After 3 months of replacing ancillaries and now having to bleed air out on an almost daily basis I have to bite the bullet and replace my clutch, DMF and concentric slave cylinder, I wont know what is to blame until it is stripped but will be replacing everything anyway.

 

The costs of having it done in troudeculdemondeville where I live are eyewatering, most dont want to know and I still bear the mental scars of breaking down in my first days here with a clutch cover making a bid for freedom when i did not even have running water and the car was essential, not only did I get completely ripped off but was left with far more problems with broken ancillaries, cables, roll bar not connected etc.

 

I can't make the journey to my workshop in the UK in its current condition so I have no choice but to do it here with the tools I have which whilst not the same quality are reasonably comprehensive, I will be using the drive in cellar workshop (sous sol) of a friend that has an inspection pit, 10 years ago I would have done this job in my sleep but confidence reduces and my biggest handicap now is eyesight having lost one eye & having to use bifocal specs, at least I should be able to have better lighting in the pit that working under the car on my drive.

 

My questions are:

 

Are there any particular complications that I should be looking out for, I have removed & repleced several ford & VW FWD gearboxes in the past but never one with the 4x4 transfer box, do I need to rig up an engine support? are there parts that have to be removed for access that may not be apparent?

 

What special tools will I need that I may not know of or have to hand, I know the driveshafts have to be removed & the lower ball joints disconnected to do so, I can check that I have the right socket for that but are there any other special fasteners? Does the oil need draining first or can it be left in situ?

 

Does the transfer gearbox/angle drive need to be removed or can the whole transmission be removed as one unit?

 

My clutch alignment set is in the UK so I will either knife & fork one or order one, the problem here is you can be delayed weeks for a 24 hour delivery, my torque wrenches are in the UK, I could borrow one but I'm guessing that its only the flywheel bolts that are critical & I think they are also loctited.

 

Any special advice for the removal, a helper for the weight? one person above with a sling lowering it etc?

 

And especially is there an elephant in the room that I have overlooked, like everything here if I get stuck on this there is nobody to turn to.

Edited 4 June, 20214 yr by J.R.

I helped remove and reinstall the gearbox and transfer box on a LR Defender (old one) a couple of weeks ago. Despite being four hands, we still needed an axel and transmission stand and was done on a 2-poster ramp.

Heavy isn’t the word! 

Sounds like you have some decent experience behind you, but for sure you’re gonna need a second person due to the weight, even with detaching the transfer box from the actual gearbox. 
 

Good luck and hope it goes well 

Funnily enough the mechanic today who wanted too much money saying it was a day and halfs labour spoke about exactly the same job on a LandRover, there is no comparison between the weight of the two although I dont know the wieght of the VAG angle drive box or whether it has to be removed.

 

The weight is only an issue for me because I will be standing up and it has a long way to fall & I dont want to damage it, I have never had the luxury of a ramp or even a pit so am used to grovelling around on my back like this meccano in the video, that way the gearbox has a soft landing on my chest!!!

 

I cannot work out why he removes the diff flange at 6 minutes 15 seconds, it also requires him to drain the gearbox oil, there must be a good reason but it does not appear to be access related, perhaps I will have to remove the angle drive box first? I will add the question to the posting.

 

I would say that this guy who does at least 2 jobs a day with travelling between them could do this one (without filming) in less than 2 hours and could have done so with his eyes closed.

 

https://youtu.be/OvVodV2sBoA

 I like watching his videos from time to time, but he does make me feel very incapable!

Pick up some good tips and tools/equipment ideas though so it's worth the humiliation..

Regarding the drive flange removal, I think it just enables a straight-line path outwards for the gearbox as it comes off. Otherwise that flange catches the gasket between block and bell housing and you have to battle much harder to get it clear (and back on when re-fitting).

 

 

Edited 4 June, 20214 yr by Wino

I have also found this which describes better the removal of a 4x4 gearbox, scroll down for the description of a Golf 4 motion clutch job:

 

http://www.mechanexpert.com/category/clutches/page/3/

 

I got a scare reading on another site that the whole engine/transmission & subframe had to be dropped out as there is not space for the gearbox removal otherwise but if the Yeti is the same as the Golf being the same platform it seems it can be done by dropping the subframe. I will drive it over the pit and have a good look to see if I think it can be done.

 

In my younger days I was as capable as that guy but I have not kept my hand in for decades, losing one eye makes it difficult, I think the loss of close vision is even more of a handicap as on your back you cannot get far enough away to focus.

 

What really shocked me may have been simply how well a phone camera works in low light but it was just how bright it looked under there, when I am underneath I can see nothing without inspection lamps yet I know it wasn't a problem years back, I think the onset of a cataract may also be in play, were things really that bright and clear to me working on my back under a vehicle in my youth?

 

If so then I finally know why older (wiser) guys who were more than capable preferred to pay me to do these jobs.

 

I actually need to do this job to regain some confidence in my abilities, use it or lose it!

Thanks for the input, I can now add drain plug removal tools, a drain tray, oil & refilling tools.

I had a good look from underneath with the vehicle over the pit, well as good as I could see using a battery LED inspection light, it looks to me as if the only way the gearbox will come out is if the crossmember is removed, even then I cant be sure.

 

The gearbox would neet rotating to come out with the crossmember in position but the transfer box would prevent that and also the proximity of the bellhousing to the radiator fans etc is very tight.

 

I think it is doable with the crossmember & anti rollbar removed & the steering rack left hanging, it would be with the transfer box and both driveshaft flanges remaining attached but will be both heavy and tight, a lot of work to find that it wont and has to be all boxed up again, if anyone knows someone with experience that they could ask then it might save me a lot of grief.

 

First job is to fit flourescent lights on 3 sides of my friends pit to thank him in advance for the loan!

Taking the front off the car may be the way to increase working room hugely without vast effort?

Yes I did look at that but there doesn't look to be a problem of access in that area but if the engine & transmission have to be kicked forwards to remove the gearbox I will consider it.

 

I dont think being able to move it forwards would allow it to clear the crossmember and removing the crossmember makes access to the driveshaft couplings, propshaft coupling and removal of the transfer box if needed much better/easier.

 

I'm sure if you did them day in day out like the guy in the video you would find the quickest & simplest way, I spend much more time thinking now rather than rushing in which usually pays.

 

Garage pits may have gone out of fashion but they are really really good, if I dont have the headroom for a 2 post lift in my next home I will dig a pit.

 

Mind you I quickly found the drawback of one when my friend who is not mechanically minded decided to fill his ride on lawnmower with petrol right beside me, the fumes very quickly became asphyxiating & I had to get out double quick.

Edited 5 June, 20214 yr by J.R.

1 hour ago, Wino said:

Taking the front off the car may be the way to increase working room hugely without vast effort?

 

 

Getting the front off (and back on) the Yeti is a real pig of a job because of two very poorly designed headlamp fasteners which if they were simply reversed with a captive fastener would make the job so so simple because everything else comes off no trouble at all.

 

I dont much like the idea of leaving the AC condensor (or all three heat exchangers) hanging by its pipes though when the crash beam is removed having rebuilt the front once already.

I've got this do on our 4x4 yeti. Any tips to make the job go smoothly and not disassemble more than is necessary?