2g Tsi AWD oil pan removal questions

[kenamond]

I need to take my oil pan off (I need to take a blow torch, sledge hammer, and tin snips to a zip-tie that's hiding out in there ).

I read the tech article on removing the transfer case on a 1g, and it looks the same as a 2g, but I wanted to make sure.

Also, I don't have a transmission jack, but I do have a floor jack on wheels, so I had this plan for pulling the transfer case without removing the driveshaft and without needing a 2nd pair of hands: bring the jack up to the drive shaft maybe a foot behind the transfer case, duct tape the shaft to the jack, unbolt the transfer unit, then pry it off the transmission output shaft. The jack should roll while I pry (smooth concrete garage floor), and when I get it loose-ish, I can let the jack carry the weight of the transfer case and driveshaft. When it's clear, I can slide the transfer case off the driveshaft which should stay balanced/taped on the jack. Then I can wrap a clean rag over the shaft end, lower the jack and set the driveshaft on the floor. I should be able to do this in reverse to help during the reinstall. Is this dumb? Others have suggested wiring the shaft to the undercarriage somehow, but I lack wire.

Thanks!

 

[95gstsilver]

alright, i just got done putting a new oil pan on my 1g. when i took off the t case, all i did was unbolt it and pull it off. the drive shaft will stay in it. the u joints allow enough movement to place it on the floor. i did it all by myself. you will most likely have to unbolt the driver side axel mount that bolts to the block on the back of the motor to reach about 3 of the bolts, although 1g and 2g may be different. let me know how it works out

 

[Tevenor]

The drive shaft just slides into the transfer case. Unbolt the 5 bolts, pry it off the dowels and output shaft, then muscle it to the ground. Once its there, slide the driveshaft out and move the transfer case off ot the side.

 

[somdturbo]

The drive shaft just slides into the transfer case. Unbolt the 5 bolts, pry it off the dowels and output shaft, then muscle it to the ground. Once its there, slide the driveshaft out and move the transfer case off ot the side.

^ Agreed. you dont need to take out either axle. just take off the five bolts holding it on and it may take some force/strength but it will come off. I usually wrap the end of the driveshaft with a rag to keep it cleaner. good luck. Oh and all this I did ony my 2g.

 

[kenamond]

So the transfer case + drive shaft isn't very heavy? I just don't want it to come crashing down to the floor when it comes off the end of the tranny shaft smashing my fingers or damaging the case. I'm no weakling, but I just wanted to be safe (for both car and myself).

Thanks!

 

[mdtalon901]

I would say that the x-fer case weighs about 40 - 60 lbs if not less. Just take out the bolts and pull it off, it will not just fall off with the bolts removed. Remember where the oil pan bolts go, not all of them are the same size, and the short ones go where the timing belt passes by, if you put the long ones in there they will rub and break your timing belt.

 

[kenamond]

Okay. Alot of the info about pulling the oil pan in another, related tread is misinformation. On an AWD 2G, you need to pull the exhaust, transfer case + driveshaft, ***and*** the front-left shaft. There is one oil pan bolt that is hidden behind the bearing/CV joint that you can get off by disconnecting the bearing bracket bolts (and squeezing a 10mm wrench in and doing 1* turns 456982475 times), but I don't see much hope in getting the bolt back in without pulling the shaft off. There is another bolt (closer to the passenger side) that you can get at with an extension **if you disconnect the bearing bracket**. Apparently on a 1G, disconnecting the bearing bracket gives you enough play to get both bolts out, but on my car, it only gets you maybe 1/4" of extra room which isn't big enough for a socket.

I'm sure it's trivial to pull the oil pan off of a pulled motor, but when it's installed, it is *not* a 45 minute job. Please do not spread this false information.

 

[brute]

I thought it was easy also. Then there were two bolts holding the oil pan on. One on the passenger side, one on the driver side. Both were impossible with everything still intact. My transfer case was also impossible to get off, even with a huge screwdriver and hammers. Two of us couldn't get close to budging it. I just gave up...

 

[kenamond]

My transfer case came off without any problem luckily. I'm committed to it now that I got all of the pan bolts out (and can't put one of them back in without pulling the shaft). Now I just need that huge socket to separate the wheel from the axle.

 

[Tevenor]

I'm sure it's trivial to pull the oil pan off of a pulled motor, but when it's installed, it is *not* a 45 minute job. Please do not spread this false information.

You are right. Takes me 20 minutes, not 45. But I have been doing this longer. Oh and I have yet needed on a 2G to yank the drivers side axle to remove the oil pan. Unbolt it from the block, sure. That takes all of 2 minutes, a socketwrench, and a 14mm socket. But that's it.

Exhaust/Downpipe
Transfer Case
Unbolt axle
Remove pan.

In that order.

If you are really having that hard of a time, go to the nearest tool store and get yourself a 1/4" drive 10mm socket and a 1/4" drive extension ( and perhaps a 1/4" to 3/8" drive adapter) and save yourself the trouble of removing the axle.

Hell if you really want to remove the axle, don't take it out of the hub, just unbolt the lower control arms, pull the axle from the tranny and swing it out of the way. Hell of a lot easier than screwing around the the axle nut.

 

[kenamond]

I removed the two bolts on the bearing bracket, but that doesn't give me enough room to get at the driver side "hidden" bolt. The other one can be reached between the CV and bearing with a socket and extension, but the other one is too close even with the bearing bracket unbolted. I got it off using a wrench reaching in from the wheel well, but there's no way I'm getting it back in without alot of balancing bolts on wrenches and praying that a thread grabs when I push it into the hole and then praying more that I can turn it at all without knocking it back out. The axle has to come off.

Maybe your car has more play in the axle than mine, but I can't move it enough out of the way for it to help. If anyone does this for the first time, expect a couple of hours, not 20 minutes even if you can get at the oil pan bolts.

 

[Tevenor]

I usually use my fingers to prethread the bolts, but that's just me.

I am sure it will take you more time to figure out the shortcuts and such being your first time. My only suggestion would be to get the right tools and keep taking it on an off for practice! Then maybe you will get better at it.

Also, I am being sarcastic about the practice. Just in case you got the wrong impression that I was being serious.

 

[wolf20043]

Actually the 1g's I have changed the oil pan on have had a well hidden bolt. For some reason the 2g's I have done I have had no problems at all with any bolts.
Mike

 

[kenamond]

I can't reach the bolt with my fingers. I was able to get my finger tip on it to help get it the last few turns when removing it (push on it off-center and get 1/16 turn each push), but there's no way I can get a finger and thumb or even two fingers on either side of it to do anything; there's just no room. I'll take a few pictures and post them. I'm not retarded, but it would be a relief if I was missing something obvious.