clutch replacement TIPS needed

i need to replace the clutch in my R due to it starting to slip half a year or so after i went stage 1+

i plan on doing this at my buddy's place as he's GOT a hoist which will come in handy.

so to anyone that has done this by themselves, i was hoping to get some in's and out's as well as some good tips to make this as painless as possible.

i did a clutch replacement in my 2010 gti a few yers back in my garage and managed to do so without dropping the subframe, but i figured being a GOLF R now with the transfer case attached to the tranny it may not be as easy.

did you guys have to remove teh exhaust or downpipe as well to get at the bolts from the transfer case shaft??

any other tips or shortcuts are more then welcomed


thanks.

ferrariF60 said:

i plan on doing this at my buddy's place as he's hot

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hmmmm

No need to drop the exhaust. Just disconnect the prop shaft from the transfer case and leave the case attached to the gearbox. You'll need to drop the subframe to give clearance to get it all out, but that's not a big deal.

Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. It's a good time to do a locking subframe collar kit and front sway bar if that's in the plan and budget.

Oh, and think about replacing the rear main seal while you're in there. Mine was leaking a bit.

snobrdrdan said:

hmmmm

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LOL......damn spell check....fixed it....

TimS said:

No need to drop the exhaust. Just disconnect the prop shaft from the transfer case and leave the case attached to the gearbox. You'll need to drop the subframe to give clearance to get it all out, but that's not a big deal.

Other than that, it's pretty straightforward. It's a good time to do a locking subframe collar kit and front sway bar if that's in the plan and budget.

Oh, and think about replacing the rear main seal while you're in there. Mine was leaking a bit.

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^ This, definitely remove the subframe, makes work much easier.

I just did this in my garage on my hoist and basically, the biggest pain in the butt was getting the transmission back on the engine... it is heavy. I've attached the instructions I put together and tools needed. Take a look. The order of how you do some of those things don't necessarily have to be in the order that I've listed, but that is how I did it. I also listed torque values for relevant bolts. If some details are missing, it's because it is trivial and it'll be obvious when you get to a specific step.

Parts of it specifically refer to the DKM twin disc install, but you'll just follow the instructions included in your clutch kit.

I've also attached the list of parts with bolt part numbers, in case you need them.

Edit: The one thing I noticed that was missing here is that there is a black bracket and a small shield on the passenger side of the transmission that bolts to the engine. I believe there were 2 7mm allen nuts for the shield and 2x 12mm XZN bolts and 3x 18mm bolts for the bracket. This is done after removing the passenger side driveshaft.

Done a bunch of these. Never had to remove the subframe or thought that would make the job faster, seems like that would make the job way longer in the long run. I did learn the lesson the hard way trying to get the trans out without removing both axle flanges. Remove them, it makes dropping the trans way easier on R's. Hardest part I thought was removing the heat shield right by the transfer case.

jay745 said:

Done a bunch of these. Never had to remove the subframe or thought that would make the job faster, seems like that would make the job way longer in the long run. I did learn the lesson the hard way trying to get the trans out without removing both axle flanges. Remove them, it makes dropping the trans way easier on R's. Hardest part I thought was removing the heat shield right by the transfer case.

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Interesting, the axle flanges (part still on the trans held on by a deep allen bolt) didn't get in the way of anything when I did mine. I can see how it would on a GTI since it'll interfere with the flywheel, but on the R with it being further towards the passenger side didn't even come close to anything. Maybe I just got lucky.

Huacha said:

Interesting, the axle flanges (part still on the trans held on by a deep allen bolt) didn't get in the way of anything when I did mine. I can see how it would on a GTI since it'll interfere with the flywheel, but on the R with it being further towards the passenger side didn't even come close to anything. Maybe I just got lucky.

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Strange. I've never had to remove them for gti clutches, only R's. GTI clutch jobs are WAY easier. My partner and I can do them in about 4 hours start to finish. R's take about 6 hours.

jay745 said:

Strange. I've never had to remove them for gti clutches, only R's. GTI clutch jobs are WAY easier. My partner and I can do them in about 4 hours start to finish. R's take about 6 hours.

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hey,

my buddy has a hoist so it'll be a bit easier to work with, rather then work on garage floor.

so what you're saying is that on an R you dont' have to remove the drive shaft flanges??

what about the transfer case that is attached to the transmission, does that have to be removed in order to clear the sub frame??

i'm trying to remove as few parts as possible and ONLY the ones that are a must...

i remember when i did the MKVI GTI cluthc a couple of years back i had to remove the axle flanges as it would hit the subframe...

that's why i'd really apreciate if someone like that seems to have done a lot of golf R's clutches would enlighten me on the parts that are a must to be removed for easiest fastest way to drop an R tranny

thx

Well, I guess I can't help you since I've only done it once and I removed my subframe.