Tranny install from hell.

[George Selby]

At 11:42 AM 10/22/01, you wrote:
> > I wound up carefully deciding that at 1/2" the shaft was in, and with
> > the bell housing to engine distances all around as an alignment check,
> > that the two heavy chunks of metal were straight relative to each
> > other... and gently, using several bolts, pulled them together a few
> > turns at a time.  it was not easy, but it worked then and still goes
> > down the road.
>
>
>
>I used this method on my 90q and it cost me a brand new clutch disc (ouch).
>Cracked the spring cage.   I didn't even tighten the bolts all that hard so
>be very careful about using the bolts to draw in the engine/tranny.

I did this above (last 1/2" with bolts) in my CGT, and it worked fine.  As 
an alternative to spinning the engine to aligning the splines, put the car 
in gear and spin both output shafts in the same direction at the same 
(while holding the rear still in a quattro, this more applies to a 2wd, it 
may be easier to spin the engine in a quattro.

I did the above in my Ford truck, and the output shaft popped out the back 
of the tranny.  Fortunately it went back in easily (strange design, there 
is nothing really holding in the output shaft but the transfer case bolting 
onto the back, there is a snap-ring that keeps is from going to far 
forward.)  I discovered a trick that may apply to Audi's, may not, but do 
it wherever you can, as once done, the tranny slipped in like a knife into 
butter.  Get two studs for the top two bolt holes in the bellhousing (if 
there are three across the top, do the top outer two, not the center 
one.)  If you can't leave the studs in once the tranny is in place (I 
could, and locktited them in.) then cut slots in the studs so you can 
remove them with a screwdriver.  Then slide the tranny over the studs, and 
it just slides right in (provided the splines are aligned.)

I always make sure my new pilot bearing fits on the input shaft of the 
tranny before I install it, and check the clutch disc for smooth operation 
over the splines.

George Selby
83 Audi Coupe GT
78 F-150 4x4 400 4 spd
gselby4x4 at earthlink.net