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A/T transmission removal 2001

49K views 40 replies 13 participants last post by  QuinE 
#1 ·
Been working on an 01 for 2 days trying to get the transmission out. I've had my fair share of time under a car so I don't consider myself incapable. However, this is becoming a major challenge. Almost 2 hours to get one bolt out between the engine/trans up above the hammer head oil pan and behind the trans cooling lines etc. etc. Just trying to get the cover plate off the front of the trans so I can separate the torque convertor/drive plate. I have the service manual but that thing is horrible. No specifics or diagrams. Any help would be appreciated.

Trans is coming out for rear main seal and also doing the front cats.
 
#2 ·
need to remove a bunch of stuff to get the trans down.

i took off the small brackets that hold the trans cooler lines so they can be moved.
remove a section of exhaust, i think they y-pipe, so you can
remove the t-bars so you can remove the cross member that they attach to
then the trans can come down once all the bolts are out of the bell housing.

To get to all the bellhousing bolts easier I had a long set of extensions and a swivel.

I wasn't expecting to have to take the exhaust and cross-member down but it really wasn't too bad.

and get a trans jack or a few good beefy friends, as its a heavy mother.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I'm not even sure what little sheet metal cover you're talking about.

you have to go through the starter hole to unbolt the tq converter from the flex plate.
 
#5 ·
I'm not even sure what little sheet metal cover you're talking about.

you have to go through the starter hole to unbolt the tq converter from the flex plate.
Interesting, that's not what the crappy service manual said. I have the starter off but I can't even get it down out of the vehicle either. Now what's the trick for that. Seriously, I've worked on a ton of vehicles, including Ferrari's, this one ranks up there in the highest degree of difficulty.
 
#6 ·
I had the same experience with the starter the first time I took it out. After you get the procedure it comes out in about 15 minutes.

It basically rotates out towards the pass. wheel. Might need to loosen up the brackets for the auto trans fluid lines to work it around some more.
 
#7 ·
And p.s these trucks are simple after working on VAG vehicles. Holy shit do they make some odd/bad engineering choices.
 
#8 ·
For the love of all that's holy. Another night, transmission is still in. We did make some progress. Starter is out, torque convertor is unbolted, front cross member off (holding front diff) harness all disconnected (I think) All the bolts out between trans and engine. Start dropping the trans and there still isn't room to drop it out. @#$%!@#!!!! Are you telling me the cross member the torsion bars are bolted to needs to come out too???

This is becoming insane. 4 nights into it....
 
#9 ·
need to remove a bunch of stuff to get the trans down.

i took off the small brackets that hold the trans cooler lines so they can be moved.
remove a section of exhaust, i think they y-pipe, so you can
remove the t-bars so you can remove the cross member that they attach to
then the trans can come down once all the bolts are out of the bell housing.

To get to all the bellhousing bolts easier I had a long set of extensions and a swivel.

I wasn't expecting to have to take the exhaust and cross-member down but it really wasn't too bad.

and get a trans jack or a few good beefy friends, as its a heavy mother.
@#$%!@#!!!! Are you telling me the cross member the torsion bars are bolted to needs to come out too???

This is becoming insane. 4 nights into it....

yes.
 
#11 ·
First mark front and rear of each torsion bar - they should only go in front to front.

  • Put the front end of the truck up on jack stands
  • remove the wheels to take some weight off the fr. suspension
  • take the top nut off the adjuster screws (above the cross member)
  • loosen the nuts/bolts from the splined holder end on the lower a-arm
  • remove the adjuster bolt all the way - this will drop the front suspension to the lower bump stops. or you can block the a-arms up and the adjuster bolt will be easier to get out from the weight being off the t-bar the whole time.
  • wrestle the torsion bar out of the adjuster arm in the cross member then out of the holder on the a-arm.


depending on the amount of corrosion on the vehicle you'll probably want to soak both ends in a penetration oil or fluid like 50/50 acetone/atf. These can be stuck in both ends pretty tight.

And yes the crossover pipe has to come out of the car too. I tried to wrestle mine out without it and i might have been able to do it eventually but the trans is damn heavy and it was just MUCH simpler to take the exhaust down.
 
#13 ·
When doing any maintenance work on this truck I've been using anti-sieze compounds when everything gets reassembled, and when you don't have to wrestle with the corrosion its really not that bad.
 
#14 ·
just be thankful there arent any requisite specialty tools, like spline/triple square drivers like with the damn VAG cars.
 
#17 ·
We got the SOB out last night finally. Holy mother of mary. The only thing we haven't removed on the vehicle to get this out is the roof rack and the rear axle. LOL.

I'd heard and read about the crank sensor somewhere on the bell housing but didn't find it until dropping the transmission carefully and something wasn't giving. Luckily saw it before we broke anything. Getting that bugger off took another hour, finally sticking my arm up from underneath with a 10mm ratchet and getting the stinking bolt out.

The two items I'm surprised noone has written up a DIY on this forum is transmission removal and cat replacement, the two items I desperately needed.

Now that I have the trans out, I'll be trying to get a new RMS in without damaging it and swapping out the cats.

Thanks for all the help so far. Just a quick question though, there's no timing involved between the flex plate and the torque convertor correct? Bolt the 4 bolts up any orientation? I thought I'd read somewhere about marking it but I couldnt see why I didn't.
 
#18 ·
congrats!

you know, i cant remember off the top of my head if there is a clocking between the flex plate and tq converter. I want to say the spacing is such that it will go together either the way it came off or 180* opposite but I'm really not sure.

I think you should have marked it because the flex plate and the tq converter are balanced and putting it back in another orientation throws the balance off.

DO NOT reuse the bolts between the flex plate and torque converter. They are stretch bolts and will back out if reused. Ask me and my 2nd trans removal how I know.
 
#20 ·
Well after all this it doesn't look like the rear main seal was leaking. The U-shaped gasket between the o-ring bracket and the oil pan is leaking. So now I'm wondering if I just replace this gasket and put some sealer on it and call it done or pull the whole oil pan. The rest of the oil pan looks dry and it looks like a nightmare to get out (like everything else on this vehicle).
 
#22 ·
I'm not sure off the top of my head whether they are tty. They don't strike me that way. I'm pretty sure I reused but used loctite on them?
 
#23 ·
We got the SOB out last night finally. Holy mother of mary. The only thing we haven't removed on the vehicle to get this out is the roof rack and the rear axle. LOL.

I'd heard and read about the crank sensor somewhere on the bell housing but didn't find it until dropping the transmission carefully and something wasn't giving. Luckily saw it before we broke anything. Getting that bugger off took another hour, finally sticking my arm up from underneath with a 10mm ratchet and getting the stinking bolt out.

The two items I'm surprised noone has written up a DIY on this forum is transmission removal and cat replacement, the two items I desperately needed.

Now that I have the trans out, I'll be trying to get a new RMS in without damaging it and swapping out the cats.

Thanks for all the help so far. Just a quick question though, there's no timing involved between the flex plate and the torque convertor correct? Bolt the 4 bolts up any orientation? I thought I'd read somewhere about marking it but I couldnt see why I didn't.
Make a write up


Sent from AutoGuide.com App
 
#24 ·
Good info guys, im planning on dropping the tranny also. When stand still i put it in drive and it makes a bad bearing noise, when in neutral/park everything is fine. I did both head gasket two months ago and now torque converter, just thinking about the crank sensor gives me a headache lol, good to know people actually did it, i'll be back
 
#25 ·
Mac11, i had a 2001 jetta and i pray to god if i ever have to drop the tranny on my x that its no where near as bad as that. I had the fsm for it and on top of having to buy tools just for that job the procedure was stupid. Raise the engine and tilt it so many degrees. Remove some bolts, tilt, remove, drop the engine tilt, twist the engine, place tranny at x degrees rotate, tilt, lift engine. 2 days later i was still not to the clutch. Granted i was using an engine hoist made from 2x4s and rope so that added to the difficulty.
 
#26 ·
Well, pulling this trans was a LOT of work in my opinion. There are so many bolts that are very difficult to get to. AND a whole lot of surprises that I found out after the fact. If I had to do it again it would be easier. It would have been nice if in the last 10 years since this thing came out that someone would have made a write up to get the trans out and not me, someone who doesn't even own an X, to have to write it up for those who do own an X. I'm happy to answer any questions and maybe one of these days I'll make a write up from memory, at least point out all the 'surprises' before hand for someone else.
 
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