did.

Is this a common problem with the cable shifters? Is there a surefire way to set the cables back to spec?
I am in the process of getting the Bentley for the car. Will there be info in there on this?

Thanks for any info you can provide!

Tom