Pulling a manual trans, anything special I should get?

[2000alhVW]

I found a guy parting out a 2003 Jetta with 164,000 miles.
He has struck me as very honest and trustworthy. And he's asking peanuts for the parts. He bought the car at auction, and promises it goes in all the gears properly, and does not grind in any shifts he's done, but openly tells me he's barely driven it and only bought it originally for the motor. But it's still 15 years old w/164k miles and unknown history.

I'm going to pull the entire 5-speed swap over to my 2000 Golf.
Other than the normal (axles, starter, pedal, hydraulics, flywheel, shifter) is there anything I should grab while I'm there?

He already has the trans and motor pulled, but I have to do all the small work for the pedal, shifter, and other things.

 

[Prairieview]

Myself, I'd want the low-mileage master cylinder....just cuz.

Motor mount.

 

[AndyBees]

Are you obtaining the transmission for a conversion?

 

[2000alhVW]

Are you obtaining the transmission for a conversion?

Yes. Pulling the whole “swap” to convert my auto car

 

[Prairie Chicken]

id check the trans fluid just to make sure it doesn't have giant pieces of metal or has the brass shavings in it.

other parts - where to start... i'd love to have a good parts car just to pull from.

 

[mjydrafter]

Remember that the interior part of the shifter comes off from the bottom of the car if you're grabbing it. Make sure you can get under it safely, etc.


I would pull anything he'll let you take.



Oh one that I just thought of is the piece with the coolant glow plugs. For some reason I'm thinking they are different manual vs. auto.

 

[Prairieview]

If you have a place to store it, I would take the brake booster as well. Make hay while the sun shines.

 

[Genesis]

The elbow IS different between manual and auto -- if you're converting get the manual one; it has three coolant glow plugs in it.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Grab the power steering line from pump to rack if you can. You'll need it. And if you want the coolant hoses that bypass the transmission oil cooler, although those aren't as important. You can bypass one and block off the other with a cap or a oil drain plug. Really.

 

[Nero Morg]

I've done two swaps, pretty easy. There's guides for the wiring, but you'll essentially need the trans, master cyl, slave, both cv axles, pedal assy with switches, and shift linkage. If you get the linkage for that trans you won't have to adjust it when installing it

 

[2000alhVW]

I've done two swaps, pretty easy. There's guides for the wiring, but you'll essentially need the trans, master cyl, slave, both cv axles, pedal assy with switches, and shift linkage. If you get the linkage for that trans you won't have to adjust it when installing it

Thanks. This is mostly what I was looking for.
I've done a few auto-->5 speed swaps on other vehicles, but always wary of random VW nonsense.

The guy was awesome. Already had the trans pulled out with the axles still attached. Saved the clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, and the dust cover for the trans. He sold the engine to someone else, and even went up to the store to buy the triple-square bits to remove the flywheel bolts to save the flywheel + hardware for me.

All I did was remove the clutch pedal and shifter assembly. Both were surprisingly much more simple than I was expecting.

is the reverse switch plug the same for the manual car? The wiring harness went with the engine.

 

[WildChild80]

I'd also invest in a diesel geek bushings kit... rebuild the shifter while it's out and never worry about the crumbling bushings down the road


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[2000alhVW]

I'd also invest in a diesel geek bushings kit... rebuild the shifter while it's out and never worry about the crumbling bushings down the road


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Good idea. I do want to freshen things up before I put them in the car. I was wondering if it would be worth it to refresh the synchros and bearings in the transmission...

 

[WildChild80]

Good idea. I do want to freshen things up before I put them in the car. I was wondering if it would be worth it to refresh the synchros and bearings in the transmission...

Good idea maybe but it's not cheap and it's all pressed together...I'm dreading the day I have to split mine

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[mrfiat]

The driver's side engine mount (or the metal part that attaches to the transmission is different) Grab that. I didn't swap the coolant glow plugs and had no issues. But my car may have a had tune so that is why I didn't get a CEL.

 

[Nero Morg]

is the reverse switch plug the same for the manual car? The wiring harness went with the engine.

No the switch is different. As mrfiat said, grab the mount with the transmission. I spaced it because I just undo the two bolts from the top and drop the trans with it.


IIRC the only sensors that are the same are the speed sensor. Be careful, because the auto harness is a little shorter, so you'll have to work it around the turbo oil supply on the backside of the head.


There's a guide on what wires to splice and make work. I used one on Instructables, but I think there's one here. The one I used had pictures is all.


Just make sure when you do the swap you disconnect the TCM, otherwise I've heard you'll get ABS faults. While you're in there you can splice the wire to get cruise control working. Did my swap, and drove for a year before finally fixing it

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Manual and automatic transmission mounts on ALH cars with either the 5-speed manual or the 4 speed automatic are the same. Not sure about the transmission mount bracket, however. Just make sure that comes to you with the manual transmission.

 

[2000alhVW]

I went to look at mounts offered on IDparts
I'm a little confused which mount is auto or 5-speed specific.

Is it the "dog bone" mount? I did take that from the donor, and I unbolted it from the subframe.
Or is it the "transmission mount".
All mounts listed on IDparts are described as fitting both the 5-speed manual and the 4-speed automatic.

 

[mrfiat]

The dogbone mount is the same as is the driver's side mount, but the mount bracket is different for sure, so make sure to get that or source it elsewhere. The swap project is quite involved and most likely I will never do it again. (I hope!) Or until someone T-bones my wagon!

 

[2000alhVW]

The dogbone mount is the same as is the driver's side mount, but the mount bracket is different for sure, so make sure to get that or source it elsewhere. The swap project is quite involved and most likely I will never do it again. (I hope!) Or until someone T-bones my wagon!

Sorry, I'm still confused.
You said "the dogbone mount is the same as the driver's side mount" meaning that they are the same thing, but sometimes referred to with 2 different names?

"the mount bracket is different"
what bracket?

 

[Nero Morg]

The part that actually bolts to the transmission itself is different. Has three or four bolts on it. It then in turn bolts to the rubber mount with two bolts which is attached to the body. Rubber mount is same. Trans mount is different.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Sorry, I'm still confused.
You said "the dogbone mount is the same as the driver's side mount" meaning that they are the same thing, but sometimes referred to with 2 different names?
"the mount bracket is different"
what bracket?

You left a word out. He wrote the dogbone mount is the same, as is the driver's side mount. Meaning the two mounts, although different from each other, are shared by manual and auto transmissions. The bracket on the transmission the mount bolts to is different on the manual than the automatic, however.

 

[mrfiat]

Thanks, that is what I meant. Sorry that I wasn't more clear. I thought the DS side mount was different, so I got an extra one from the junkyard, which I didn't need in the end.



To make it 100% clear, all three mounts on the engine are the same on the Mk4s regardless if you have an auto or a manual.


There is an additional piece on the manual transmission that I don't think was mentioned. There is a black metal rod that goes from the DS engine mount bracket to the transmission. (about 5" long) Make sure to grab that as well.


Good luck with your swap!

 

[Nero Morg]

.There is an additional piece on the manual transmission that I don't think was mentioned. There is a black metal rod that goes from the DS engine mount bracket to the transmission. (about 5" long) Make sure to grab that as well.

Speaking of, is there any purpose to that? Mines been loose since I did the swap, just too lazy to tighten it just yet.

 

[mrfiat]

I made sure to install that rod, but no idea if it is really needed. I would think the mount bracket/mount would be all you need to hold the transmission up. VW thought it was needed though.

 

[2000alhVW]

Thanks for the advice. Once I went out and looked at the transmission, the "mount" in question was obvious.
It was still bolted to the transmission, along with the peculiar "black metal rod" that makes a bend between the mount and the transmission body.

After I went out and looked at the trans, I was both more and less confused. I was less confused because I now know exactly what you all are talking about, and I'm glad that I do have it...but I'm confused why anyone would ever remove it...and why it would be an item of special concern. Seems to me to be unnatural to go about removing it.
Oh well I guess.

I think I've gathered up all the parts, now I'm just in the reconditioning phase. New bushings for the shifter as mentioned above, gonna inspect the axles, etc. At least one CV boot is torn, so I'll have to see if that axle is worth putting back on the car.
Might go ahead and get new mounts while I'm at it. My suspension bushings (rubber) are pretty nasty after 18 years, so I figure the motor/trans mounts are similar

 

[Nero Morg]

You have to remove it to change the clutch. Unless you pull the engine with trans

 

[2000alhVW]

You have to remove it to change the clutch. Unless you pull the engine with trans

ahhh. I see. That makes sense now. Thanks