Author Topic: Tranny Wrestling (Read 9595 times)

Wonk · « **on:** March 12, 2008, 12:54:10 pm »

So I wrecked the transmission on my 89 jetta 1.6 5sp... Pulled it with great difficulty, installed a new clutch (even though the old one wasn't half bad)... And am now in the process of installing the new (junkyard) tranny... What a PITA... Are there any tricks for wrestling this thing into place... I've got it close, but the LH drive flange is all hung up on the engine block, I've got the engine pulled all the way over to the right, I cant push the tranny further back because it runs into the steering crap, and if I lower the LH side of the engine any more it makes the back of the tranny get tangled up the mounts... I've wrestled with this thing for an hour and a half now, all the while with it only inches from where it needs to be, but never quite making it... Any tips for making this easier??

boxer246 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 12, 2008, 01:16:28 pm »

I assume you've already done this, but remove the tranny mounts from the tranny to give more room....then bolt them up after you get everything in place.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #2 on:** March 12, 2008, 01:36:34 pm »

are you going bottom up or top down?

Wonk · « **Reply #3 on:** March 12, 2008, 02:36:54 pm »

Going bottom up... I have removed the mounts... I'm so damn close it's driving me crazy... It seems like it's impossible for the drive flange to clear the engine block and for the bellhousing to avoid jamming into the flywheel at the same time... But it's the same exact size as the old one, and it came off somehow...

RabbitJockey · « **Reply #4 on:** March 12, 2008, 02:42:39 pm »

it helps to have 2 people thats for sure, i 'd hate to do that by myself

Quantum TD · « **Reply #5 on:** March 12, 2008, 04:46:47 pm »

Quck tips:

1) Make sure both the upper (cadmium plated steel) trans bracket is removed (the one held in place with 2 long 17mm head bolts).

2) Remove rear trans mount (the aluminum one held in place with 3 13mm head bolts)

3) Tilt the motor down, but support it so that it is not hanging by the rear motor mount

4) This is important: use a scissor jack, and position it between the subframe and the engine (I find that the old Rabbit jacks work best). Then, jack the engine away from the subframe about 2-4 inches. Only jack until you start to feel some tense resistance. This will give you enough room to swing the tail (rear) end of the trans around the flywheel.

5). Have a friend help support the trans from above, while you position in from below. You'll want to send the drive-flange end in first, by swinging the tail around the flywheel, while the final-drive casing is rotated counter-clockwise about 45 degrees. Then, once the drive flange has cleared the flywheel, swing the trans in to mount flush with the motor, and rotate the drive-casing end back into place (i.e. back to horizontal). It should be one quick motion. If you do it right, it's easy enough. If you haven't jacked the motor away from the subframe, you're gonna have a rough time of it.

6) BEFORE you even try to put the trans in, have a bolt ready to put in the bottom (from back of block into trans). That way, you wont have to try to support the trans and look for a bolt at the same time.

I've been using this method for years on about 5 dozen MK II cars. It's easy to do by yourself from a lift, but trying to do it on ramps from below: you'd have to be Popeye.

Good luck.

gldgti · « **Reply #6 on:** March 12, 2008, 08:36:11 pm »

Quote from: "Quantum TD"

I've been using this method for years on about 5 dozen MK II cars. It's easy to do by yourself from a lift, but trying to do it on ramps from below: you'd have to be Popeye.

Good luck.

quote from haynes manual: "Not even the strongest man can can position the transmission by himself"

Slave2School · « **Reply #7 on:** March 12, 2008, 09:43:48 pm »

I've been in the presence of a skinny feller like myself lifting a trans into place (on an AAZ) with the MK II on jacks. I think it takes will power more than strength. :lol:

Wonk · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2008, 08:19:09 am »

Ok... I just fired up the heater in the shed, so I'll be out trying this in a few minutes... I'll give the scissors jack trick a try, that sounds promising... I am just one (skinny) guy working with the car on jackstands, so it ain't going to go easy... I'll report in a couple hours... If I haven't got it anywhere I'll post a picture of where I'm at and see if anyone can tell me what I'm doing wrong...

Wonk · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2008, 04:32:25 pm »

So where I'm at is this:
I have the thing in place... The bolt holes are all lined up, I know that the input shaft is lined up and engaged because if I crank the engine via the cam shaft and the tranny is in gear it spins the drive flanges... But, it isn't snugged up to the engine yet... I started using the bolts to draw the two together, but while I was doing so, at one point, it made a pretty horriffic popping noise like metal giving way... Maybe it wasn't so bad, and given how tight a space I'm working in, it's quite possible that it was just the engine shifting up against something or something like that, but it worried me enough that I stopped for the night and I'm gonna investigate further tomorrow...

If all the bolts are lined up and the input shaft is lined up with the clutch, is there anything that could be wrong such that I shouldn't just crank this thing together?? Why is this so damn difficult?? Is there anything I could have effed up that would be causing real damage here?

Also, on the bottom of the tranny there's a long number with a 4 underneath it... Does that mean that this is a 4 sp? Cause it was sold to me as a 5sp...

ilomax · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2008, 06:02:51 pm »

See the cap at the top of the transaxel? That is the 5th gear cap.

A 4 speed transaxel doesn't have the cap.

There are two differen't sizes of input shafts. Did you check to see if you have the correct combo of transaxel and clutch disk?

If the input shaft was snug against the clutch disk, it would spin the gears.

I'd take it out again and make sure you have matching parts.

Wonk · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2008, 06:11:10 pm »

OK... it must be a 5 sp... I did check the clutch/input shaft size... it slid right on no problem... even greased it a bit... And the Input shaft was the same length as the old one... the only difference that I could find between the new tranny and the old was in the electrical connections, my old one just had two spades, the new one has more connections...

ilomax · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2008, 06:12:39 pm »

Also make sure you have the correct size output shaft flange.

There is 90mm and 100mm output shaft flange.
They don't play with eachother.

ilomax · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2008, 06:15:56 pm »

The input shaft and the clutch might not be lined up.

It's sometimes not the easiest thing to do.

Take the weight off of the input shaft (Push the transaxel up a bit) and try to wrastle it in again.

riddleyo · « **Reply #14 on:** March 13, 2008, 09:41:45 pm »

I've taken a 225 pound automatic transmission full of fluid out of a mustang by myself without a jack. I am a 145 pound guy...

Granted I cheated by using my legs as well as my arms to bench press it out. Do what you can...

I think the art of transmission wrestling it is a matter of patience and leverage more than anything