Could it possibly be wires from synchro? Am I right in thinking the gear change is manual on the lever but there plugs coming off it. Is a gearbox an easier enough job bearing in mind I'm a plumber not grease monkey?
Sorry mate, think you got the wrong end of the.... gearstick.
The syncros are brass rings inside the box, which allow the different speeds of different sized gears to mate smoothly.
I think you are referring to the the linkage mechanism, which on your the 8L chassis will be cable change, which connects your gear stick the the selectors on the gearbox itself.
Taking the box off your FWD chassis to repair / replace should be straight forward.
If you intend to split the gearbox and fix, drain the oil out now. (However replacing the syncros on the basis you don't know what one is - could be tricky, no offence.).
You will need spline tools to remove the inner cv joint from each side of the box, which allows you to move the driveshafts out of the way.
Disconnect the gear linkage from the box.
Remove the dogbone mount - the one which mounts the underside of the gearbox to the front subframe chassis.
Remove the starter motor and put to one side.
Remove all the bolts which hold the box to the engine block.
Jiggle the gearbox off the block, and lower on a jack.
At a minimum you will need a full set of spanners, sockets, axel stands and two jacks.
Its not difficult, just time consuming. Take your time and allow for not having it back on the road on the Monday, nothing worse than encountering a problem and pulling your hair out trying to solve it trying to rush it to get it back on the road.
Any questions just ask.