how to remove automatic flywheel from block?

leafs

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May 28, 2018
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alh
first auto to manual tranny conversion and first time removing one of these.

I see no fasteners holding it on so I'm prying at the thing and it's not coming off.

Maybe I'm overlooking something so I figured I'd ask before going more heavy with the prying (don't want to mess anything up).

The swap guide simply says, "Remove “flywheel” and all spacers on the crank hub."

How do I get it off? Thanks

 
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JETaah

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mi 48836
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96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
Stop prying!
If you mean taking the torque converter off there is an access hole in the tin spacer on the rear side of the engine block that should have a rubber plug in it (~1 1/4" dia).


If you rotate the engine and peek through there you will see that the torque converter is attached with three 15MM headed nuts.
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
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Dec 11, 2001
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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
There is no "flywheel" on that car. You need to first take the torque converter off then take the flex plate off.

You should have taken the torque converter out with the transmission!
 

leafs

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canada
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alh
There is no "flywheel" on that car. You need to first take the torque converter off then take the flex plate off.

You should have taken the torque converter out with the transmission!
lol I kinda just winged it. I found myself reading the damn pdf more than working. No wonder the tranny barely came out haha.
 

leafs

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Location
canada
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alh
Stop prying!
If you mean taking the torque converter off there is an access hole in the tin spacer on the rear side of the engine block that should have a rubber plug in it (~1 1/4" dia).


If you rotate the engine and peek through there you will see that the torque converter is attached with three 15MM headed nuts.
thank you. :)
 

leafs

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canada
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holy smokes you guys got any tips for removing the torque converter bolts? they're not budging and I think I even rounded one slightly. can't get the impact gun I have in there either.
 

UFO

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A mile high
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2001 Beetle
Mine came out with just a socket wrench, I don't remember them being particularly difficult.

Since you will not be using the flexplate anymore, perhaps you can drill or grind off the bolt head?
 

leafs

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alh
Mine came out with just a socket wrench, I don't remember them being particularly difficult.

Since you will not be using the flexplate anymore, perhaps you can drill or grind off the bolt head?
did you use one of those swivel attachments on your ratchet? because with the 1/2 inch I can't even get in there because the back of the engine blocks it from going on correctly... and with the swivel or wobble extension it slides off when I bear down on it hella. I can get the 3/8 on there but it doesn't give enough leverage. I also tried a 15mm wrench with another wrench connected for leverage and that didn't work either... don't know if my wrench slipped or the little ratcheting mechanism in the wrench slipped. I also tried my milwaukee 2763 impact with a bunch of extensions and that didn't work either.. and that thing usually rapes anything it comes across but maybe all the extensions caused a serious loss of power.

I soaked the bs in pb blaster and going to let it sit that way for a couple days as I don't think I'm going to get to it tomorrow. if that doesn't work then I break out the angle grinder. gotta love the rust belt... i've had quite a few bolts etc fight me. one bolt that connected the auto shifter to the body from the bottom was ridiculous as well.

I'm kinda concerned and hope I didn't bend anything important when I was prying away like an idiot.
 
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UFO

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It's been 2 years since I did the 01M-ectomy, but I probably used my 3/8 wrench with the pivot head, and a medium extension. The handle is about 16" long, should be able to apply enough torque to break it free.
I'm thinking the torque converter is aluminum, so your threads have seized. Try heating the bolts with a propane torch, and letting them cool down, maybe you can loosen the corrosion that way. Don't ignite the penetrating oil though... :p
 

leafs

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alh
It's been 2 years since I did the 01M-ectomy, but I probably used my 3/8 wrench with the pivot head, and a medium extension. The handle is about 16" long, should be able to apply enough torque to break it free.
I'm thinking the torque converter is aluminum, so your threads have seized. Try heating the bolts with a propane torch, and letting them cool down, maybe you can loosen the corrosion that way. Don't ignite the penetrating oil though... :p
if they dont come out right away after the pb i'm going to just grind em off no muss no fuss as it's scrap metal anyway. i appreciate the grinder suggestion sometimes tunnel vision kicks in when frustrated. :)
 

oilhammer

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outside St Louis, MO
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There are just too many to list....
Impact swivel socket, zip 'em right off.... gosh knows I've R&R'd a boatload of 01Ms over the years, LOL...
 

leafs

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alh
Impact swivel socket, zip 'em right off.... gosh knows I've R&R'd a boatload of 01Ms over the years, LOL...
I tried that but my swivel socket set didn't have a 15mm so I had to use one of those swivel adapters and the outcome was the socket banging away and slipping off. This same impact would remove a Honda crank bolt (which are pretty notorious) no problem. My theory is the nuts are seized up from severe overheating. When I got this car it wouldn't drive in forward at all and made a grinding noise in some forward selections. I'm thinking the last owner really rode this transmission into the ground.
 

leafs

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canada
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whew finally got it off.

2/3 nuts came off with the impact after sitting in pb blaster overnight and the 3rd one which was rounded I grinded off.... that was a pita lol I'm glad I only had to do that to one of em.

Looks like someone has been in here before (per the markings) and I think they overtorqued the nuts.



Thankfully everything looks straight and unbent from the prying. Now I'm wondering if I should change the rear main seal. There appears to be oil residue around the area but no leak detected and no oil was leaking from anywhere that I could detect last time the motor ran. What do you guys think?

 
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