Lesson 1Common mistakes to avoid: misalignment, improper torque, contaminated friction surfaces, and inadequate engine supportDodge usual slip-ups causing early clutch death or safety risks. Covers disc lining up wrong, bad torque, dirty friction faces, and weak engine or box support.
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 checkPrep flywheel for reuse or new. Cleaning tricks, when to skim, bolt torque order and values, and measure end runout to VW specs.
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 shieldsShift bits blocking gearbox access on Golf/GTI. Safe battery, airbox, intake pipe, crossmember, heat shield removal, labelling fixings for easy re-fit.
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 reinstallationRefit all shifted bits and check torque on key bolts. Crossmember, axle, linkage, heat shield fit-up, plus final fluid top-up and underbody once-over 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 checksEyeball all pulled clutch bits to pick replacements. Disc thick, rivet show, pressure plate face, flywheel state, release bearing, pilot, 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 supportRig tools and special kit before cracking the drivetrain. Torque wrenches, impacts, box jack, alignment tools, engine props 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 round. Use alignment tool, torque pressure plate and pilot bearing to spec, check disc free on input 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 and prep join faces before new clutch. Degrease flywheel, check crank pilot hole, clean bellhousing 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, tidy space for FWD VW clutch job. Right jack and stand spots, wheel blocks, battery off, PPE to dodge hurts and car damage.
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 specRefit gearbox to engine no forcing. Line input shaft to disc, seat bellhousing on dowels, tighten in order, renew seals and bits to spec.
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 and lift gearbox off engine safe. Bellhousing bolt spots, starter out, dowel line-up, controlled drop dodging wiring and sensor hits.
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 partsPull clutch stack no flywheel or crank damage. Right order loosen pressure plate bolts, prop assembly, handle old bits for check or bin.
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 linkagesProp engine firm and split from gearbox no mount strain. Engine bar setup, drain box oil, pull driveshafts, CVs, mounts, shift links on 2.0 TDI FWD.
Positioning and securing engine support barDraining gearbox oil and disposing safelyRemoving driveshafts and CV jointsDisconnecting shifter cables and bracketsUnbolting transmission mounts and braces
