Hi to All !! (TDI Community). I'm finally there, in that great company of completing my 5 spd. swap today. "1st things 1st". My thanks go out to a long list of whom I consider experts on this project,(1st and foremost, Alphaseinor ) as I have read this entire thread. Well, I did speed read through the 1.8T,and BEW questions and answers. Fabulous work on putting this all together guys. "True Pioneers" , as has been said many times before. I basically followed Boertje's file to the letter on electrical work especially, as my '03 Jetta's wires corresponded perfectly with his all the way. I purchased an '03 Jetta donor car with 195,000mi totaled on the R/F corner for $1,200 ( Yeah, I know I scored big time there! Looked, and Waited and Waited, and finally trailered one home from 100mi away.) R/Axle was destroyed,( but I had a spare 2.0 standard R/S) I used "everything else" including the shortened brake pedal, but not the coolant glow plugs. I don't mind saying that I believe, that's the only way to go. But I've been in the auto wrecking business most of my life, used all donor cars, all of the time. Anyway, everything went as good as it could. I'm happy to say, I have it all, reverse lights, speedo, cruise and cancel as it should be. Had to do the hammer mod,which was to be expected. Boertje's file right on again as I had a .05 IQ that I bumped up to a 4.8-5 If that turns out to be a little high I'll go back and bump it down to 4. Drove it around town about 35mi today, smiling all the way, can't tell you all how good it feels, but you already know if you've done it. Smooth as a baby's ass !! And lot's more get up and go!! Purchased all new items from Aaron (Boraparts.com,Great business man BTW.) VR6 Silent clutch kit, and all new seals and parts for the "forbidden zone". I had 252,000mi on at removal of my 01M, which I'm sure I don't have to tell anyone what that was like!! I was getting 40mpg highway when I could keep the torque convertor locked-up, but that wasn't easy in hills. Incidentally, I did discover that with my Scan Guage II, I could clear the PO811 code on the fly and lock the convertor back up without missing a beat. And that sure beat the hell out of pulling over, resetting and resuming again. I think that's what took me so long to start the swap.
Sorry for such a BIG 1st post and all that rambling, only happens when I'm excited. And I AM EXCITED !!!!
Thanks Again to all for paving the way, for me to continue to love my TDI.
I'll let you know about mpg improvements.
John LoGuirato