I am so frustrated...

Dropped the gearbox out of my VW polo without any problems, fitted new friction and pressure plates and then tried to put the gearbox back in again...

4 hours later I am still trying to get the gearbox back in again....three of us were there wobbling and pushing the box, but will it go back in again...hell no!

Its an awkward angle, tight space etc..

Does anyone have any tips for getting the bugger back in again?

Chears

Normally do polo clutches on my own with no problems , have you centralised the clutch ? Thats the only thing that would stop the box going back in .

make sure clutch is alligned properly for a start, put a bit of copper slip or something on the gearbox shaft, try turning the flywheel a little in case the splines are not quite lining up etc.

dunno if that helps

You might laugh....but I centralised the clutch by eye.....How accurate does it have to be?

One of the things that might be stopping the gearbox from going back in is the drivers side driveshaft, it seems to be slightly in the way, but I cant move it anywhere else...

by eye may not be good enough! if it was say, 4 mm out, you wont get it on

its been national clutch month at my place of work i tell ye, done 8 in three weeks and the one on my bloody tintop is on its way out now, so i sympathise

[Edited on 24/3/07 by Ketchup]

What is the "correct" way to centralise the clutch?

Its worth a go I guess!

with a clutch alignment tool failing that, if a half inch extension bar fits through the splines you can wiggle it about before you do the pressure plare bolts up, or you can feel around the edge of the pressure plate where the clutch plate sits against it, and feel the overhang of the clutch in a couple of places aroubd the pressure plate to get an idea of how centeralised it is. if that makes any sense at all

The o/s drive shaft flange on some Polo's depending on the engine size hooks behind the flywheel.

Quite easy to take out when you are just pulling it out but if you ain't awear of it it makes it very difficult to get back in.

Remove the o/s drive flange from the box which is retained by a 5 or 6mm allan head bolt and pull the flange out of the box. refit the box and then refit the flange. You will need to give it a bit of a push to get it back in as it is against a spring but it's not that strong

Hope this is of help

sorry for the dog-sh@t spelling

Disconnect the O/S lower ball joint and place a piece of wood between the spring and the inner wing to hold it away from gearbox. No need to remove drive shaft. Also make sure the starter motor isn't stopping the box from going in.

yea, bolt on drive flange can be an arse on the golfs when getting the box back on for that reason too

Already taken the starter out of the way...

Will have another go at aligning the disks and pull the driveshaft out of the way...

It has better go in or im likley to want to kill myself

Well, what happened?
Did it go in OK?

Did you kill yourself?

The suspense is killing me!