B5.5 5-speed Shift Linkage DIY

Has anyone seen (or could anyone provide) a DIY for adjusting the shift linkage? Because there are so few (5-speed conversions) around, finding the instructions has proved difficult.

Really not much to it. There are 2 rods. The only adjustment for each are under the shift boot and sound deadener cover. Each has a 6mm allen screw. The lower rod is for back and forth. The upper is for side to side.

Was not much to adjust; I connected one link the gearbox and the other to the shift shaft. Then, I torqued the two 10mm nuts by the shifter. I do have to say the reverse gear can be tricky to engage for someone unfamiliar with the car. How is your reverse gear engaging?

My car would pop out of 4th gear when under load at lower RPM's. We discovered a bad motor mount allowing the motor to jump and twist when accelerating. Changing the mounts eliminated probably 95% of the popping out of 4th problem, and I think a linkage adjustment may solve the other 5%. No trouble whatsoever getting in or out of any gear, including reverse.

While there may not be a lot of conversions, there have been plenty of B5s (and similar platform Audi A4s) that left the factory with a third pedal. Sometimes expanding your internet searches beyond the TDI club can reveal helpful information.

oilhammer said:

While there may not be a lot of conversions, there have been plenty of B5s (and similar platform Audi A4s) that left the factory with a third pedal. Sometimes expanding your internet searches beyond the TDI club can reveal helpful information.

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Different trans in the gas versions though, right?

Thanks to this post I resolved my hard to engage reverse problem. It made me look into the issue a bit further. I found this youtube on it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vw7gqAxHyxQ. it showed how to do adjust the linkage all my gears go in easy now. Hope this solves your problem too.

richmondvatdi said:

Different trans in the gas versions though, right?

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No, same transmission, just different ratios. But the shifter, linkage, etc. is all the same, so your query is not engine-specific.

Is this amount of vertical play normal?

Adjusting the linkage (assuming I did it correctly) seemed to reduce the frequency of it popping out of 4th gear, but it definitely has not gone away. So I am trying once again to get this solved. (I just ordered Whitbread's 30-lb solid flywheel and Clutch Masters FX300 clutch/pressure plate setup, and ideally I would like to resolve this issue before I pull the transmission out.)
One thing I noticed is what seems to me to be quite a bit of vertical play in the shifter. I am guessing 1/16" to 1/8". But since I don't have another shifter to compare it to, I'd like to get some opinions from you all.
Here is a 10-second video of what I am referring to. Normal? More than normal? And if more than normal, could this be causing my problem?
https://youtu.be/OEyMd2H4xag

I think you have a worn synchro issue.

imo000 said:

I think you have a worn synchro issue.

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Are you saying that because of the vertical play you saw in the video or because not staying in gear is a common symptom of a worn synchro?
The reason I ask is that the previous owner had the same issue. He had the guy who did the conversion look at it, and that guy supposedly pulled/inspected the transmission and found no issues with the synchro. I don't know whether to trust that information. That's why I am trying to rule out the shifter and linkage.

To me so far everything points toward a synchro issue. Hard to do a proper diagnosis over the internet.

imo000 said:

To me so far everything points toward a synchro issue. Hard to do a proper diagnosis over the internet.

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Yeah, I totally understand. However, I've been in contact with Dutch Auto Parts (Frans) looking into purchasing a 4th gear synchro and those guys are saying that their experience with the AFN transmissions is that synchro issues are very rare, and they suspect the linkage.
That is why I am trying to determine whether or not the amount of vertical play you see in the video is normal.
I don't want to spend the time and money to change the flywheel and clutch without solving the 4th gear issue. And I need to diagnose the problem now so I can have whatever parts I need on hand at the time we pull the trans.

I don't think the slopines in the shifter is the problem. If it engages into 4th well then the freeplay in the shifter isn't relevant. You would have to figure out a way to tek the linkage out of the equation. So need to get the car in 4th then somehow disconnect the linkage and see if it pops out or not. I can't see another way of testing this.