Lesson 1Common mistakes to avoid: misalignment, improper torque, contaminated friction surfaces, and inadequate engine supportSkip usual errors causing early clutch fail or danger, like disc off-line, wrong tighten, dirty rub faces, weak engine or box hold.
Recognizing disc and hub misalignmentConsequences of incorrect torque valuesPreventing oil and grease contaminationAvoiding damage from poor supportPost-repair checks for noise and judderLesson 2Flywheel service: resurfacing instructions, torque sequence and final runout checkReady flywheel for reuse or new. Clean right, when to resurface, bolt tighten order and force, measure end wobble to VW marks.
Cleaning flywheel and crank flangeResurfacing limits for dual-mass unitsFlywheel bolt torque and angle sequenceUsing threadlocker where specifiedMeasuring and interpreting flywheel runoutLesson 3Removing ancillary components: airbox, intake piping, battery, cross-members and heat shieldsTake off parts blocking gearbox access on Golf/GTI, like battery, airbox, intake pipe, cross bars, heat covers, mark fittings for easy put-back.
Battery, tray, and ECU bracket removalAirbox and intake piping removal stepsHeat shield and undertray removalFront crossmember and brace removalLabeling fasteners and clip locationsLesson 4Reassembly of removed components and torque checks: crossmember, axles, linkages, and heat shield reinstallationPut back all taken parts, check tighten on key bolts. Covers cross bar, axle, link, heat shield fit, plus fluid top-up and under check before road run.
Reinstalling subframe and crossmembersRefitting axles and torquing axle nutsReattaching shifter cables and bracketsReinstalling shields, trays, and intakeRefilling gearbox oil and leak checksLesson 5Inspection protocol for removed parts: disc thickness, rivet wear, pressure plate mount face, flywheel surface and bearing checksCheck all old clutch bits to pick replaces. Disc thick, rivet show, plate face, flywheel state, release pilot bearings, fork wear spots.
Measuring disc thickness and rivet depthChecking pressure plate face and springsAssessing flywheel surface and hot spotsInspecting release and pilot bearingsExamining fork, pivot, and guide tubeLesson 6Tools and special equipment setup: impact wrenches, torque wrench, transmission jack, clutch alignment tool, engine supportSet tools and gear before opening drive. Torque wrench, impact, box lift, align tool, engine hold for Golf/GTI.
Selecting metric hand tools and socketsUsing impact tools without damageTorque wrench ranges and calibrationSetting up transmission jack safelyEngine support bar and sling optionsLesson 7Installing new clutch components: fitment order, use of alignment tool, torque specifications for pressure plate and pilot bearingFit new clutch kit right order and way. Use align tool, follow plate pilot tighten specs, check disc free on splines.
Confirming correct replacement partsOrienting disc and pressure plate marksUsing clutch alignment tool accuratelyTorquing pressure plate bolts in stagesInstalling pilot and release bearingsLesson 8Preparing mating surfaces: flywheel cleaning, checking pilot bore, cleaning bellhousing and clutch splinesClean join faces before new clutch. Degrease flywheel, check crank pilot hole, clean bellhouse inside, brush disc splines.
Degreasing flywheel and pressure plateInspecting and cleaning crank pilot boreCleaning bellhousing dust and oilBrushing and lubricating clutch splinesProtecting friction surfaces from greaseLesson 9Preparation and safety: workspace layout, jack and stands points, wheel chocks, battery disconnect and PPESet safe work spot for front VW clutch. Right jack stand spots, wheel blocks, battery off, safety gear to avoid hurt or car harm.
Plan workspace layout and lightingCorrect jack and jack-stand positionsWheel chock placement and parking brake useBattery disconnect and airbag precautionsRequired PPE and safe lifting habitsLesson 10Reinstalling transmission: aligning input shaft, tightening sequence, replacing seals and fasteners to specPut gearbox back on engine no force. Line input shaft to disc, seat bell on pins, tighten order, new seals fittings to mark.
Aligning transmission and engine dowelsGuiding input shaft through clutch discDrawing bellhousing flush without pryingTorque sequence for bellhousing boltsReplacing seals and stretch bolts to specLesson 11Transmission unbolt and removal: bellhousing bolts, starter removal, careful gearbox lowering and common pitfallsUnbolt lift off gearbox safe. Bell bolt spots, starter out, pin line, slow drop no wire sensor harm.
Identifying bellhousing bolt locationsStarter motor removal and wiring careSeparating bellhousing from dowel pinsLowering gearbox on transmission jackAvoiding strain on harnesses and hosesLesson 12Clutch assembly removal: loosening pressure plate bolts, safe support of flywheel/pressure plate, and disposal of old partsTake clutch off no flywheel crank harm. Right order loosen plate bolts, hold assembly, handle old bits for check or trash.
Marking clutch orientation before removalLoosening pressure plate bolts evenlySafely supporting pressure plate and discRemoving and handling dual-mass flywheelBagging and labeling old parts for reviewLesson 13Supporting engine and separating transmission: engine support methods, drain gearbox oil, remove driveshafts/CV joints and linkagesHold engine firm, split gearbox no mount strain. Bar setup, drain oil, pull drive shafts CV joints mounts shift links on 2.0 TDI front.
Positioning and securing engine support barDraining gearbox oil and disposing safelyRemoving driveshafts and CV jointsDisconnecting shifter cables and bracketsUnbolting transmission mounts and braces
