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aereo-van
Samba Member
Joined: May 29, 2008
Posts: 54
Location: San Diego
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 Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 11:46 am Post subject: Installing O1P Trans - how difficult? |
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The auto trans on my 03 eurovan recently died. Bought the vehicle 6 months ago. bummer.
Considering buying rebuilt or used trans and installing it myself - how difficult is that?
I have done a bostig engine conversion on a vanagaon, so I am somewhat mechanically capable, but no mechanic.
Was thinking of pulling engine and trans, doing the swap, replacing the head gasket on the engine while out (currently leaking), reinstalling, and then putting it up for sale.
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2003 Eurovan MV |
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OB Bus
Samba Member
Joined: February 09, 2003
Posts: 2721
Location: Ocean Beach - San Diego
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 1:15 pm Post subject: Re: Installing O1P Trans - how difficult? |
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Just as an FYI - in San Diego are both Trinidad Motors on Sunset Cliffs as well as Eurovan World in Lakeside. They both rebuild transmissions.
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Larry in OB
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!
69 Westfalia and 2002 Eurovan Camper.
People deserve the Government they voted for. |
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jjvincent
Samba Member
Joined: January 11, 2016
Posts: 1431
Location: Bethlehem, PA
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| Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2025 12:23 pm Post subject: Re: Installing O1P Trans - how difficult? |
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| aereo-van wrote: |
The auto trans on my 03 eurovan recently died. Bought the vehicle 6 months ago. bummer.
Considering buying rebuilt or used trans and installing it myself - how difficult is that?
I have done a bostig engine conversion on a vanagaon, so I am somewhat mechanically capable, but no mechanic.
Was thinking of pulling engine and trans, doing the swap, replacing the head gasket on the engine while out (currently leaking), reinstalling, and then putting it up for sale. |
All depends on your mechanical ability. Best way to do it is to remove the front end (which is pretty easy) and then get access to everything else. Use a cherry picker and remove the trans and engine as one unit. It's a waste of time just doing just the trans as not much more is needed to get it all out.
Then when you work on the motor, you can replace the timing chains and rails (which it will need) while doing the head gasket. Anything else that looks suspect, change it out too while it's out.
It's better to spend another hour doing nut and bolt work as opposed to short cutting it and cursing for a day. |
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Abscate 
Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2014
Posts: 23891
Location: NYC/Upstate/ROW
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| Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2025 9:56 am Post subject: Re: Installing O1P Trans - how difficult? |
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Its a 3/10 job if you follow jj advice above.
If you try it on the cheap with a jack, you will be angry and lose years off your life.
VW gives you 14.3 hours for R&I engine and transmission, FYI
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VanGeek
Samba Member
Joined: September 25, 2022
Posts: 354
Location: New England
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| Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2025 6:14 am Post subject: Re: Installing O1P Trans - how difficult? |
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| FWIW I've never pulled the engine/trans from my Eurovan, but recently disassembled the front-end to gain better access to the engine for a valve cover gasket replacement. Was my first time but well worth the effort -- definitely some head-scratching for me as I sorted thru the process but in hindsight wasn't all that challenging. Once removed, everything was super accessible once the front is out. So... for a DIY-inclined Eurovan owner, it's worth going through the front-end experience and I-expect if/when I need to pull my engine+trans it will be much easier to do after removing the front-end for a second time. |
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