'96 CL golf - Removing gearbox & standard suspension

[beausuf]

Hey guys,


Gearbox

I'm planning on taking the gearbox out of my parts car to keep as a spare because from everything I've heard the 020 gearboxes like to blow up (especially reverse gear). I found a guide video on Youtube which makes it looks pretty basic but he has access to air tools and a car hoist - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9C8mECyAyo

My main question is, has any one done this in their drive way before and if so how much did they want to put a bullet in their head? (taking into account I no longer have access to a vehicle hoist or engine crane). I've done a full auto/manual conversion on a past vehicle and a new clutch in another, both were not fun experiences.

Suspension

The other thing is to remove all the standard suspension for my brothers cabriolet (currently slammed and needs to go over the pits). Also will be a good chance to play around with a car I don't care about before putting coilovers into my CL.

Main question which most guides that I've found don't seem to cover or shed light on - When removing each spring/shock assembly is it going to come out in one whole unit? The reason I ask is because of the tension in the spring, is it going to shoot off when removing? Do I need to use spring compressors? I haven't played around with this type of suspension set up before. The last car I lowered I took the total cheats way out and I cut them in half with a grinder :D :D :D but I need the standard suspension all complete this time.


Thanks!

[cliftronix]

Gearbox is alot easier than you think, especially if you don't need to keep track of everything to put back. Should take a couple of hours, i did mine on jack stands. get it about half a meter into the air and you will be fine.

Now suspension is super easy, it will all stay together if you only to the top bolt on each, that's all that needs to be removed for them to be taken out, keep the strut tops on with their respective bolts and there will be no problems. After doing it 3 times i get remove a full set of coil-overs and install another in less than an hour. First time took me a half a day though.

[brad]

Both jobs are reasonably easy with the right tools.

I've done both in my driveway

[Ben J]

I pulled my first gearbox ever out of a mk3 CL when I had very limited idea of what I was doing/tools etc. Was a bit painful but figured it out pretty easily. Now that I'm a little handier with a spanner it looks like it'd be a half hour job, quite simple really

[stefcio007]

Good to know the whole spring & shock assembly can come out as one unit, only problem I have with slamming is it will be hard to drive around the mountains when I go mushroom picking. On stock suspension it's just do-able. Unless I get coil-overs to refresh everything and maybe drop just a bit, but don't really see the point.

How easy is it to adjust these things once in? Could I do it fairly quickly? If so then I'd warm more up to the idea of getting some.

[HaydEn]

Just jack up wheel off. Spin collar. Fairly easy. Would get real sick of it, if it were a regular occurrence.

[Juzzpc]

Gearbox is alot easier than you think, especially if you don't need to keep track of everything to put back. Should take a couple of hours, i did mine on jack stands. get it about half a meter into the air and you will be fine.


awesome, will be doing my clutch soon. How difficult was the timing chains, did you do upper and lower + guides? would it be too much $$$$ to get someone else to do it.

[cliftronix]

awesome, will be doing my clutch soon. How difficult was the timing chains, did you do upper and lower + guides? would it be too much $$$$ to get someone else to do it.
I did clutch, chains and all guides, as well as control are bushes. Not difficult just did take some time , just read the online diys and its easy. Would probably be 3000 for a workshop to do it.

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[stefcio007]

Just jack up wheel off. Spin collar. Fairly easy. Would get real sick of it, if it were a regular occurrence.
I only go once a year, easy.

[beausuf]

Thanks for all the replies guys, haven't had a chance to get on here this week.

Just need to find some spare time to tackle the above tasks. Also post poning slightly as once the suspension is out the shell will be on jack stands and off to the crusher so trying to take everything else off first.