Method of engine removal

Engine repair procedures - 1.6 and 1.8 litre 8 valve / Method of engine removal

1 The engine, together with the gearbox, must be lifted from the engine compartment, then the engine separated from the gearbox on the bench. Two people will be needed.

2 A hoist of 150 kg capacity will be needed to lift the engine approximately 1 metre. If the hoist is not portable and the engine is lifted, then sufficient room must be left behind the vehicle to push it back out of the way so that the engine may be lowered. Blocks will be needed to support the engine after removal .

3 Ideally, the vehicle should be over a pit. If this is not possible then the body must be supported on axle stands (see “Jacking and vehicle support”) so that the front wheels may be turned to undo the driveshaft nuts. The left-hand shaft is accessible from above but the right-hand shaft must be undone from underneath. Removal of the gearshift linkage can only be done from underneath, as can exhaust downpipe-to-manifold detachment.

4 The exhaust downpipe-to-manifold flange connection is secured by special spring clips rather than bolts or studs and nuts. When disconnecting and reconnecting the joint, it will be necessary to use VW tool no. 3049A.

Without this tool, detachment and certainly reconnection of the joint and clips is virtually impossible, so make arrangements to borrow or hire the tool in advance.

5 The only other special tools required will be a set of splined key wrenches which will be needed to remove and refit the socket-head bolts used to secure certain items such as the cylinder head bolts.

6 Draining of oil and coolant is best done away from the working area if possible. This saves the mess made by spilled oil in the place where you must work.

7 Although not listed as an optional fitting on UK models, an air conditioning system may have been fitted. Where this is the case, the following precautions must be taken when handling refrigerant lines or system components:
a) Do not stress or bend flexible hose lines to a radius of less than 101 mm b) Flexible hose lines must be correctly located, must not chafe against adjacent components and must be kept well clear of the exhaust manifold and downpipe c) All metal tubing lines must be kept free of kinks and must be handled with care d) Do not disconnect any of the air conditioning supply lines e) Do not weld or apply heat in the vicinity of the air conditioning lines or equipment f) If any part of the system is to be detached then it must first be depressurised by your VW dealer or a competent air conditioning systems engineer. The only exception is the removal and fitting of the compressor drivebelt which can be achieved in the same manner as for the alternator drivebelt