GTI-6 Gearbox- Advice needed

[PUGNUT_XS]

Hi All

Bought a complete GTI-6 Engine, Box, loom, etc from GTI Spares on e-bay to replace my 1.8 engine.

The gearbox has the remains of a silver cable poking out of the top of it, when i called them to ask about it they said it was for reverse gear, but you dont need it. am i being chinned off here as i spent quite a bit of wedge, and will be totally pissed if once i get the car back together i have no reverse.

[Midnightclub]

Well, if you can't lift it, It isn't going to go into reverse

[underground375]

Did you buy the steering rack? It's needed if your fitting the 6 speed box

[Midnightclub]

Steering rack isn't a must have, you can do without it

[PUGNUT_XS]

The guy i spoke to said i would not need to change the rack as my car has a XU engine in.

Next question, How easy is it to change the cable, as the one on the box has been cut off. Seems mad as the engine came with all the gear linkages and gear stick etc.

Fecking mofo

May just stick with my 5 speed box.

[Midnightclub]

Nope, the GTi6 is the only one that had the stop on the rack.

No idea how easy it is to change, sorry.

Not sure on the 1.8 box, but a 5 speed Xsara VTS box is meant to have pretty good ratios all over.. the 6th gear seems pointless tbh on a stock box!

[Niall]

Without the cable in place, it will go into reverse but you will find a lot of trouble distinguishing between 6th and reverse which could do a fair bit of damage as you can imagine! I'd kick up a fuss if I was you of it was sold as a complete setup.
Also if your using a standard 195/55/15 tyre, you will need a gti steering ram otherwise the tyre will hit the box which is a mot failure.

[PUGNUT_XS]

OK. What will be the problem if i dont change the rack?

Beginning to wish i had just bought a gti-6

[Niall]

On right hand lock, the tyre will scrub the end of the gear box as it's longer to accommodate the 6th gear.
If your using 195/50 tyres, you will just get away with the standard ram.

[PUGNUT_XS]

i am going to use 20mm spacers on the front as i am using brembo calipers, will this solve the issue?

[Grant]

Should do yes


Just get under and heck clearances before going too far. But the maths adds up.

[underground375]

I read that the gti had a smaller turning circle to accommodate for the bigger box.

[Midnightclub]

Only on right hand lock

[cully]

the cable cut off in the box is as every one says the reverse cable it is activated by the ring around the gear knob you liftto select reverse.
to remove the remains there is a ring on the gearbox you unscrew and it pulls out, attached to the cable will be a metal slug and a spring.

as niall has said you do want this as you dont want to be trying to select reverse instead of 6th at 115mph

[9Freedman9]

The right hand turn on the six is a joke! I've been caught out a few times by it!

[Niall]

The right hand turn on the six is a joke! I've been caught out a few times by it!

Once you get used to it, its really not a problem. I keep forgetting about it as i probably drive my 6 once a month at the moment so get used to a car with a great turning circle lol.

[miles]

You will need the Gearstick too for the lift reverse sleeve, But sounds like the typical Garage reply

[Grant]

You will need the Gearstick too for the lift reverse sleeve, But sounds like the typical Garage reply

Or a brake lever fitted to the gear stick with a cable in haha

[Sambarker]

Don't worry about the rack, you can make a stop for your existing one so that the tyre won't touch the side if the box.

Have a look on the 205 forums there loads done it on there by using a a bit of pipe clamped round as a stopper

[Grant]

Yeah or a bit of blue water pipe

[PUGNUT_XS]

Thanks for all the advice.

I will see if it will work with the spscers first.

Waiting for a call back from the guy i bought it off.

[lewisdmz]

I hate to be that guy but surely it's easier to just buy a 6 for the pennies you can pick them up for now and swap any goodies across to it an then sell your 1.8? Stuff messing around with all that.

[Eeyore]

I hate to be that guy but surely it's easier to just buy a 6 for the pennies you can pick them up for now and swap any goodies across to it an then sell your 1.8? Stuff messing around with all that.

Shhhhh it's all sort of the fun of owning a 1.8. Its definitely not a 1.4 or 1.6 and its not a xsi but then its owning something good which isn't a 6!

[underground375]

I was going to put the full gti conversion out of the gti I have but I need the money LoL So ill just buy a 6 in the future.

[Ruan]

Yeah, it's not so much the going into reverse at 70mph, it's when you try and select 5th, you go over into the gate area for reverse and try and push up, but there's no gear there, so you spend the next 30 seconds trying to find it, which usually ends up with you shoving it in 3rd a few times, then going into 4th and trying again..

I did this for about a week before I got pissed off and ended up with a bit of electric fence wire hanging out the dashboard that you yanked to get it in reverse. I've seen another member on here use a boot popper solenoid yank the cable too and just have it on a button.

[Sambarker]

Yeah, it's not so much the going into reverse at 70mph, it's when you try and select 5th, you go over into the gate area for reverse and try and push up, but there's no gear there, so you spend the next 30 seconds trying to find it, which usually ends up with you shoving it in 3rd a few times, then going into 4th and trying again..

I did this for about a week before I got pissed off and ended up with a bit of electric fence wire hanging out the dashboard that you yanked to get it in reverse. I've seen another member on here use a boot popper solenoid yank the cable too and just have it on a button.

"Another member" lol

[mr_fish]

Yeah, it's not so much the going into reverse at 70mph, it's when you try and select 5th, you go over into the gate area for reverse and try and push up, but there's no gear there, so you spend the next 30 seconds trying to find it, which usually ends up with you shoving it in 3rd a few times, then going into 4th and trying again..

I did this for about a week before I got pissed off and ended up with a bit of electric fence wire hanging out the dashboard that you yanked to get it in reverse. I've seen another member on here use a boot popper solenoid yank the cable too and just have it on a button.

FLOL

[PUGNUT_XS]

I could not afford a GTI-6 at the time that would have been any good, the 1.8 i had needed a little work doing and i got it for peanuts. Its too good to let it be scrapped. Plus i got really attached to it. Like my last 306 i had that the long haired general made me sell.

[Grant]

that the long haired general made me sell.

Not heard that one before!

[RetroPug]

The right hand turn on the six is a joke! I've been caught out a few times by it!

Once you get used to it, its really not a problem. I keep forgetting about it as i probably drive my 6 once a month at the moment so get used to a car with a great turning circle lol.

I read that the gti had a smaller turning circle to accommodate for the bigger box.

Yeah it does, makes me look a right arse in car parks.