2000 Jetta Clutch Replacement Procedure

Begle1

Begle1

Active member
I have a 2000 Jetta TDI 5 speed.

I'm trying to replace the clutch.

Following the online directions I can find was no problem until I went to pull the transmission back from the engine and I hit the driver's side axle shaft. I couldn't move the shaft out of the way nearly enough.

All the directions I could find talked about "tying the axles out of the way" or "setting them on buckets" so they didn't over-flex. To get mine out of the way I had to disconnect the lower control arm and flop the whole strut over...

Then I could pull the transmission away from the engine, and I hit frame. I hit frame in a couple places. It took over an hour of wrestling with it, moving the engine up and down, probably torquing the hell out of the main and crank shafts to finally rotate it up and around enough to drop it down. That was with two guys and a tranny jack...

So when I put my new stuff in tomorrow, I'm thinking I have to drop the engine six to ten inches to get everything aligned and slid together and jack it all up together. Am I missing something?

I don't know what I could be missing, but I can't say I've ever changed a clutch on a front wheel drive before either.
 
I did it a couple years ago, it was a coskshucker to get back in. You might have luck removing the passenger side motor mount and moving the motor over some. It's been so long since I did it I can't remember.
 
I believe you can remove the stub shaft on the Trans where the axle bolts to to give you enough room to clear the frame. There should be a Allen bolt in the middle and its spring loaded
 
Begle1 said:
Did you have to take the axle shaft out somehow?
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I had the shafts out anyway as I was doing a manual swap and the auto shafts will not work with the manual tranny.

Begle1 said:
Next time I'm dropping the engine and transmission onto the ground as a single piece.
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When I do the next timing belt service, it is getting a clutch also, this will happen, looks much easier than doing it all in the car.
 
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