VAG gearbox interchangeability
Turbo Mini Forums

I'm trying to keep it as cheap as possible because we really could do without this extra cost. But the fact that the gearbox oil has been in the bell housing makes me think it'd be a false economy not to swap the clutch.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

For info. This is apparently the most common failure for these gearboxes. People are using double roll pins or welding the pin to the diff to avoid it happening.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

That's a bit shit. Are you going to have the new one in bits and do something with that twatting roll pin before you fit it?

Wow, that really sucks!
Was there any advanced warning; noises from the gearbox or anything?
(I drive an A4 1.9TDI ......)

Dazed and Confused....

No noises whatsoever. It was driving perfectly.

Only clue that something was up was jumping out of 1st once and the oil on the floor.

Tom. I'd like to. People have taken extreme measures to stop it coming out. I started stripping the broken one last night to have a look, but can't get a puller under 5th gear to get it off the shaft. My pullers are pretty cheap to be honest. A two leg would be easier.

Edited by theoneeyedlizard on 15th Dec, 2016.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

If we weren't carting kids around in this, I'd be tempted to cut the hole bigger, refit the pin and make an 'inspection panel' to hold the oil in.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Maybe put the "new" one in the car then repair the old. No reason why you couldn't weld a plate into the casing to make it oil tight again.

yeah, Ive said I'll throw some tig at it for him.

I think I'll take you up on that offer thanks Joe. Don't think there's room to attach it mechanically.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Cheers!
And good luck with repair job.

Dazed and Confused....

Note for anyone else doing this job. Definitely remove the output shafts/flanges when removing/fitting the gearbox. It's nearly impossible with them fitted.

You'll need to make a tool to remove/refit them like so...



They are doing loaded. So when refitting, you need to push hard on the flange while tightening the bolt.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

It's still a total twat of a job to get it in/out.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Did my misses clutch recently on a polo with the same box, you're right what an arse. We left the outputs on. Was a very tight squeeze!

Gary if it makes you feel better herecwas my day yesterday. New clutch on the wife's BINI.

You had to do it outside? Brrrrrrr!!!

It was plenty warm enough yesterday. With the amount of crap I had to remove, it would have been tight inside the garage!

That does make me feel better. Thanks Tom!

I've done the gearbox on our old Bini twice. It's a horrid job. I don't remember taking the entire subframe out. Just the 'legs'.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Don't know if yours was an "S", I had a look and there's no way I thought the 6 speed box was coming out without all of the subframe removed. Anyway I would say it wasn't a bad job but I'm aching like hell today from wrestling with it and it still needs a slave cylinder now to finish it. One day I will lose my tight bastard genes and pay someone else to do shit like this.

Ah, ours was a mere 'One' with the Midlands 5 speed. Hence why I had to change it twice.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Wouldn't it be amazing to be so rich that we could afford to have someone come and fix our car.

In the 13's at last!.. Just

Lol; used to do that; spent £4k on the old Audi in the last year and a bit only to get £1500 back on it.

have to wonder what you needed the saw for?!

On 18th Dec, 2016 Tom Fenton said:
Gary if it makes you feel better herecwas my day yesterday. New clutch on the wife's BINI.

I thought that as well, quicker than undoing bolts

On 19th Dec, 2016 Rob Gavin said:
have to wonder what you needed the saw for?!

On 18th Dec, 2016 Tom Fenton said:
Gary if it makes you feel better herecwas my day yesterday. New clutch on the wife's BINI.

Ha ha ha, everyone who has seen the picture has noticed the recip saw.

Slave cylinder bolts are threaded into the gearbox casing, they both sheared off when I tried to undo them, not flush. The slave has a register on it which means you need to slide it in sideways then bolt it up, so I couldn't get it out. Recip saw soon sorted that out. Plus some wanky fixings to the front lower bumper skirt.