Polo Coupe J Reg - Shift Rod query?

[skypilot30]

I apologise if this is off topic but I couldn't find any other place to post it :

Having carried out a number of repairs and then successfully completing an MoT on the above car, the mechanic returned it to me with the comment, "The two of us have had fun finding first and second gear on this car". Thinking he was unused to the gear shift, I just smiled and ignored the comment.

Little did I realise how true his statement was. I drove for about a mile or so with a gear box which was only capable of selecting third and fourth gears and on rare occasions, after a struggle either first or second, having got one it was a fight to get the other.

I returned the car to the garage and complained to the mechanic that one of the beauties of this car was its smooth gear change and i was not happy that it had been returned in such a condition.

The Mechanic put it up on a hoist under my supervision and lo and behold a nylon bush was seen to be sliipping along the gear shift rod on the underside of the car.

This bush was seen to have come from gear change mechanism on the underside of the car and was responsible for holding , what appeared to be an orange nylon? collar which supported the shift rod in a central position. Without this the shift rod simply drooped to the lowest level of the entry hole in the gear shift mechanism box.

I was assured by the mechanic that it must have popped out after I had dropped off the car for its MoT, I was assured that "this does happen occasionally"

It took the said mechanic armed with a hammer and a screwdriver about ten minutes of his time attempting to re-insert the nylon bush and he consequently failed to do so.

With the assistance of another mechanic for moral? and physical support and the aid of some soap solution, after a further five minutes they finally located the nylon bush and the gear change was perfect.

I fail to see how, if it took two quite brawny men some fifteen minutes to get the nylon bush back into place, how it is conceivable that it should just have "popped out " of its own volition.

I would add the repairs for the MoT were very costly, so I would think that if it was a ruse to raise extra cash, then such an action would, in my opinion have been shear greed !!!

Can anyone please help me solve this problem??

[hardhitter]

Gear linkage bushes are prone to wearing out. You can buy the parts from vw which arent too expensive and easy to fit.

[skypilot30]

"Gear linkage bushes are prone to wearing out. You can buy the parts from vw which arent too expensive and easy to fit."

Do you think then that given the amount of strenuous effort required to re-insert this bush, that it was worn out ?

I suppose the question I should be posing is:

If it took that amount of effort to re-insert the bush, how come it just "popped out"?