shifter rebuild

[ggthack@swansea.ac.uk (Graham Thackrah)]

Hi there

I posted a few days ago asking for advice about shift mechanisms. I have a 1985
Audi 80 and the shift has become so slack recently that fifth and reverse have
become impossible to select. I was asking if the newer shift out of a mk 3 80
would be the same, unfortunately noone answered. I was thinking that most Audi
shift mechanisms were all the same until I read Graydons post, there is no way
that my shift mech would last 200k, it has gone at 117k. I have had the shift 
mech apart a few times to look at it and it is quite simple to replace, the 
problems would occur when trying to get the right alignment I would think. There
is a plate that the pivot point is attached to and it is important to get this
alligned correctly. A matter of a few millimetres is enough to make gear 
selection impossible. I tried to lubricate the mechanism the last time I had it
apart but it clearly couldn't do anything for the degree of wear already 
present.

To get mine sorted it is going to the Audi dealer tomorrow as I have no time 
to do the job myself. The part that wears and I think will need to be replaced
costs about 35 gbp from the dealer, I know not the part no. and it probably 
wouldn't be the same between the 4k and 5k anyway. This is the first time I have
been to a main dealer, The car goes in at 8:45 tomorrow morning and I was 
surprised that they offered me a lift from the garage to college, the garage 
must be between five and ten miles from college. Perhaps next time they can give
me a courtesy car?? 

The parts for the shifter pivot come as one part from the dealer, or at least 
that is what they told me over the phone.

Hope you have more time to sort the problem than me at the moment. How much do I
hate moving? 

Graham.