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Anyone know where the plug is to fill the gearbox oil is?

Ta.

It's a 17mm Allen key plug looking in the direction where the wheel is.

It's on the curved upper part on the gear box where the gear box looks towards the passenger compartment.

It's well hidden
and very narrow there!

Nice one! Will attempt it at the weekend...

look out - there's TWO of them... one to drain and one to fill. you may as well replace the stuff if you're doing it (and that way you can be sure you're opening the right hole, too).

the classic warning here, though - open or at least loosen the TOP one first, otherwise you might drain the box only to find the filler hole is jammed!

Cheers!

Found it nae bother but it was already full

So I'm suspecting a shagged diff in the box and/or a shagged thrust bearing.

Will a 5 spd box go directly on? If so any one got a good one spare or for sale?

will go in but you will have to change the gear selector aswel...you could still use the four speed one but obviously you would only be able to use 4 gears

also very important is that the 5-speed mount is completely different so get that at the same time. also if your inner arch doesn't have the cutout for it, you'll have to take your cues from any convenient local mk3 and do a little bit of chopping in the right place otherwise it'll never fit.

what are the symptoms you're getting, just out of interest (i'm not going to be arguing, i wanna stick it in the diagnosis bank ) ???

hmm, don't think I'll bother with a 5sp then.
Symptoms;

very occasional dificulties getting into 1st

very loud whining that is linked to engine speed whilst in gear - sounds like a strraight cut box (this is what leads me to think of duff box or diff)

when idling in neutral ther is a little rumbling noise that goes away when I press the clutch - suspected thrust bearing.

mmm, the whining i think is fairly normal, though it shouldn't be "very loud", merely "quietly noticable". and i think i had that rumbling too - when you say "thrust bearing" is that another name for input shaft bearing, or do you mean the one on the clutch release thingy?

re: trouble getting into gear, have you tried adjusting the clutch cable already, just in case it's not fully declutching? (can get away with that when on the move as the changing engine speed and the synchros compensate, but not when sat still)

Yep, it is really loud now - the whining that is.

I think I mean release bearing.

As for the gear change, it isn't really a problem - just thought I'd add it in