This is exactly what's wrong with my t4. I'm not particularly experienced with mechanics and this video was spot on for me with explaining the aspects of the repair etc. Thanks allot!!! Subbed.

Found this video VERY useful, Haynes & Brooklands manuals lacking in any detail, of this most common bush failure, mine has done 175k miles, never had problem with gear linkage before, & VW T4 specialist had van in for clutch replacement (slave cylinder fail) in January this year, and asked for linkage bushings to be checked & replaced as necessary, 300 miles later that bushing failed in traffic jam, could not find 1st! got to destination (Nick Masons Garden Party) ok in 2nd. and home on M4/5 - all other gears selected ok - I think I was lucky........ I did not think the JK replacement ball bush would go over the end of the shaft, but heated it up in a saucepan of water on hob in back of van, picked it out with adjustable jaw pliers with an 'o' ring on handles to keep grip on it, then greased shaft (held in upward position to stop it flopping around by a 1/2" drive socket 3/4" placed on top of selector plate & under gear shaft) and using 21mm or 13/16" 1/2" drive socket on knuckle bar, taped in right angle position, used this rather than crow bar to lever it onto the shaft (clunk!) on it went, My van has Air - con, so even less space to operate... lubed up the other joints with grease & gear lever linkage with WD40. all good again. thanks for the video, it was a good learning curve....P.S. we got the ailing T4 into the Super Car Paddock-we were supporting the T.I.P.E.C. Porsche club as we had a display of 32 1/43th Porsche models on the dashboard + Porsche badge! there was also a 1971 Avis Transit & '63 Land/Rover there, so the T4 raised the standard on the Van front!

Brilliant video, No annoying music straight to the problem very helpful. My T4 has suddenly got a slopy gear stick and can only get high gears and reverse so in the morning will go for it and check it out and just hope this is the problem and not gear box issues. Thanks again mate.

Awesome video! I had a look under the hood after realizing my 5th gear was having a hard time switching and found out my linkage looked exactly same as yours. I will definitely order a kit and do this.

Use silicone grease,not petroleum jelly (vaseline) as I think vaseline will make the silicone ball and joint perish.I also occasionally spray these parts with silicone spray.So far,they are still ok 8 years later.

Great video. Just got an old t4 and the guy gave me the linkage kit with it so watching this just made my life and my gear changes a whole lot easier. Nice one!

Thank you sooo much for making these. Manuals available are crud.

Just done mine, what a job! I had to drill the whole bigger works fine 🇬🇧

Mate excellent video. My gear linkages have gone about 5 times now. They only last about 3 years before perishing. And they always go at the most inappropriate time. In fact mine just went again earlier tonight while at the supermarket. Luckily I had a spare set in my glove box. I had a mate pick me up and take me home to get some tools, petroleum jelly and a mug of hot water. This time it was the cylindrical part that had broken and the balls were still solid. By the light of my mobile phone and a couple of crow bars I was finally able to get it back together. What an ordeal. This would have to be the worst design ever made. The last time it went I drove it for over a year not knowing I was doing major damage to the metal work under the car. No one would fix it. I had to literally go to the wreckers and source parts myself and do the job. Apart from that it's a great ride. Once again nice vid my friend 👍

Best video I've seen on how to do this. Well done, and thanks. Going to have a go now. Wish me luck.😀

good vid and well explained

Cracking vlog and thanks again for sharing buddy.

Thanks for sharing! 👍

Topman...spot on that

Thanks for the vid, MUDC!! I checked my linkage today, and there wasn't any ball left to replace, which explains the dodgy shifting LOL! Cheers mate. Best- Rob.

Good one thank you

Thanks for the video, I've got same prob, couldn't get 1st 2nd and reverse, now I know what iam up against, cheers

Thanks

Thank you so much for sharing this video. After watching your video I managed to rectify my VW t4. Thanks

Just done the bush above the gearbox a 1992 2.0 petrol. I was expecting a fight but after watching your vid it went like a dream. I bought a genuine vw replacement for £6 (local comercial dealer ordered it in) I popped it in a mug of boiling water for 10mins and it pushed on by hand with a bit of lube. I think the difference was getting the genuine vw part. Thanks for the video helped me see what i needed to do.

Great video, my T4 linkage went on me on Sunday. Looks straight forward, thanks mate 👍

Thnaks Pal

Amazing! Snoopy’s been having this issue, rac guy did a temp fix using a cut off rubber hose. Brought the parts and will be following your video to fit it

Really appreciate your clear video, I’m going to attempt mine, lost 5th and 1st gear after leaving Isle of Wight but just made it back to newhaven with 3 gears, i like an adventure .👍🏼

Good video!

The real PITA is to change the plastic bed where the smaller (left)ball is mounted.

Brilliant! Another job I reckon I could do

Thanks for this I work on T4s but have never done this job, the ball fell off my T4 van in the road where I live when selecting reverse! good timing as id been away for a few days, just ordered the kit looks nice n easy cheers..

Thanks for this guide. The original balls and genuine parts are made of something quite soft like silicone, the replacements like this are a type of hard nylon plastic or similar, not silicone. Much harder to get on, sometimes have to take apart the hole linkage if you can't get a lever it on in situ like you could. Other engines give more or less room it seems.

Fantastic, thank you so much for this illustration. This is exactly what i'll do with my VW MK4 GTI. Was told it is the linkage. Very handy video, thank you.

add a little Loctite to any threads .

great advice on here, thanks everyone. Just done mine, maybe I was lucky but it went on ok. warm it up, fill hole with vaseline, then use a long thinnish piece of wood, like the slat off a bed, and lever it on propping the wood on the bottom and pulling it over to the left, goes on no probs

Great video. Do you have a video of how to change the 5th gear synchro ring on a 2.5 TDI. Cheers

This video is excellent BUT nothing like my 2001 2.5 tdi caravelle .. a real beep of a job . so many water hoses rubber and metal are in the way . I managed the remove the bracket and replace the cup for the smaller ball . only for the cup to spring out when attempting to locate the small ball end .thre days and counting .. gonna strip out the diesel water heater and remove all of the hoses .. then have a better view of what is going on .

For the sake of a tenner it's a no brainer to replace it!

Good vidéo, well explained and looks easy. Mine came off but I have no access on my T4. Did you have to remove all of the pipes on yours? Mine is a left hand drive though. How long can I push without a fix??🤷‍♂️ Thanks and keep on the good work.👍

HEY NICE VIDEO :) HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND BOUGHT NEW BUSSING BUT SEEMS TO SMALL. WHAT DIAMETER DID YOU BY? mine is 19 mm but the hole in the middle wont fit. I HAVE A VW CARAVELLE 2.5 PETROL 2000 TANK YOU

day four .. the missus head butted the granite fireplace surround not a happy gal . broken face glasses nose duck billed swollen top lip;m the VW job is a real challenge .pushed the socket out .. my loop of 6mm cord worked like a charm BUT the socket jumped out I thought it was the ball seating .. what a bummer . going for a starter motor removal and the metal water pipe removal . Gotta get access to this beeping job . the winter diesel water heater is no longer needed .. get rid .. hoses all over the place like spaghetti . not going to let this silly ker get the better of me . Wish me luck I am gonna need some divine assistance .

Ha ha the inventor of Vaseline really ate it? No way!? 😱

Is the shaft meant to go all the way through the ball?

Thanks for the video! My husband has had the worst time with this! He took the linkage off in the end to replace the ball - it has finally gone on but has moved past the rod a little and it doesn’t spin. Is this OK?

Huge thanks for this. It's proved very useful. However, after fitting the 3 parts of the gear linkage, I now cannot select reverse. What have I done wrong? All advice and suggestions are appreciated. TIA

Bottom linkage?