Engine unlevel after clutch & new mounts

Engine unlevel after new clutch & mounts

Last night I installed the transmission bracket, new transmission mount, and new engine mount in my 2005 New Beetle. I triumphantly removed the overhead support bar but quickly deflated when I realized the engine is not level.



Here's a link to the full-sized photo: http://pics.tdiclub.com/showfull.php?photo=136345

Here are some things I've checked:

• The engine is bolted to the transmission with three M12 bolts plus the starter bolts, all torqued to spec. I don't see any other way the trans and engine could mate together.
• The new Rein mounts are the same overall height as the old ones, and they look identical.
• The transmission bracket is original, and can only be installed one way. I didn't disturb the engine bracket.
• The mount and bracket bolts are all torqued to spec. I've double checked that the mounts are installed correctly.
• I noticed that the transmission mount is lower than the engine mount, but that is apparently by design. My 2003 Jetta Wagon mounts are the same way.

To make the engine level, I will guess that one side or the other must move about 1/2-1". That seems like a lot to me.

I removed the clutch and transmission almost 3 years ago. Then life happened, and I'm just now getting back to finishing the job. It's quite possible that I overlooked something that should have been installed. Yet, I can't think of anything that even could be like that. The mounts are bolted directly to the frame/body and also directly to the engine and transmission brackets. The trans bracket is bolted directly to the transmission case, and can only go one way, and I didn't disturb the engine bracket. The engine and transmission can bolt together only one way, and they are securely attached. There are no gaps between the engine and transmission, and they are bolted together securely with 5 M12 bolts.

Does anyone have ideas about this?

You leave a jack stand under the engine? It would seem this would be pretty obvious to find, especially if you have another car to compare to. Aside from the outside shape, your Jetta and Beetle are identical underneath. I'd at least try and determine if it is too high on the engine side or too low on the transmission side. Looks to me like it is too high on the engine.

Take a look from underneath to get a better idea. Are the axles back in?

Thanks, Brian -- I really appreciate your help. I agree that the engine side appears high, but measurements will tell the tale.

• No supports underneath.
• No axles yet
• No pendulum mount yet

I finished this late last night and have been working my day job so far today, so I haven't had a chance to do detailed investigations and compare with my 03 Jetta. I do have a helper who will look at it some today, and I will look at it myself in more detail after work. I'll post any significant updates.

The rearmost transmission ear (with jack hole) was hooked over the anti-sway bar. I freed that and then installed the pendulum mount with bolts hand-tight. This helped the engine tilt some, but it didn't fix it completely.



Big photo: http://pics.tdiclub.com/showfull.php?photo=136346

The movable part of the engine mount (that bolts to the bracket) seems about 3/8-1/2" high relative to the top of the fixed part of the mount (that bolts to the frame). The New Beetle transmission mount and both mounts on my Jetta have roughly a 1" drop from the top of the fixed mount to the moveable mount, but the drop on the New Beetle engine mount is closer to 1/2". One thing I noticed was that the NB engine mount moveable piece is crooked on the bracket.



I will correct this after work and see if it helps.

They normally sit lower on the transmission side.

Do align the engine as per the Bentley manual. There are quite a few gaps to check. I cut some plastic up into shims of the specfication of the go/no-go from the manual.

I corrected the crooked engine mount attachment to the engine bracket, and it made no difference.

zslnk said:

They normally sit lower on the transmission side.

Do align the engine as per the Bentley manual. There are quite a few gaps to check. I cut some plastic up into shims of the specfication of the go/no-go from the manual.

Click to expand...

That's good to know that the transmission side normally sits lower. And thanks for the reminder about the Bentley gaps, etc. I'll do that.

It looks the same as my cars. Align per the manual.

zslnk said:

It looks the same as my cars. Align per the manual.

Click to expand...

That's reassuring to know, and I will. Thanks!

I had a similar situation recently. Put the support bar back on. Remove the mounts and start over. At least that was the easiest thing for me to do. Be patient and take your time lining it back up. Install all the bolts loosely so you can wiggle things around before tightening. Also, if anyone can post a link to the alignment procedure thats in the manual that would be awsome. I looked for it when i needed it but could not find it anywhere on the interwebs

Hey Louie, sorry it took a couple of days for this. Here are the alignment specs for both mounts from the Jetta Bentley. The New Beetle Bentley only shows the engine mount.

Louie, I updated my alignment mount info post above, replacing the New Beetle engine mount alignment with Jetta alignments for both mounts.

I checked my mount gaps as documented above, and they are all in spec. The engine still lists to port a bit, but not as badly as at first, and it sounds like this is normal. So I consider this resolved. Thanks, everyone who contributed!

shoebear said:

Hey Louie, sorry it took a couple of days for this. Here are the alignment specs for both mounts from the Jetta Bentley. The New Beetle Bentley only shows the engine mount.

Click to expand...

Thank you