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Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Wed May 29, 2013 10:10 pm
by 6n2stan
Right, 2 hours of swearing, crying, dying and more swearing and I just can't get the 'box back onto the engine!
The sticking point is getting the diff through the gap between the subframe and the block. The driveshaft flanges just foul every time so I can't rotate it forward and post the 1st motion shaft into the clutch.
I've lifted it diff 1st, bell housing 1st, bell housing up, bell housing down and it gets stuck every time. The engine is hanging down as far as it can go, it's only on 1 out of the 3 mounts.
WTF am I doing wrong? At this rate, I'll take the daily GTI to a garage with this new box and clutch and have it fitted by someone else and break the other tw@t for parts! Lol
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 11:43 am
by alexperkins
Have you tied the driveshafts as high as you can and gone full lock right?
Its a ball ache getting it back on. It has to go up on an angle and then be pushed up on. It always takes a while, though having done it 4 times now, Im used to it lol!
You have to line up the bottom of the clutch housing, then jack it up more and more
The engine as low as it will go will not help you - it has to be slightly higher as otherwise it pushes the box across too far.
I assume you have aligned the clutch properly?
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 1:25 pm
by 6n2stan
The drive shafts aren't the issue (my bad) it's the drive flanges on the diff that are catching. I've undone the bottom ball joints on either side and swung both the hubs and driveshafts right out the way.
My parting thought last night was 'should I raise the block a bit?' so that'll be my go tonight.
I've centred the friction plate ok. I'd love to have got that close with the 1st motion shaft to even worry about the splines marrying up! lol
Cheers for the advice Alex, I'll report back tonight
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 3:05 pm
by joe2612
It took me a good while, and a lot of swearing! i just carried on fiddling and it went in eventually. I had someone lifting from the top and me benchpressing it from the bottom.
Me and a mate fitted his Ibiza cupra box in just under 1 minute a few months ago
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 4:49 pm
by 6n2stan
joe2612 wrote:It took me a good while, and a lot of swearing! i just carried on fiddling and it went in eventually. I had someone lifting from the top and me benchpressing it from the bottom.
Me and a mate fitted his Ibiza cupra box in just under 1 minute a few months ago
Thats how I'm doing it, a mate is above with a strap pulling the 'box up whilst I go ape sh1t from below.
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 4:52 pm
by alexperkins
3 Ton garage jack is the way forward
In fact, a proper gearbox jack is even better lol
Re: Refitting the gearbox, it won't go in!!!!!!
Posted: Thu May 30, 2013 9:10 pm
by 6n2stan
It's in!!!!!!
In the end I jacked the engine as high as it would go which sounds counter intuitive but worked. It created a bigger gap between the clutch cover and the subframe. I then pushed the 'box in diff rearwards first over the subframe and then rotated the bell housing up and over the clutch.
A bit of fiddling and rocking later and I've got 5 out of 6 bolts in and the mount is up and bolted in
Cheers for the info guys!