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Thu Nov 06, 2008 6:38 pm

I just bought this cabriolet and am going to change out the clutch this weekend. Any technical advise would be greatly appreciated. I am not a car mechanic. Im a helo mechanic by trade. I have 2 manuals but they are both crap and I dont really think I have to do all the things they say to do step by step. Also the kit I bought did not come with a clutch alignment tool. Do I need it for this clutch. Thank you!

Sat Nov 08, 2008 4:56 pm

Alright I guess Ill tell you guys how its done when Im finished.

Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:29 pm

Oh, I started to answer this the other night but got sidetracked.

The Bentley manual is the best - you don't even need the correct one, any old 75-79 or 80-84 Rabbit Bentley will show you what you need to do, as the 93 was the last year for that old A1 frame on the Cabriolet.

The alignment tool - that does help out. You can do it "by eye" but it's a lot easier to do it with the tool.

What steps in the books that you have, were you thinking you didn't need to do?

Here's some general tips that come to mind:

You don't need a "support bar" from above, you can do the job with two floor jacks - one for the the engine, one for the tranny.

Loosen the axle nuts first, with the car on the ground! You may not have to remove both of them, but if you do, it's best to have the nuts loosened beforehand.

Be sure to dig deep into the CV bolt holes with a pick and get all the gunk out of them so the tool doesn't strip them out. If any of those 8mm 12pt sockets (double-hex, hopefully you have the correct tool for them) strip out, there is a trick - you can take a 12mm socket, 12-point (6point wont work), put it on a really long extension bar, and pound it on over the head of the CV bolt, it will go on there, and grip tightly and allow it to be removed.

It's best to competely remove the left side driveshaft, and to do that you'll probably have to disconnect the ball joint to get clearance. The right side driveshaft can be left in the car after its disconnected.

Don't forget to unbolt the little access plate down by the driveshaft on the passenger side. It's kind of a bitch to get to. Especially if it's covered with dirt and grease.

It may take a bit of tilting and such to get the tranny to clear the flywheel.

The throwout bearing, that seldom goes bad, and if one came in your clutch kit you probably won't need to use it. It's way inside the tranny anyway.

-Andy

Mon Nov 10, 2008 6:23 pm

Thank you for the reply. The step I thought I wouldnt have to do is unbolt one of the engine mounts. I think its to lower the engine a little to get enough clearance to pull the tranny off. I already have both the spindles, drive shafts and control arms off. Everything is disconnected from the tranny and Im ready to pull. I just dont have any of the engine mounts disconnected. Also how can I position the jack under the tranny for the best balance position so I dont drop it. Thank you again for any more info.

Mon Nov 10, 2008 10:46 pm

Depends on what kind of jack you have for best balance. I just kind of find out as I go what works best. Yes, the engine is going to have to be moved around to allow the tranny to clear the flywheel , so unbolting the very front mount, plus removing the rear tranny mount completely will be needed. You do have two floor jacks, one for the tranny and one for the engine, right? (well you can use a hoist on the engine, but the legs on those kind of get in the way)