i only have experience on mk2 shells thus far but will do my first mk1 within a couple weeks. on my jetta i used a harbor freight hoist out the top and it was pretty darn easy. i zip tied the axles right away so nothing would fall out and then also up and out of the way. also drained the oils.
i did have the alternator off for another reason which isn't a big deal, and i also took out the radiator which isn't a big deal just because i was afraid i would do something really dumb. i probably popped off the starter and mount while unbolting things as well because that is easy to.
i also used some foam anti slip pads from harbor freight around the engine to take away the hard edges from catching. then it just was a game of slowly pumping and positioning the angle with the tranny side pointing down until i could clear things enough to go for it. pretty smooth and this is with the turbo and all of that stuff on, and it went back in pretty easy to.
On a MK2 I remove the rad, grill and rad support. Everything else stays in and I just lift the engine out. Similar for MK3 actually.
Thanks folks!
If I may hijack this a bit further...
As easy-peasy as described. I already had the radiator & condenser out, so the rest was a treat.
Having the radiator & condenser out made the job super easy. The lift did not need to be very high. The HF hoist is adequate and the cheap leveler is dicey, but very helpful.
Hoses off
Cables off
Exhaust off
Intake duct off
PS pump & bracket off block (hoses still attached to pump)
Axles off (at the flanges)
Shift linkage disconnected at the link-rods
It took me about ten minutes to actually lift the engine out.
It took much longer to clean most of the crap off the block & tranny.
Now I can see some possible problems:
http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=32157.0 
I find HF is a mixed bag, most of my 1/2" non impact sockets were from there in '93, and have been used hand and impact pretty well daily since. Refurb Milwaukee cordless sawzall is nearly as old.I got 'impact sockets and broke the first 3 without removing a single bolt. Horizontal/vertical bandsaw couldnt cut its way out of a paper bag....
Yup. Most smaller tools that may be specialty but we will only use once usually come from HF. We also bought a bunch of wrenches, etc. to make emergency tool kits for each of our 3 cars. Socket sets are Kobalt, but I think most everything else is HF, even the mutli-meter. Just stuff to get us by on the side of the road really. Bigger stuff, we do some research on before buying it, but my hubby's work has a few of their tool carts in their shop and are really, really nice. He's contemplating selling the Craftsman one he has at home to snag one from HF. I didn't believe him about the cars until I saw it myself...dual ball bearing and really sturdy. I was impressed.
you did it!!
very good!
mk2s are simple!
i just did a disk brake swap last night in about 2 hours..
Maybe its just me but the worst thing to work on with these cars are the axles. I have air, special socket and jack it up so that you can turn the axle to get access to bolt you are working on. But they get stuck and you have to put car in gear for every bolt and then the flanges are so close to axles that once you start yanking the engine they can get tweaked every which way.
I am not that smart so I never thought of tricks with the suspension like I read this last week before doing my first mk1.
All that still applied but Im replacing everything so I just yanked the control arm bolts and slid them out of the way. I plan on replacing all the suspension and leaving them out to the side before hooking axles back up. Then I can attack each side calmly guiding the axles into the flanges and starting some bolts
Also chose to do the rabbit from underneath after reading around. I yanked the radiator quickly just in case as well as alternator because Im replacing things. Then I jacked engine up to get rear mount out, took whole front bracket off, then with side mounts bolts loose the engine will just drop as you lift the car. I layed engine down onto a big wardrobe box on concrete floor which made for easy sliding later.
I used the harbor freight hoist attached around each bumper mount and raised the car. No problem and it didn't have to go as high as I would have thought. Then I spun engine 90 degrees so it would fit inbetween my hoist and pulled it inbetween its legs which gave me enough room to lower car. Then just hooked onto engine to get off ground and could roll it away.
It will go even quicker next time I have to yank one from a jetta and put it into a truck in a few weeks.
Maybe its just me but the worst thing to work on with these cars are the axles. I have air, special socket and jack it up so that you can turn the axle to get access to bolt you are working on.
I recently started holding the drive axles with a big vice-grip, while turning the inner CV capscrews - the vice-grip will stop against the motor/frame/control-arm/etc. and keep the axle from turning.
True that the flanges and inner CVs are close. I'm not thrilled about finding out how irritating it may be to re-install.
Maybe its just me but the worst thing to work on with these cars are the axles. I have air, special socket and jack it up so that you can turn the axle to get access to bolt you are working on.
I recently started holding the drive axles with a big vice-grip, while turning the inner CV capscrews - the vice-grip will stop against the motor/frame/control-arm/etc. and keep the axle from turning.
True that the flanges and inner CVs are close. I'm not thrilled about finding out how irritating it may be to re-install.
Alternatives to vice grip to hold the axle are pipe wrench and chain wrench. Pipe wrench is quicker.
Well I pulled the engine no problem. What a breeze. The new engine is in now but when I put the engine in I didn't have the drive shafts sitting up where they needed so now it is basically impossible to get them back up where they go. I may have to lift the engine again
Also has anyone else run across this problem: after putting the engine/tyranny back in and hooking everything up my shift linkage seems way off. First is where third was and second where forth was and the other two seem inaccessible since I run into the seat .. I'm not sure if the engine and tyranny could be that far off or if the linkage somehow got tweaked...
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To get the transmission gears right you have to loosen that clamp on the front of the push arm that goes between the shifter itself and the first bunch of linkage at the back of the firewall. Then you have to put the shift lever to the 3-4 side and get about 17 mm between the tongue that hangs down under the shifter and the metal plate that is up there. Then tighten the clamp. Anytime you monkey with the position of the engine you need to reset this distance. At least the Bentley seems to think so.
I took the MK1 engine and transmission out the top, just like on a MK2. I removed the radiator and condenser to make some room, the only real difference from the MK2 is the MK1 engine had to be tilted up a lot more on the right side to clear the motor mount on the passenger side. Once the engine was tilted enough I could push the transmission under left wheel well to get enough space to get past the right motor mount.
