MK2 Tranny removal/install

[Campbell]

Wow, just dropped a tranny out of a MK2 golf for the first time - what a job!! I ended up removing the motor mount brackets off the diff and 5th gear housing to get it to wiggle out... it will be tough to put them back on when the tranny is in the car.

Question is, does anyone have any tips on the best way to remove a tranny and more importantly, how to put one back in? thanks

(I completely removed the front motor mount and its housing. I also undid the DS ball joint and tie rod end to swing the drive shaft out of the way. )

[GTIspirit]

I've done both Mk1 and Mk2 tranny swaps and feel that it's more difficult with the Mk2. My approach with the Golf is to remove the front engine mount, remove the tranny mount and appendages, and basically tilt the engine as far down as it will go. If you tilt the engine down far enough the 5th gear housing will clear the inner fenderwell and slide right out. Of course this whole operation is made easier with the car completely up on jackstands, gives more working room underneath the car.

[D. Ellis-Brown]

I sympathize with you. When I was younger, I would remove it out with the motor installed in the car. Just like the other post said, you really need to remove both the front mount and make sure you have the motor well supported from above. The Bentley manual shows a picture of a "cross fender support" that you can fabricate. I highly recommend you do not try to do it alone. Today, even though I run a MkIII Jetta in ITB, the issue has not changed, I find that it is easier to pull out the entire assembly, Pull out the axle assemblies, too. engine/transaxle out and reinstall the assembly attached. The other reason I do pull the entire assembly is that it forces me to re-torque all the bolts, etc, again. It also forces me to inspect the CV joints,.I figure it takes me about 4 hours of extra time. It also allows me to keep the engine compartment clean also, etc. etc. Yes it is alot of work, but at 67, the transaxle is just too heavy and bulky for me to handle by myself. But if you are young and strong, it can be removed with the motor installed as long as you have it up on 4 jack stands.

David Ellis-Brown

[joeg]

Fab the bar to go across the engine bay and chain the motor to it.

Put the vehicle up on stable jack stands.

Proceed.

Good luck.

This is a typical problem with most FWD transverse engine cars.

[Campbell]

Yes I did have the bar across the engine bay to support the engine. I also put a strap around the tranny and bar to 1) keep the tranny from dropping on me and 2) help support the tranny while I was twisting it around. I was working by myself.

[GTIspirit]

Oh, I forgot to mention, I supported the engine from underneath. I made up a wooden frame that went around the oil pan flanges and had a 4x4 across it, plenty strong enough to support the engine on a jack, though I also have another 4x4 sized to go across the engine compartment to support the engine from above. I always work with redundancy when underneath a car. But as another poster said, it's not too hard to remove the whole engine/transmission assembly from a Mk2, just remove the front clip and it pulls straight out the front.

[Ned Stevens]

Harbor freight has a trans jack that makes it much easier $80
http://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-capacity-transmission-jack-39178.html
Just did mine on my mkI using one.

[Flyinglizard]

I use a fender hung cross tube to hold up the engine@ the hook on the head. I allow about 3 in of drop room. Check the oil filter after to make sure that it is not damaged.
Support the engine by the corner of the pan,remove the starter, axles,the shifter/mount bracket. Lower the engine so that the mount bolts over the 5th gear extension are clear. remove those bolts and mounts. Swing the diff end up and out.
I use a trans jack also but you need to really rotate the trans upon install that the jack just keeps it from falling very far.
HTH, MM

[Campbell]

Well now that I have dropped and re-intalled the tranny, I guess it wasn't that bad if you do it right.

what I learned:

1) completely remove the front mount assembly
2) completely remove the diff and 5th gear housing mounts
3) just undo the DS a_arm ball joint and tie rod end and swing the axle out of the way (into the wheel well and hang it with a wire coat hanger)
4) just raise the PS axle and hold it up with a clothes hanger

Unhook the linkage

I supported the engine with a bar across the engine bay, also had a simple cargo strap around the tranny and over the bar to hold the tranny so I didn't have to handle the entire weight.

It wiggles right off, then used a jack to let it down.

Used a jack to raise it up and then tightend the strap to suspend it, it went right on. I put a couple tranny bolts in to hold it to the block and then raised the tranny high enough so the diff and 5th gear mounts could go on over the mount pedastal with no issue. Put everything else back on with no issues.

I do recommend getting the PS axle in place with the flange before you tighten the tranny in, makes it a lot easier.

If I had just taken the mounts off rather than trying to drop it with them on to begin with it would have cut the time and aggravation in half!! I ended up taking them off anyway.

Not to bad to do actually. MK1's are a lot easier.