Changes

Tube of thread lock

1.8ltr of Transmission oil

==Notes==

Once the two blocks are made you're ready to begin a duel to the death. Set your car where you want to work on it and place the transmission in 4th gear. Go round to the engine and remove the lock plug from the top of the transmission. Using a 4mm Allen or Hex key slip it into the hole what ever you use it must be 4mm and have someway of not slipping through the hole and into the nest of cogs that waits below. As the transmission in now locked slacken of the 13mm pinch bolt on the shifter linkage that is found by the bulkhead behind the transmission.

Inside the car lift the shifter boot exposing the unknowns of the shifter mount. You will see another hole in the rod and mount move the stick into 3rd gear and remember you don't have a gate the stick is now free pushing the stick forward line up the holes in the mount and rod drop another suitable 4mm item in there and we are ready to go.

Open the bonnet and remove the battery and the intercooler charge carrier pipe. These are not an absolute requirement but if you wish to fight around them so be it. Don't forget to block the pipe end and the throttle body inlet with clean cloth. No need to get anything unwanted into the engine.

Now move to jack up the car. Use a hydraulic jack placed under the hard points of the sub-frame. Go from the door side of the wheels face the jack towards the front of the car and pump away. Lift the car and use stands and the pre-cut blocks under the normal points you would use if changing a wheel. Remove the road wheels in turn so that the car's front is accessible all round.

Once all the above is complete, slacken off the 3 front pipe nuts that secure the pipe to the beloved turbo. Don't remove the nuts, as you will require the pipe to be held secure whilst you remove the rear joint on the pipe and the Lambda sensor. When removing the sensor first undo the torx bolt that holds the sensor wire. This will allow the sensor to be unscrewed from the pipe with out twisting the wire to the point of breakage.

Move back under the car and split the clamp that holds the pipe to the rest of the system. Do not throw this clamp away I was told by the exhaust dealer that they are expensive and hard to come by. Don't worry about shearing the bolts on the clamp although it is better not to if possible use a blowtorch. Get the clamp to an exhaust dealer and ask them to refurbish it. They should clean it up and rethread the bolt holes and give you a couple of shiny new bolts. If they charge you for it then that would be harsh.

Finally remove the cat support rubber this is located behind the engine you will see it no problem.

Now find the lower transmission cover plate and remove it. The plate is held in place via 2 12mm bolts.

==Part 2 - Removal of the Sub-frame==

The engine must now be braced. Remove the rubber grommet from the transmission end-lifting eye. Set-up your support beam and put in place. With my draper beam I did not need the chain I set the lifting hook directly in the eye on the engine. Only tighten the lifting thread don't let it take the weight of the engine yet.

Place a hydraulic jack, with a plank of wood, under the sump. Pump the jack and, as you see the engine start to move, wind up the lifting hook. The brace now has the engine under tension. Remove the jack.

The sub-frame is very cumbersome. Using a 16mm socket, a breaker bar, and a blow-torch if things are seized, loosen the front 2 bolts on the frame

Work back and do the same, using a standard 18mm socket for the mid pair and 16mm for the rear pair.

To be truthful I have always found this style of tool to be very honest if you use it correctly it will remove anything you want I have rarely used anything else on ball joints these spanners are big and there is a lot to get hold of so a lot of smooth pressure can be applied. Once the nut goes the joint should still be held tight undo the nut to the top of its thread you will not be able to remove the nut as the drive shaft is still present.

With the jacks holding the frame in place and the engine braced securely. Begin to remove the frame bolts and nuts. Start at the front and work back. As you remove the rear mount bolts the engine may pivot backwards don't be alarmed, this is a great moment, the engine is now held in position by the brace you are half way there. Release a little pressure of the jacks on a slight drop and split the ball joints. Remove the nuts. Lower the frame. As the frame comes away drag it off the jacks and pull it from under the car.

Examine the rear bolt mounts you are looking for 2 large spacer washers. These may be stuck to the under side of the car. Do not lose these washers. If they are stuck to the car wind in the bolts a little so that they stay where that are. I wound all my bolts and nuts back on to their corresponding points so that nothing of the wrong length went into the wrong hole!

Take a break and return to the job after a well-earned cup of tea. All looks very different now and you will see the job to remove the transmission is really nothing more than a handful of bolts!

I did this job alone. If you have a mate with you who can watch all of this and check the shifter linkage doesn't get tangled with any other parts as it comes down. Then this would be a good idea as the linkage is quite fragile compared to the rest of the transmission.

At the end of this stage you need to have off the two major components, the sub frame and the front pipe.

Now working under the car remove the side front bell housing bolt and then its opposite No. at the rear. The casing is now sitting on the remaining drive shaft and the transmission input shaft.

Now the fun begins. Remove the transmission side drive shaft hub nut and remove the outboard end from the hub. This will be easy as the lower ball joints are out of the way. Supporting the shaft on a hydraulic jack.

Let's return to our engine support beam. Using the winder, release the hook and begin to drop the engine don't worry as, due to the large hydraulic mount on the far side of the engine you have a superb pivot point. You really can wind the engine and transmission right down. The transmission may give the impression that it will simply slide off and hit the floor it will not believe me. Wind down the whole power unit until the drive shaft is Horizontal with the floor. You can see how low the transmission is by this view through the wheel arch

and comparing the next picture to the earlier one.

Now you can remove the drive shaft if you like. I Used a broad bladed steel chisel, the sort used for splitting bricks, and moving to the inboard end of the shaft placed the blade between the inner casing and the transmission and cracked the chisel on its shaft in a levering motion so that you pop the inner circlip. I removed my shaft after getting the whole lot out in this manner but its up to you.

Move around to the other wheel well and lay with your legs either side of the engine. Place your feet on the transmission casing where ever you can. The final drive point is good. Grab the car but not the axle stand, although it is temptingly in reach, and push with your feet. Slide the whole unit off the remaining drive shaft and the input shaft and it should just settle onto the jack.

Remove the jacks from the unit and pull the whole transmission from under the car

So now you've got your transmission out what then?

Firstly if you're not fitting a new pressure plate or friction plate do not go messing with the centralisation of the plates. The plates are centred so save yourself hassle and leave well alone.

Well, my box came out because I blew reverse gear andit was easier to fit a new box than remove and repair the existing one. The most obvious reason for removing the transmission is to fit a new clutch. I took this opportunity and did fit a new three-piece kit. You may just be fitting a new release bearing or a new input shaft seal. Whatever the problem you have to do all this anyway.

As I said earlier I did this job alone, if you can you will need a mate now more than ever. You will need two hydraulic jacks or if your lucky you will own a transmission jack. You need to move the transmission under the car in a relative position.

Then if your car was only lifted as high as an extended pair of Axle stands like my 900 was you will need to lift, push and lift the transmission onto 1 jack and then a second that will support the bell housing. Set the jacks on their lowest point place the bell housing on a jack head and get it balanced then move a second jack which is close at hand and, using your hands, lift the bell housing end onto the second jack. Get them balanced and take a breather and look at what you have to do.

When you are happy with the way it is lined up. Work the transmission onto the drive shaft, if this starts to go into position you are home. Visually check from all angles that you are happy with the position of the transmission and push it home as the input shaft reaches your friction plate it will pick up the teeth on the plate an then enter the flywheel. This should happen very smoothly due to the new grease on the shaft. Around the bolt holes on the bell housing there are dowels that align the housing with the engine block, these should all line up as you push the housing home.

Place all the bolts into their corresponding holes and start to wind them in when all are in position tighten them in a diagonal sequence. This will place even fitting pressure on the housing to engine join.

Again this is a cumbersome and physical job. Before you move the frame into position you need to check each of the two ball joints in case you have split the rubber in which case you will need a new lower arm as they are integral to each other *. Secondly each joint has a small clip sealing the rubber. Make sure that this is in position.

Move the sub frame into position under the car and bring in the ever-present 2 jacks. Pull the frame onto the jacks and balance it. What you are looking for is to align the lower ball joints if these go into place then the frame is loosely aligned.

As you begin the lift align the frame by pushing and pulling and fit the ball joints into the hub as you continue to pump the jacks each side separately. Do not drive the frame tight against the chassis, as you have to refit the spacer washers to the radius arm mount, which is the third and final bolt pair.

As the ball joint comes through the hub spin on the nut. Don't do what I did bolt it up and then realise that you have to use a breaker bar to force the lower arms down so you can wind on a nut! Once the ball joints are in place refit the rear bolts that hold the spacer washers.

Move to the next mount point, which are the 18mm bolts. Then it is the 18mm nuts that bolt onto the rear engine mount. There is a steel cable that is fixed to the rear mount

make sure that this is in the correct position if all is ok and you are happy with the position wind on the nuts but again not tight. Finally fit the front 16mm bolts and line up the frame with your score marks when ok tighten the front and work back the engine and transmission are now in place. Don't forget the ball joints! Take a look over our work if you are happy remove your engine support beam and your transmission is fitted.