when I did the clutch job I wasn't planning on making a guide, so I have limited pictures, but I will post a write up.
the clutch pedal in my 2000 B5 1.8t passat was high when I bought it, and was getting higher, so I decided to replace the clutch.
I replaced it with an OEM style clutch, retaining the dual mass flywheel.
first I removed the airbox, O2 sensors, downpipe and disconnected the battery
I lifted the car, removed the front tires, crossmember, unbolted both half shafts, and removed the driver side one. if you have a 4motion/quattro, disconnect the drive shaft as well.
I was a lazy fucker and thought I could pull the trans out with only unbolting the transmission supports from the transmission. they must be completely removed, unbolt them from the transmission and the frame. the heat shield on the passenger side must also be removed.
I disconnected the vehicle speed sensor and neutral position sensor, which gave me enough room to unbolt the slave cylinder as well.
time for bellhousing bolts. all are 16mm except for the bolt (not the nut) under the starter, it is 5/8s. don't ask me why, but the 16mm wouldn't fit, and 5/8s fit perfect. I needed an extra hand to get the top bellhousing bolt, the bottom two I had to jack up the transmission and bend a wrench to get, the rest can be easily removed with an impact.
I saved the shift linkage for last, sp I could lower the transmission and get an 8mm hex socket on it, as I did not have allen keys. a 10mm socket is also required.
now the transmission is out. the throwout bearing pops off the clutch fork from inside the transmission bellhousing, the pilot bearing is in the end of the crank, and would not come out for me. the pilot bearing puller for rent at my local auto parts store was too big, so we tried the grease trick (pack the end of the crank full of grease, put a punch that is the diameter of the inside of the bearing in, and smack the shit out of it) after that failed, we used a spot welder and slide hammer to try to remove the bearing. when that didn't work, we chiseled out the inner bearing, and were able to get the rental bearing puller on the housing, and used a slide hammer to remove the lining. this was the only real hickup in my clutch job.
the flywheel is held to the crank with 6 double square torque-to-yield bolts, which means they must be replaced. my clutch kit didn't come with them, so I went to the stealership to try to buy them. the mechanic at the dealer told me they never replace them, so neither did I.
I used plenty of locktite on the flywheel and flex plate bolts. remember to use the clutch alignment tool when installing the flexplate.
since I had the transmission out, I replaced the fluid. I used Royal Purple 85W90, and I have to say, that shit is transmission rebuild in a bottle. before, 1st gear could be tricky on cold mornings and I got a kick when shifting into 3rd, now the transmission is notchy, and confidence inspiring. definitely worth the $60. the fluid had been replaced a year earlier with VW/Audi fluid.
now its the same process, just in reverse. it went together a lot faster than it came apart, I found its easier to bolt the slave cylinder in place before mounting the transmission, because its a motherfucker to force into place in the tight position its in between the trans and the floorboard. do the shift linkage first, I forgot and had to cut the end of my 8mm hex socket off, and use an 8mm wrench to turn it. now my tool is broken, lesson learned. also, be sure to replace the passenger half shaft before doing the bellhousing bolts, we had to use a prybar to get it in place.
the job wasn't as bad as I had thought going in, the only real VW moment was the one 5/8s bolt on the bellhousing. this doesn't mean it should be attempted by amateurs, if you don't know what you are doing, don't start a job like this. However, if you are comfortable working on cars, and know what the fuck you are doing, it really isn't that bad of a job to do. the stealership wanted $2,000 for parts/labor. I spend $500 on parts and did all the labor...it was definitely worth it to save $1500, even if you have to spend some to use a lift and a shop, it was still wayy cheaper than at a shop. I had the special german sockets, but you MUST have them before you can do this job. the same ones that hold the halfshafts on are the ones used on the flywheel, the only other special german socket was on the end of the halfshafts in the brake rotor. if you are replacing your gear oil, 2 more are needed. one on the drain plug, one for the fill plug. I didn't have the socket for the drain plug, so I just removed the fill plug, and tilted the trans on its side.
good luck, and remember-I'm not responsible if you fuck up your car trying to follow this guide.
