extremely frustraded.....please help w/ tranny issue

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

well guys i changed my clutch and for the last 3-4 days, i have been trying to get the tranny back up and into the block.....no matter how i try i just can't seem to get it on...i can get the front (closest to the radiator) inside the dowel pin but i just can seem to get the rear (closest to the firewall) to get even within 1 inch of the dowel......im so pissed i'm about to light my car on fire......i've searched far and wide for any sort of tricks or different ways to get it on with no succes......can someone please give me any advice.....thanks

 

[TimG]

You used a clutch alignment tool right?

 

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

yep, i even tried aligning the clutch 3 different times hoping that was the problem, but guess not, i also made sure there was nothing in the way between the tranny and the block and nothing either.....it just doesn't want to go....

 

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

anybody please?

 

[Nanan]

I am betting that your drivers side axle is hanging you up. Have someone rotate the drivers side tire while you shimmy the tranny into the block.

I got hung up on the same thing when I did my clutch the first time a few years ago, I had my sister rotate the wheel a bit and pop it went right together.

 

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

i'm pretty sure that its not holding me up, but i'll make sure anyway.....well i'm about 30 mins from leaving work and trying again....so i'll keep you guys posted tonight....any more advice?

 

[dnhieu]

are you doing this by yourself? i just replaced two 1g awd trannies and didnt have one problem getting it in their really. it only took us like 5 mins to get them in. i had my two friends get it from the top and hold it while i go on the bottom and started wiggling it in place untill everything lined up with the block.

hope that helps

 

[TSIfreek]

Try to lift just the drivers side of the motor up so it will pivot the other side down so you don't have to lift it so high.Leavethe motor mount buy the timing belt out but leave the front and rear ones bolted in. Use a floor jack and a block of wood under the oil pan. Also keep the tranny in neutral so it can match the splines on the clutch. Don't force it in with the bolts you will break the bell housing. Once you have it half way in the dowels you can start putting the bolts in evenly. Don't forget about the rear bolt above the transfer case. Anyway you do it its a bi*** and we have all been thew it. I had to take mine out 3 or 4 times because I didn't have the fork adjusted properly. If you had the flywheel machined to the correct step height put a thick washer under the fork pivot ball. If you don't do this you may find you cant get the clutch to disengage and the trany will have to come out again.

 

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

well, i just came back in from round 36 against the heavyweight champion tranny....and guess what, it kicked my a$$ AGAIN.....although we did get close at one point were it felt that the shaft had lined up and everything was in place but my freind just couldn't hold it for that split second for me to get a bolt on it.......after that point it was the same ol thing, tranny just will not go on......along with everything else i mentioned, yesterday i took off the clutch disk and slid it on the shaft and it slid smoothly so its the right disk, i just can't seem to get it on the block......man i'm so frustrated.....someone please help....this is going on a whole week and a half battle (total of about 20 hrs as i only work on it for about 3 hrs a day).....


as far as that washer, i had a buddy of mine mention that to me, but i couldn't find it on the tranny, he mentioned that he did it to his sons car (which is a TSI AWD) but i'm FWD....
so when you say the fork pivot ball, where exactly do you mean(i'm not very bright on tranny) the fork, goes on the TOB, and from what i see, just goes str8 down to were it would meet the rod....please help ...thanks

 

[TSIfreek]

OK When you take off the fork you will see a ball inside the bell housing were the fork gets mounted to. I am not sure on the size of the socket you need 12 or 14mm but it comes out just like a bolt. Just put a washer under it before you put it back in. This will give you alot more adjustablity on the clutch rod under the dash you will have to adjust but thats a matter of 30 seconds. Yea I was wore out to and I had no help unlike yourself. It wouldnt be that big of deal if the car was on a lift and the trany was on a trans jack. The hardest part of doing my motor was putting the trany back in without question.

 

[tjtoo]

I know this is a stupid question, but sometimes it's the simplest things. Are you sure the alignment tool went all the way into the pilot hole of the flywheel? I've had more luck leaving the tranny in gear(5th) and having someone turn the engine over a hare by hand to line up the input shaft splines with the clutch.

TjToo

 

[suicidal2af]

You used a clutch alignment tool right?

I'm running into the EXACT same problem with a tranny swap. Didn't touch the clutch at all, and was told by multiple people that I wouldn't need a clutch alignment tool...is this incorrect?

 

[UNDISPUTEDDSM]

i will definetly check for that ball today once i start on the car......as far as the alingment, yea, i rechecked it 3 diff times and its aligned good.....i'm pretty sure that there are people out there who are experienced enough to aling the clutch without the tool, but for the most part, you might as well just get the tool and align it, its very helpfull....and yea, i did make sure the tool went all the way through.......i've tried with the tranny in gear and the tranny in neutral, i just can't seem to get the sucker back up....

 

[TSIfreek]

i will definetly check for that ball today once i start on the car......as far as the alingment, yea, i rechecked it 3 diff times and its aligned good.....i'm pretty sure that there are people out there who are experienced enough to aling the clutch without the tool, but for the most part, you might as well just get the tool and align it, its very helpfull....and yea, i did make sure the tool went all the way through.......i've tried with the tranny in gear and the tranny in neutral, i just can't seem to get the sucker back up....

No you need the tool to alighn the disk with the flywheel thats why its included in clutch kits.

 

[Vansicklej]

I changed my clutch and put an ACT 2100 into it, 91 tsi awd. I had the same trouble and ended up putting about 8 man hours into slapping this thing back into place. What ended up working for me is leaving the motor mount bolted up on the timing belt side, but unbolting both the front and back motor mounts, in doing so, it will allow you to drop the front of the engine enough, so you can put the trans on it flush then lift the whole thing up, which gives you that extra 1/8 of an inch to miss the firewall part thing that I kept getting mine stuck on. Hope this helps.

James