Clutch Throw out (release) Bearing

[Joshwa]

Nice work
_________________
93 Weekender TDI conversion (AHU)
93 MV TDI conversion (1Z)
Weekender rear cot
Late model cabin air filter on 93
Euro spec bumper install on 93

[Jooknon]

Forgot I had this one:

_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[Jooknon]

Just finished the tranny install last night. So far the junkyard transmission is doing great. I was worried at first because of a ticking sound but turned out the 5th gear cover had a small dent in it that needed pushing back out. Sorry about a lack of pictures but my hands were too greasy.

On another note I changed the oil (first since I've owned it). Getting that oil filter off SUCKS!!!! Is there a special trick I don't know about? I couldn't fit any filter straps in there and ended up having to do a combination of channel locks and stabbing it with a screwdriver to turn the dang thing. It had a WIX filter on it so that's what I put on. But I did see online that there ones with that nut welded to the end so you can use a socket. Is that the kind I should be using?

Today I'll be driving the van to work, as a test drive. Fingers crossed nothing bad happens.
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[cc-91tech]

Hello Ben,
good job.
Let me know when you're done.
If you sometime want to convert to syncro let me know.
Greetings Andy

[Jooknon]

Thanks for the info.

I've currently got it up on on my neighbors lift and the transmission is out. Found that the clutch release levers little spring clip was broken and the little nub it levers on had worn a hole all the way thru it. Got a new clutch kit and release bearing and release bearing guide installed last night

Today will be installing the replacement tranny, putting in some new linkage bushings and putting it all back together.

_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[Mr Brown]

I rebuilt my gearbox last summer, not too difficult but then I had an aircraft component overhaul shop at my disposal. Those rollers are most likely from the small bearing in the mainshaft which is the common failure item.

As for re & re of the gearbox I took off far more than the book states to make it easier to handle the gearbox but I was doing other maintenance such as PS rack rebuild coolant flush etc. You may want to do the flywheel while you are in there which requires a holding tool and new stretch bolts. I would set side a full two days if you are doing this on the ground.

[Jooknon]

Did you have to remove the right drive shaft as well? Or could you leave it connected on the wheel side?
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[cc-91tech]

Hello Ben,
Take the left drive shaft completely out, you have more space.
At the transmission wele copper paste, and also lubricate the release bearing.
The coupling you can center with a big thorn.
Installation and removal with lifting platform roundabout 4 hours.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us.
And sorry for my english I come from Germany.
And leave space to adjust the engine up and down.
Andy

[Jooknon]

Thanks Andy.

I'm not starting until Saturday morning.

Any other tips I should now? or steps in the manual that I can skip?

Thanks!!
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[cc-91tech]

Hallo Ben,
i think its to late form my answer but you need not the tool.
I hope it went well.
Andy

[Jooknon]

Ok. A used transmission is on its way from Nashville today, with plans to install it over the weekend.
I'll be putting a new clutch kit and guide bearing sleeve thing. Is there any other parts/sealants/gaskets/O-Rings that I should be putting in there?

The only other possible thing I can thing of is this, "Always replace seal between flange shaft and drive shaft" but the book never clearly states what the flange shaft is. Can someone clear this up?

Does anyone have any tips or tricks that I know before just going with the instructions in the Bentley manual?

How necessary is the VW3250 tool? Can I get away without it?

_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[Jooknon]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I think I'll be shopping for a used good transmission now. I'll go post up on the classifieds right now.

I'll let you know how it goes.
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[jjvincent]

The good part is that in the US there's only the i5 gas motor. So, you are pretty much limited to one.

The problem is that when the bearing is coming apart, it most likely has spun the race in the case or on the shaft, thus ruining one or another. You could attempt to take it apart because you have nothing to lose. You never know, it might not be that hard or just a bearing change. If not, you buy the used one.

[d-9]

Agreed, I suspect that box is junk, or a very expensive rebuild. Be careful when shopping for a box, there are a lot of different ratios available and the common ones (at least in the UK) are very short, built to manage the very underpowered 1.9 and 2.4 diesel engines. Think 4000rpm at 75mph short.

If you drop the box yourself, drain the oil, remove the gearbox extension that runs behind the box, support the engine oil pan on a bit of wood on a jack and use an engine joist to drop the transmisson. Those transmissions are very big and heavy, I wouldn't attempt one without a hoist.

[gakali]

That's a bummer but that's the tour we sign up for when getting into these old vehicles.

Might be best to just source a good used tranny and have any shop install it. That is major bearing failure and there is likely some collateral damage somewhere which could make a rebuild very costly. Avoid going down the rabbit hole.

Maybe post a "want ad" in the classified section as there is bound to be someone with a KNOWN good unit for a reasonable price.
_________________
Why do it? Because you can.

1999 Eurovan
2003 A4 Avant 1.8T Quattro
1992 W201 190e 2.3 Mercedes
2006 W220 S600 V12 Twin Turbo 5.5 Mercedes

[Jooknon]

So I drained the manual transmission fluid/gear oil yesterday and found the following pieces of bearings. Look familiar to anyone? A friend says the look like needle bearings, which according the diagrams there are quite a few of them in the transmission. So no telling which one it is without disassembly.

Good news is I could only find pieces that look like bearings and no pieces of gear teeth. Bad news is now I'm pretty sure I need a tranny rebuild.

Anyone know of a transmission rebuild shop in St Louis that'll do VW's?
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[Jooknon]

Thanks. I do have the manual and looks like quite the in depth job to change those bearings.

And thanks for helping find a donor transmission. I'll have a talk with the wife and see about getting one.

to be continued...
_________________
Ben

93 MV Weekender

[jjvincent]

Carrier bearings are tapered roller. Without the shop manual in front of me, you'd probably have to set them upon replacement. As for the layshaft and mainshaft bearings, those are probably roller bearings that are pressed in and you could get away with just pressing in new ones. Without it apart, it's a guess.

I'd first look for a used one just because if you decide to fix the transmission yourself, you better have a shop manual and look at it first.

As for used, there are 5 listings on car-part.com. One is in TN for $350. So that's the closest to you. If I could get one for $350 plus shipping, then I'd buy it. After that, then use your existing one as a weekend project just to see what is wrong with it.

[Jooknon]

[jjvincent]

It sounds like a bearing in the transmission and most likely a layshaft. It's load related. The small gear on the final drive is on the layshaft. So, that layshaft is loaded in one direction or the other depending on accel or decel. Since that's driving the big gear, it's loaded one way or another too, so that could be a carrier bearing also.

It could also be the final drive. MK1 and MK2 VW's used to knock off part of the reverse idler when someone would rush to put it in reverse. That piece would rest in the bottom of the gearbox right where the large final drive gear is. It would run through the final drive and thus, only a noise on decel. If it wasn't that damaged, I could grind out the bad spot with a die grinder. Depending on where the drain is on your transmission, you might be able to take out the plug and see if the big gear is OK.

First thing I'd do is drain it and see what the oil looks like. Brass is OK but silver is not.

No matter what, that transmission is going to have to come out.

I thought I read somewhere years ago on the internets that there was a bearing failure that was common on the EV manual transmission.

Also, since you just bought it, I bet the PO knows exactly what was wrong and decided to not put any money in it. This is something that happens all of the time. Just like when I was growing up and a customer had enough because their car needed some major repair. Then 1 month later a new owner brings the same car in and we'd have to break them the bad news.