# DIY: The first ever guide to replacing the 2.5L vacuum pump WITHOUT special tools or dropping the trans



## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

*Background​*I, like many others, drive a MK5 Jetta with the 2.5L engine. It is well observed that the vacuum pump (for cars with the 09G Tiptronic transmission) is an incredibly common cause of an oil leak. I happen to be one of those drivers. Unfortunately, mine was becoming worse, as I noticed more and more oil and dirt collecting on my splash guard every few weeks when I removed it to check for said oil. I looked everywhere for a "how to" guide, only to come up empty. Every time I looked through another post about this subject, I kept finding little tips or the thread would turn into bickering about different methods of replacement. I decided it was about time someone made a detailed guide on how to do it.

I decided to do it myself. This is my first time doing this repair. Owning this car has been an incredible learning experience for me (as well as working in a shop for a while now) but regardless, I hope with this guide I can pass along what I've learned to others.

This guide will show you how to replace your leaky vacuum pump using only common hand tools. All of these tools can be found from local hardware stores to your Snap-On representative.* You will not need to pull your transmission or loosen the transmission bolts to the engine block!* So, sit back, relax, and enjoy reading this lengthy post knowing that you won't have to spend more than $25 (plus some shipping) on fixing that oil leak.

*The Tools and Supplies​*
For parts, you will need the following

ECS Tuning Vacuum Pump Hardware Kit (3 main bolts and gasket) - $14.95
70mL tube of Victor Reinz Reinzoil silicone gasket sealant - $9.80
*[OPTIONAL]* A used vacuum pump, Volkswagen Part #07K145100 B, C, or H (all at a glance look identical anyway) can be found for $50-$80 on eBay (You can simply reuse your current one as long as you clean any oil and contaminants out of it while it is apart before you put the cover plate back on)

For tools, here is what I used

​

(Unpictured) A LED lamp with headstrap
2 different length magnetic ratcheting drivers
T20, T25, and T30 Torx bits for ratcheting drivers
10mm wrench
a set of adjustable grip pliers (I have two pictured obviously, but it's only to remove the intake clamps)
3/8" ratchet
1/4" ratchet
3/8" 6" socket extension
3/8" 3" extension
3/8" - 10mm, 13mm, and 14mm sockets
1/4" - 6" flex extension
1/4" - 3" extension
1/4" - swivel joint extension
1/4" - 10mm, 12mm, and 1/4" sockets
a few pairs (okay... maybe a box) of latex gloves
paper towel/rags
a can of degreaser
a can of brake cleaner or similar compressed cleaner
GoJo or similar pumice soap for afterwards
something to chalk your wheels to prevent them from rolling (you'll learn why below)
*lots of patience*
a few hours of free time

Now let's get to work!

*The Process​*
Here is what I am using to show you. This is the engine bay of my MK5 2005.5 Jetta 2.5L daily driver and project.



Let's get started! *PUT YOUR WHEEL CHALKS IN PLACE NOW BEFORE YOU FORGET!*:banghead: also, pulling your E-Brake and leaving it on will be beneficial as well.

Start by removing the engine cover and intake tubes. For removing the MAF sensor clip, push down onto the top of it, and hold it down while simultaneously pulling the clip, then simply pull the MAF plug out of the housing.



Use your T20 and a corresponding ratcheting driver to remove the Torx bits from the intake tubes and ducts, and unclamp the intake hose from the throttle body to the MAF. Then, remove the engine cover entirely by pulling up to free it from the 4 grommets that hold it into place. Once the cover is out, remove the battery.



Use your 1/4" ratchet and one of your extensions with a 10mm bit to loosen the terminals. Begin with the positive, then the negative. Tuck them away by twisting the negative cable so it is hidden behind the fuse box and find a place by the left headlight to tuck the positive cable. Then move onto the retainer at the base of the battery.



For this I used my 3/8" ratchet, a 6" extension, and a 13mm socket.

Now, remove the 3 bolts that retain the battery tray, circled below (potato quality)



For this, switch out the 13mm socket with a 10mm socket on your 3/8" ratchet and extension.

From there, unclamp your breather hoses from your intake hose. And then, unclamp your intake hose from your throttle body. Once that is out of the way, you'll have this wonderful space to work with.



The arrow is pointing to where the pump is located, and the 3 circles are what is on the transmission that we still need to move before we start at the pump.

Unclip the plug going into the gear selector from the TCM for starters. Much like the MAF plug, it will help by pushing the plug inwards first before simultaneously pulling the clip and plug out.



Then remove the cable from its plastic retainer. There are no clips holding it in, it's basically a plastic fold that holds the TCM cable into place.



Now to remove the shift linkage. This is very simple. To do this, insert your 10mm wrench under the rubber grommet at the end of the selector cable and pry upwards. Nothing will break, it is much like the engine cover grommets. Once the cable is pried off of the transmission selector, unclip the cable retainer from the transmission.



To do this, push the two tabs inward like seen in the picture above, then pull the cable upwards. It may feel like it is stuck in there pretty good, but wiggle it a little bit and it will come up.

Then, once the selector cable and TCM cable are out of the way, use your 12mm socket and remove the actual lever. You only need to remove the top nut, do not mess with the bottom one. Finally, to give your hand some extra room, unclip the cable from its retainer (picture with arrow below) and tuck away.



When that is out of the way, we have this... 



As you can see, we now have a much more clear view of the pump and the oil leak it has caused by just looking at all of the oil and dirt stuck in there. 

Onto the actual removal!



First, unplug the brake booster line that comes out of the side of the vacuum pump. No fluid will come out. You simply twist 90 degrees and pull it. (If the little rubber grommet doesn't come off with it, don't worry about it, we'll mess with that later.



Tuck the brake booster line behind the transmission for now to keep it out of the way.

Now onto the part that requires incredible patience and tolerance. We'll start by getting the bottom bolt out of the way, so grab your T30 Torx bit and 1/4" socket for your 1/4" drive ratchet and combine them. DO NOT USE THE ONE PIECE VERSION (unless it is similar to the one on the left)



The reason you don't use the type on the right is because it doesn't allow for wiggle room. Even though there is incredibly low room to move, the two piece one on the left allows you slightly more room to work with when your hand is underneath the vacuum pump.



(I actually tried gluing it to the socket lol, didn't hold though :laugh

Before you try to fit the bit into place, have your 1/4" ratchet with 3" extension and swivel joint ready to go. This is so when you do find that sweet spot and get it to fit, you don't have to spend much time fumbling around trying to attach multiple things with one hand.

Feel around with your fingers on your right hand so you can find the bottom bolt for the pump. Once you find it, use your left hand and maneuver it under the pump to put the bit with socket in place. This does become painstaking (I almost gave up here) especially if it is dirty from the oil and dirt. But, you'll eventually get it to fit.



Once it does fit, hold it in place! While holding it with your left hand, use your right hand to push the male end of the ratchet with the swivel joint into place. When you finally get the socket and joint clicked together, push on it so you don't lose the fit of the torx bit and bolt. Then, while still applying pressure to the socket to keep it in place, break loose the bolt. Finally, you can loosen it until you feel like there are no more threads being unscrewed, and reach your hand in to grab the bottom bolt.

Now that the bottom bolt is free, switch to your ratcheting driver again and this time use a T25 Torx bit to remove the 4 screws holding the cover plate onto the vacuum pump. Some oil may come out, but again, don't worry. Once off, simply pull out the plastic "turbine" piece as well as the cylinder itself until it won't come out any farther.

Go back to your ratchet and remove the final two T30 bolts holding in the pump, as seen below.




Once those are free, you may or may not have noticed there is a small bracket that also holds the pump in that happens to be connected to the solid black tube.



The arrow shows the relative location. Simply loosen the nut (not all of the way, I believe it is just a 10mm nut though) until you can move it out of the way. (For reference, it only overlays the left and bottom pump holes before you bolt them on again. I'll rephrase this later.)



Another picture for reference. This is with the pump removed and the bracket is hanging loose. As you can see, the bottom hole of the bracket lines up with the bottom hole for the pump.

Now is the fun part! Time to wiggle out that dang pump. This is for you to figure out in terms of exact location, because the tolerances may very well be different than my crusty old engine. Use the picture below for reference.



By using the gear selector stud and the notch as a pivot point in a sense, you will be able to work the pump out of its location. Take your time though and don't get too frustrated!



Here is what you are left with when you remove the pump! As you can see, the bracket is much more apparent here. Spray some degreaser on some paper towel or rags and wipe the contact surface clean, then go over it with brake cleaner on a rag or paper towel to ensure no residue is left behind.

Time to see what the issue was...



It's very apparent from looking at the gasket that the source of the leak was between the engine block and gasket, not the backplate of the pump. Regardless, it's time to break out that tube of Reinsoil sealant!



Old and new (used) pump for reference

Time to reassemble!



Put a small even bead around the raised lip of the gasket. This will be the side that is pressed against the engine block. A clean surface, as well as clean gasket with sealant, should prevent any leaks for a LONG time.



Do the same for the contact surface of the replacement pump.

Now, together, it's time to work them back into place. Take the gasket and pump together and like how you removed it, you now need to re-insert the pump using the gear selector stud as the pivot. Here's the picture again for reference. Re-insert the pump more from the side again.

Fun Fact: Because you have to rotate the pump slightly clockwise to get it back into place, it also is the same direction the gear selector turns at. The notch got caught while I was doing it and switched my car into reverse and it started rolling out of my garage. :laugh: I had to yell for my mom to pull the E-Brake. THIS IS WHY I SAID CHALK YOUR TIRES AND PULL THE E-BRAKE BEFORE HAND!



(NOTE: The pump cylinder does not have to be pushed into place yet to bolt the pump back into place)

Once you have it in place, Grab that flexible extension and the T30 torx and socket combo bit I had you devise and put the right pump bolt into place without tightening down entirely. Just thread it in there a few turns. Once in place, double check the retainer I mentioned earlier, and make sure it is not in between the new gasket and vacuum pump. The order should be as follows before you bolt the final two bolts into place, engine block -> gasket -> vacuum pump -> retainer *IN THAT ORDER*. If you do not do that properly, expect oil EVERYWHERE when you start your engine again.

Now get that 1/4" ratchet and 3" extension and swivel back to where it's in close reach.



Once the order is correct, put the left pump bolt roughly into place. Then, using your left hand again, guide the new bolt and T30/flexible extension combo into the bottom hole. Once threaded, hold the setup into place and attach the ratchet to the end of the flexible extension and tighten down as much as you can. From there, work out the flexible attachment with your right hand (while still holding the bit and socket into place with your left) and attach the swivel and 3" set up we used earlier and tighten the bolt until you feel it's as tight as can be without stripping it. Then do the same for the other two that were just loosely threaded into place earlier.

Grab that piece of plastic you pulled out of the pump earlier and give it a good cleaning to make sure there's no dirt. Take the plastic turbine and pull out the cylinder so you can rotate it (for me I was able to re-insert the plastic at about 90 degrees to work around the selector stud) and re-insert the plastic.

Slowly rotate while pushing in the cylinder until it locks into place. It does this because it has to lock into a sprocket for the upper chain.



(For reference)

Now, take the rubber seal and make sure that isn't dirty either and give it a nice uniform coat of sealant ON ONE SIDE. Then put the side with sealant facing into the pump.



Same with the cover plate. Make sure it is clean, and follow the imprint left from the seal before it was taken apart and follow it with a small bead of sealant.



Screw back on the cover plate with the 4 - T25 screws, going until you feel like the screw won't go any farther unless you strip it.

Then, attach the brake booster line, ensuring the rubber grommet is in place and is fitting snug.

Time to re-assemble! By now, you should know how the rest of your car goes back together, but if you're stuck, just follow the guide in reverse for the exact order of re-installation.

Once you're finished, I'd recommend a fresh oil change as well to ensure any dirt doesn't get ground into the internals of your engine (since there was an opening to the timing chain)

Here is my lower end after changing my oil today after work (since I could take a good look from under a lift)




No fresh oil in sight! This is the cleanest my engine has probably been in a LONG time, and hopefully this helps keep it that way for a while.

*Total time*: Less than 4 hours

A special thanks to VW NUTTS for giving me direction on the process. Without his detailed description, I wouldn't have been able to piece together everything.

Discuss and comment below! :beer:


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## [email protected] (Aug 18, 2011)

Great DIY! :beer:


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## Tombien (Sep 14, 2012)

Thank-you sir. Now I've got no excuse.:thumbup:


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Thanks guys! Just tried to fill a void in terms of solutions to a common problem. 

I want to keep this thread active, so if anyone has questions, please feel free to ask!

Also a little update: Been driving with this fix for over 100 miles now (a lot of hard driving too to relieve some stress and my new poly dogbone insert is nice) I reached into the bay and ran my finger around the cover plate seal and felt a little oil on the bottom left of the plate. Took a T25 screwdriver and made sure the screw wasn't loose. Managed to tighten it just a touch more. Took it for a 20ish mile drive and double checked and no fresh oil! The gasket between the block and pump is clean as a whistle as well!


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## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

Is the consensus that you don't have to buy a replacement vacuum pump? Just replace the gasket and add new sealer?

All the Ebay parts I see is basically the same used vacuum pump that I have and by the looks of all the crusty oil on the used ones, they all have exhibited leaking at some point in time.


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## RevAequitas (May 15, 2014)

This may be a dumb question but does anyone know if there is anything different on a manual transmission?


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Rob: To be honest, you could easily go that route and be just fine. I'm actually going to sell my old one once I clean it. The leaks are just from either the gasket or cover plate, which both don't come from the factory with any silicone. Get a tube of that Victor Reinz like I did and you're golden. This DIY isn't just for replacing the pump with a new one, it's more to show how to remove the one on our cars without any fancy tricks.

I didn't think about sealing it until after I bought everything... then kinda had a *facepalm* moment. If you want, just make sure you have a new gasket and use the same pump!

Rev: Manual transmission cars have a smaller pump, much less of a hassle to remove


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## RevAequitas (May 15, 2014)

Thanks for the invaluable help! I think I'll just try the new gasket and sealant.


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## mypancreasbroke (Jun 2, 2014)

Great write up and thanks! I'm currently sitting at a VW dealer with the wife's car... Tried to take advantage of an oil change special and get her Jetta inspected. And 2hrs later still waiting. They won't pass the inspection due to a 'massive oil leak' from the vacuum pump. I've known about the leak since December, but having only lost 1qt of oil in the last 5 months have been putting off repairing it. I don't think 1qt in 5 months is 'massive.' My '94 Land Cruiser leaks more than that. They want $1300 to repair it, and I feel the source of my wait is my explanation that I would be doing any repair work myself. So a few questions about this job:

Before starting this repair is it necessary to drain the engine oil? Or does oil not freely flow through the pump unless the engine is on?

If I were to buy a whole new pump would the process be just a removal of the old, and install of the new? Paying attention of course to properly seal it to the engine block. I'm assuming that would eliminate a few of the steps in your process. Also would a thorough cleaning and rebuilding be as good of an option as buying a used pump?

I've been lurking on these forums a lot recently as getting married has made me a proud owner of a MkV Jetta, and this thread convinced me to register, so thanks!


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

mypancreasbroke said:


> Great write up and thanks! I'm currently sitting at a VW dealer with the wife's car... Tried to take advantage of an oil change special and get her Jetta inspected. And 2hrs later still waiting. They won't pass the inspection due to a 'massive oil leak' from the vacuum pump. I've known about the leak since December, but having only lost 1qt of oil in the last 5 months have been putting off repairing it. I don't think 1qt in 5 months is 'massive.' My '94 Land Cruiser leaks more than that. They want $1300 to repair it, and I feel the source of my wait is my explanation that I would be doing any repair work myself. So a few questions about this job:


I'll be happy to answer!



> Before starting this repair is it necessary to drain the engine oil? Or does oil not freely flow through the pump unless the engine is on?


No need to drain the oil! Though I happened to be due for an oil change when I did this, so I changed my oil AFTER I did the replacement and test drove for a little while to work any contamination into the pan. The pump opening goes into the timing cover and sprocket, so it's not an area filled will oil like the bottom end. There will be a little oil on the knuckle of the vacuum pump, but that's it!



> If I were to buy a whole new pump would the process be just a removal of the old, and install of the new? Paying attention of course to properly seal it to the engine block. I'm assuming that would eliminate a few of the steps in your process. Also would a thorough cleaning and rebuilding be as good of an option as buying a used pump?


Yes. My guide is based on doing what you just said, buying a new/used pump and replacing the old one. In order to do it this way though, you have to dismantle both pumps regardless. But that's why I went into detail and added the silicone, because our pumps don't have silicone for the cover plate anyway. Since I had the plate off, I thought it would be a good opportunity to make sure another potential leak source was eliminated.

But! Cleaning and rebuilding your current pump is just as good! Just make sure you pick up the ECS Tuning install kit that I linked to in the main post. The pumps themselves aren't what go bad, it's the seals themselves. I just happened to buy another pump, I didn't think to just re-use my pump until after I did this lol



> I've been lurking on these forums a lot recently as getting married has made me a proud owner of a MkV Jetta, and this thread convinced me to register, so thanks!


Congrats! It will give you many headaches, but when she's healthy they are the best cars to drive at times.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## mypancreasbroke (Jun 2, 2014)

Awesome, thanks for the quick reply! The Jetta just rolled over 100k miles and I plan to make this car last another 100k... unless of course we start popping out babies and need some more room. I'm still shocked at the $1300 repair price quoted from the dealership compared to what my final costs should be for doing it myself. I hope to get this done two weekends from now so will report back with my experience.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

mypancreasbroke said:


> Awesome, thanks for the quick reply! The Jetta just rolled over 100k miles and I plan to make this car last another 100k... unless of course we start popping out babies and need some more room. I'm still shocked at the $1300 repair price quoted from the dealership compared to what my final costs should be for doing it myself. I hope to get this done two weekends from now so will report back with my experience.


Looking forward to your response on your experience! Aside from this, these engines are very solid, so you shouldn't have a problem hitting 200k. I'm at 128k now and aside from the chain going (05.5 motor, tensioners revised in 08.) now that I have fresh timing, she purrs like a new car!


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## mypancreasbroke (Jun 2, 2014)

So I haven't yet had the chance to do this job just yet, but in my research have come across the option to delete the vacuum pump completely, using this piece from USP http://www.uspmotorsports.com/Integrated-Engineering-Vacuum-Pump-Blockoff-Plate-MKV-VI-2.5.html, which greatly interests me. My unfamiliarity with this engine though has me wondering about how to reroute the vacuum line back to the manifold, as other posts on this delete mostly deal with custom manifolds and discuss that with the stock manifold the process in olives drilling to plum a new line. Any experience here with vacuum lines on the 2.5l that I could use to connect the vacuum line coming from the vacuum pump to? Trying to decide between ordering the gasket and hardware kit and using my existing vacuum pump, or ordering the USP kit to do the delete.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

mypancreasbroke said:


> So I haven't yet had the chance to do this job just yet, but in my research have come across the option to delete the vacuum pump completely, using this piece from USP http://www.uspmotorsports.com/Integrated-Engineering-Vacuum-Pump-Blockoff-Plate-MKV-VI-2.5.html, which greatly interests me. My unfamiliarity with this engine though has me wondering about how to reroute the vacuum line back to the manifold, as other posts on this delete mostly deal with custom manifolds and discuss that with the stock manifold the process in olives drilling to plum a new line. Any experience here with vacuum lines on the 2.5l that I could use to connect the vacuum line coming from the vacuum pump to? Trying to decide between ordering the gasket and hardware kit and using my existing vacuum pump, or ordering the USP kit to do the delete.


Don't mess with the blockoff plate unless you have a hardcore build. To run the blockoff plate, you need a bunch of other things which you can find from Integrated Engineering (who make the plate to begin with.) You'd need their boost tap, blockoff plate, and a catchcan system (which I'd recommend Black Forest Industries for their setup) so you'd end up spending over $400. I had the same thoughts you did before I learned.

You see, deleting the pump and simply rerouting the line would allow for oil and water to get into the brake booster line. You would need a catchcan to eliminate that.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

just an update! I've probably put 1200 miles on my car ever since this DIY and the vacuum pump is still oil free!

Just now my oil pan decided it was time to be re-sealed. Oh well, win some ya lose some. :laugh: feel free to message or comment if you have any questions!


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## MisfitJason (May 9, 2012)

the snake 87 said:


> just an update! I've probably put 1200 miles on my car ever since this DIY and the vacuum pump is still oil free!
> 
> Just now my oil pan decided it was time to be re-sealed. Oh well, win some ya lose some. :laugh: feel free to message or comment if you have any questions!


Thank you for the write up


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

MisfitJason said:


> Thank you for the write up


My pleasure!


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## division12 (Dec 5, 2008)

Great DIY snake! I'm afraid I'm going to have to do this as I'm seeing tiny drops of oil on my pavement every now and then. Chances are its the vacuum pump and not the valve cover. I have a few questions....

While wrestling out the pump, Is the gear selector stud easily disturbed? in your case you accidentaly put it in reverse.

I can't tell which has more space in the photos..but which direction did you pull the pump out? left side out or right?

When putting it back on...did you press the gasket on the engine block first or was it applied on the pump already? Either way I'd imagine it will get messy and the sealant will get all over the place..unless its much easier when putting the pump back on. Was the installation easier than the removal?

Did you need to lift the car? or rather would it help? Maybe working it from the bottom or something.

Did you torque it back to spec or just tighten it as much as you can? Do you happen to know the torque spec on the bolts? I'd imagine its a good idea to do that since this part is prone to leaking.

Thanks for the great write-up!


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

division12 said:


> Great DIY snake! I'm afraid I'm going to have to do this as I'm seeing tiny drops of oil on my pavement every now and then. Chances are its the vacuum pump and not the valve cover. I have a few questions....
> 
> *Happy to help! Most likely is the pump as our valve covers aren't prone to leaking. Only our oil pans and vacuum pumps are.*
> 
> ...


Also, it's now been 10k miles since I've done this. Still leak free


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## division12 (Dec 5, 2008)

the snake 87 said:


> Also, it's now been 10k miles since I've done this. Still leak free


I think I might just re-use the old pump but I can't find the gasket (the red one inside the pump) anywhere. I guess they don't sell it separately? Was the culprit mostly the flat gasket? If so I wonder if it would help (for now) just to tighten the bolts of the pump. Might just be a little loose or something.

What was the condition of the red gasket on your old pump..was it still reusable?


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

division12 said:


> I think I might just re-use the old pump but I can't find the gasket (the red one inside the pump) anywhere. I guess they don't sell it separately? Was the culprit mostly the flat gasket? If so I wonder if it would help (for now) just to tighten the bolts of the pump. Might just be a little loose or something.
> 
> What was the condition of the red gasket on your old pump..was it still reusable?


Correct. The gasket that goes between the cover plate and pump is not a separate part that can be purchased. Just wipe it off if it looks dirty, add the silicone like I showed in the main post, and re-use it! Good as new. Mine actually was in good shape, on both the pump I took out and the pump I put on.

Culprit is usually the gasket between the engine block and pump, which is also linked to ECS in the main post. You can try to tighten the bolts, but most likely the old ones are stretched slighty and won't give you that clamping force of a fresh set of bolts.


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## 06jettaSEL (May 24, 2011)

Hey, 

Just went to the dealer (Gunther) for an oil change on my 06 jetta that has 35k miles. The tech informed me I had torn CV booths. Then I went to see under the car and noticed it was sludgy and dirty somewhere under the starter. Googled around and figured it might be the Vacuum pump which if I understand correctly is something to do with the power assisted brakes? 

I don't know much about these cars and am in the process of buying a new car within 6mos to a year, but want to keep this around as a spare car which is why I don't ditch it.. Anyway it has low mileage but seems to have some issues relating to rust and inactivity. The driver door switch is faulty, no headliner, vinyl inside is deteriorating from heat, oilpan has rust all over it etc. 

I don't see any oil on the floor and we don't have emissions in Fl. How long can I go without changing the Vacuum pump? I go about a year in between oil changes, and my dipstick was low last time due to running over 10k the past year. I think maybe it loses 1-2qt per oil change? 

Also will changing the oil to be a little thicker solve the problem short term? I know that after 10k miles the oil becomes thinner so it might solve leaks just by changing the oil more often. How long can I avoid this DIY since it looks difficult. Should I wait until oil leaks on the floor before it's a serious issue? 

Thanks,


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

06jettaSEL said:


> Hey,
> 
> Just went to the dealer (Gunther) for an oil change on my 06 jetta that has 35k miles. The tech informed me I had torn CV booths. Then I went to see under the car and noticed it was sludgy and dirty somewhere under the starter. Googled around and figured it might be the Vacuum pump which if I understand correctly is something to do with the power assisted brakes?
> 
> ...


Hello!

Changing to a thicker oil will not help from what I understand. Plus these engines were meant to run with 5W-40 full synthetic. So switching to a 10W oil would not be a good idea. Plus you're supposed to change your oil and filter every 3,000 miles if conventional/synthetic blend and every 5,000 miles if full synthetic. Never run your intervals that high.

You can go for a while without doing this fix, as long as you keep up on your oil level. After doing this fix and finally resealing my oil pan, I have not lost any oil that I can account for. These engines burn little/no oil anyway, so any oil loss comes really from leaks. Doing both has solved my oil loss problem and whenever I look under my car, there is absolutely no visible oil to account for. Makes me feel good lol

The oil never really leaked on the floor for the vacuum pump. The plastic skid plate usually will catch most of it, and once it collects dirt, there will be a layer of grimy oil on it. But oil most likely will not hit the floor anyway.

I'd recommend doing this as soon as you have the time really. Because you can still reuse your original pump, just get the sealant and hardware kit I have linked which will run less than $30 total. My first time ever doing this repair was when I also did this DIY so there was a learning curve for me, but give yourself a couple hours and you will definitely not regret it.


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## division12 (Dec 5, 2008)

I finally did this last week. It took awhile for me but thanks to Snake's guide I was able to do it. The hardest part for me was not removing the pump itself..it was getting to the last bottom bolt of the pump. I thought I could get away with using a 3/8 swivel joint with a 1/4 adapter but there was barely any room to even engage the T30 bolt. I thought it would be better to have an 'L' shaped Torx T30 wrench with the right length and clearance. It would take awhile to loosen/tighten the bolt this way but at least you'll be able to gauge the torque better with such a solid tool. I actually snapped one of the bolts from overtightening...because the ECS bolts that came with the gasket seem to be less solid than the originals. I ended up reusing the old bolts. And the bottom bolt, I couldn't quite tell if it was tight enough since with the swivel/extension method, it would always slip. Anyway, I got in touch with Chuck from Metalnerd and he was willing to provide such a tool for testing for anyone who is about to perform this job. Snake, are you interested in doing this? Let me know and I'll get you in touch with Chuck.

Its been a week of driving and so far so good. No leaks  Excellent guide Snake! PM me if you're interested in Metalnerd's proposal.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

division12 said:


> I finally did this last week. It took awhile for me but thanks to Snake's guide I was able to do it. The hardest part for me was not removing the pump itself..it was getting to the last bottom bolt of the pump. I thought I could get away with using a 3/8 swivel joint with a 1/4 adapter but there was barely any room to even engage the T30 bolt. I thought it would be better to have an 'L' shaped Torx T30 wrench with the right length and clearance. It would take awhile to loosen/tighten the bolt this way but at least you'll be able to gauge the torque better with such a solid tool. I actually snapped one of the bolts from overtightening...because the ECS bolts that came with the gasket seem to be less solid than the originals. I ended up reusing the old bolts. And the bottom bolt, I couldn't quite tell if it was tight enough since with the swivel/extension method, it would always slip. Anyway, I got in touch with Chuck from Metalnerd and he was willing to provide such a tool for testing for anyone who is about to perform this job. Snake, are you interested in doing this? Let me know and I'll get you in touch with Chuck.
> 
> Its been a week of driving and so far so good. No leaks  Excellent guide Snake! PM me if you're interested in Metalnerd's proposal.


Dude! You rock! I had the same problems with that swivel joint, that's why one I broke it free I used the flexible exention lol. But yes! I'll pm you now!


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

Dude!

You just made my next weekend so much easier! I'm going to be deleting a bunch of useless stuff the county I live in doesn't require while my replacement bumper is out at the paint shop.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> Dude!
> 
> You just made my next weekend so much easier! I'm going to be deleting a bunch of useless stuff the county I live in doesn't require while my replacement bumper is out at the paint shop.


Glad I can help buddy! 6,000 miles and still leak free here! Are you doing the USP/Spulen kit then?


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

the snake 87 said:


> Glad I can help buddy! 6,000 miles and still leak free here! Are you doing the USP/Spulen kit then?


No, that kit doesn't work with an IE SRI --it's just plumed to the manifold using silicone heater hose, so I'll just get an IE block off plate and plumb the booster directly to the manifold with a longer section of hose.


----------



## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> No, that kit doesn't work with an IE SRI --it's just plumed to the manifold using silicone heater hose, so I'll just get an IE block off plate and plumb the booster directly to the manifold with a longer section of hose.


Ahhh I forgot you had that. Looking forward to seeing pics of the finished result!


----------



## 98JettaIII (Jul 8, 2005)

Awesome DIY, it was a big help when working on my wife's 07 Rabbit....unfortunately I found the darn thing is still leaking oil after I spent all those hours on it. 
After getting back in there, it looks like the new gasket and RTV are doing their job BUT I see oil leaking from the connector where the booster line plugs into.

Any recommendations? I'm really hoping I don't have to tear this thing back out of there. :banghead:


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

98JettaIII said:


> Awesome DIY, it was a big help when working on my wife's 07 Rabbit....unfortunately I found the darn thing is still leaking oil after I spent all those hours on it.
> After getting back in there, it looks like the new gasket and RTV are doing their job BUT I see oil leaking from the connector where the booster line plugs into.
> 
> Any recommendations? I'm really hoping I don't have to tear this thing back out of there. :banghead:


Why not just delete the darn pump? It's entirely unnecessary.


----------



## 98JettaIII (Jul 8, 2005)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> Why not just delete the darn pump? It's entirely unnecessary.


Thanks for the advice. That is an option, I guess. If it is, for sure, my pump that needs replacing then I wouldn't mind going the route of a block off plate. Just thinking if it is something as cheap as a gasket or something along those lines I would prefer to start there. 

If I were to do the block off plate, where would I run the booster line? Stock 2.5l.


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## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

98JettaIII said:


> Thanks for the advice. That is an option, I guess. If it is, for sure, my pump that needs replacing then I wouldn't mind going the route of a block off plate. Just thinking if it is something as cheap as a gasket or something along those lines I would prefer to start there.
> 
> If I were to do the block off plate, where would I run the booster line? Stock 2.5l.


By the end of November there'll be another run of the Spulen delete kit from USP Motorsports. It's got a molded silicone line that plums everything back to the stock intake manifold.

I'm running an IE plate and an IE SRI, and I've got mine plumbed to the vacuum ports on the aftermarket manifold.


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## 98JettaIII (Jul 8, 2005)

Also, I did read where you said you would plumb it to your IE SRI using silicon heater hose. Just wondering if I would do the same to the stock manifold, and how/where exactly to tie into it....thx again for any help!


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## 98JettaIII (Jul 8, 2005)

Saw your response just after i posted that^
Thanks man, I'll look into it.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

I will be taking my setup apart again and this will allow me to get more pictures and make any revisions and testing the sample torx wrenches I received from Chuck at Metalnerd for this.

I hate to say it. But my pump decided to leak again. Im gonna swap back in the 3 OEM bolts that hold it to the block and will be using more silicone sealant. I have a feeling the bolts from ECS are not as strong as the OEM ones.

Pretty upset this happened. No idea if the cold had a factor either in possibly shrinking the silicone (or what little I used) but I did get away with this for 7,000 miles. Will be reporting back soon.


----------



## Rabbid Rally Rabbit (May 5, 2013)

the snake 87 said:


> I will be taking my setup apart again and this will allow me to get more pictures and make any revisions and testing the sample torx wrenches I received from Chuck at Metalnerd for this.
> 
> I hate to say it. But my pump decided to leak again. Im gonna swap back in the 3 OEM bolts that hold it to the block and will be using more silicone sealant. I have a feeling the bolts from ECS are not as strong as the OEM ones.
> 
> Pretty upset this happened. No idea if the cold had a factor either in possibly shrinking the silicone (or what little I used) but I did get away with this for 7,000 miles. Will be reporting back soon.


Vacuum pump delete?


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Rabbid Rally Rabbit said:


> Vacuum pump delete?


Nope. Just replacing the gasket again and taking the opportunity to revise my thread. Gasket should be here this weekend from ECS. Hoping this will get me through the winter and beyond. If it does leak again then yes, I will be doing the delete.

This like just happened too because the oil is super fresh. Like no dirt there.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Replaced the gasket again yesterday and used a lot more sealant also. I also used the 3 OEM bolts instead of the 3 that come with the ECS set. It appears the OEM bolts are not stretch bolts (at least from what I could tell. They were on my car before I did the initial repair) and when I took the ECS bolts out I could tell the necks were stretched.

This could be a factor as to why it leaked on me again. The stretching of the bolts could have allowed a little space for the oil to seep out from any pressure. I used my cordless impact to make sure they were solid also lol (I could feel the pump basically suck right into place)

I also didnt put any oil on the plastic turbine when I put it back together. There was a good amount of oil (much more than I put in when I first did this) and it also was leaking from the cover plate.

And the tools from Metalnerd fit, but I just couldnt get enough torque to loosen the bolts like I can with the socket and extensions. I was able to complete this in about 2 hours this time.

So... 3 things to take away from this round.

1: Use a **** ton of silicone
2: Use the 3 OEM bolts to hold the pump to the block instead of the ECS ones.
3: Dont put any oil to lubricate the turbine piece. Just clean and place back.

Will watch it throughout the week and report back and amend the main post. If it leaks again, USP will be getting an order from me soon lol


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

the snake 87 said:


> Replaced the gasket again yesterday and used a lot more sealant also. I also used the 3 OEM bolts instead of the 3 that come with the ECS set. It appears the OEM bolts are not stretch bolts (at least from what I could tell. They were on my car before I did the initial repair) and when I took the ECS bolts out I could tell the necks were stretched.
> 
> This could be a factor as to why it leaked on me again. The stretching of the bolts could have allowed a little space for the oil to seep out from any pressure. I used my cordless impact to make sure they were solid also lol (I could feel the pump basically suck right into place)
> 
> ...


sucks you had to do again. thankfully mines been leak free about 10,000 miles now but i did new pump and new seal.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Wolfsburg007 said:


> sucks you had to do again. thankfully mines been leak free about 10,000 miles now but i did new pump and new seal.


Yeah I did a little rough driving to build that pressure up so before I drive it tomorrow I'm going to feel around for any fresh oil. I made sure to clean up with the brake cleaner a lot lol so I should be able to tell easy.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Almost 100 miles with it and so far no leaks. Just some leftover oil on top of the tranny I forgot to clean up. But so far so good!


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Still running strong even with the bad snow system that hit a week or so ago. Now the snow has all melted again but the temps still vary between super low 20's and high 30's. Really wacky weather but the silicone has held up.

Will amend the main post hopefully soon saying use a crap ton more silocone than I used in the original pics.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Hello any future readers/DIYers!

My project was unfortunately totaled out  it was a fun 1 and 3/4 years with it. I found a good deal on a 2004 GLI 1.8T in my area, so I'm making the jump down the the MK4 unfortunately... that being said. I consider the 2.5L engine forum "my home" and will always be around to help anyone with whatever I can in regards to this DIY or other MK5 related topics.

It was a pleasure being a part of the small, hardcore 2.5L group. Lots of incredible stuff is coming out and I'm sad I won't be able to get my hands on any of it to use.

Wish everyone the best! If anyone still has questions about this DIY, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll still be around :wave:


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

the snake 87 said:


> Hello any future readers/DIYers!
> 
> My project was unfortunately totaled out  it was a fun 1 and 3/4 years with it. I found a good deal on a 2004 GLI 1.8T in my area, so I'm making the jump down the the MK4 unfortunately... that being said. I consider the 2.5L engine forum "my home" and will always be around to help anyone with whatever I can in regards to this DIY or other MK5 related topics.
> 
> ...


That sucks what happened. 

Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Wolfsburg007 said:


> That sucks what happened.
> 
> Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


A lady wasnt looking when she pulled into traffic out of a gas station. Instead on T boning her I went into the empty turn lane and she hit me. 










Mechanically my car was still fine. The engine started right back up and I was able to baby it into the other gas station parking lot. The huge repair estimate was due to all the fabrication work needed to pull the A pillar back into place. And there was the potential that if that didnt work, another A pillar would have to be swapped. So it was way over the total loss threshold.


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

How much for grill and fogs. Need a driver side monster mat too. Let it live on in mine lol

Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Wolfsburg007 said:


> How much for grill and fogs lol
> 
> Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


Already traded to a buddy for a bunch of MK4 1.8t stuff haha


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

Dang it lol

Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


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## jethead102 (Oct 4, 2014)

Sorry for your loss man, but I feel your pain. I got my Jetta because an old lady ran a red light and t boned me doing 45








I'm planning on following your DIY as soon as it warms up, winter sucks!


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## m0nkey (Mar 14, 2007)

I just got done installing and resealing my vacuum pump on an 08 beetle 2.5L auto. I followed the direction in this thread and it only took me 2.5 hours from start to finish. Also note this is not my car, i drive a 2008 g37 so this is the first time i ever worked on a German car. (That is how good the how to is)

The tools that i used is in the pictures below. 

TIPS: make sure that after you remove the cover on the pump, you pull out the plastic blade and place it aside. Also once you finally got all three bolts off make sure to pull the cylinder that housed the plastic blade towards you. Also dont cheap out on the sealant. Meaning spend the $15 on victor reinz reinzosil instead of the $7-$8 sealant that you buy at autozone. 

Here is the link to the flexible extensions that i used to get the bottom bolt off.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00129IG7W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


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## gtcali (Dec 24, 2005)

*DIY 2.5L vacuum pump replacement*

Thank you for this post. It was extremely helpful. I wouldn't have attempted it if this post did not exist

I just finished. Now to wait to see if it still leaks.

-I just bought the metal gasket, not the kit

-I did not use the flex extension (I bought one though. Which is cool. More tools:thumbup

-To get the pump out (using the pic in the post), I slid the cylinder out and got the notch kinda between the transmission selector stud. I tilted the top of the pump towards the drivers side. As the post said you'll have to figure it out, but this is my 2 cents.

Great post once again thank you.


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## bretthbmx (Jun 20, 2007)

Guess it's time to do this finally after 2.5yrs of it leaking on my girlfriends car. haha.


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## gergster (Jun 2, 2011)

will this get rid of the "large vacuum leak" code I've been throwing/ CEL, and the associated oil leak?


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## bretthbmx (Jun 20, 2007)

gergster said:


> will this get rid of the "large vacuum leak" code I've been throwing/ CEL, and the associated oil leak?


Def will solve oil leak but not the vacuum leak. That's going to be a EVAP leak. The n80 solenoids are known for going bad causing codes as well as the gas caps.


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## whtgti (Feb 8, 2002)

*Vacuum pump on manual2.5*

All I can find are DIY for automatic trans or comments about its much easier on a manual trans. What is much easier? Will it come right off or is it still a headache to get it off? Thanks


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

whtgti said:


> All I can find are DIY for automatic trans or comments about its much easier on a manual trans. What is much easier? Will it come right off or is it still a headache to get it off? Thanks


Manual there's no tranny in the way. Lol just unbolting 3 bolts 

Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


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## LoveMyJettaTooMuch (Mar 20, 2015)

*oil leak worse after replacing vacuum pump gasket*

Hello, I currently have a 2006 jetta 2.5 auto and I have an oil leak that started about 3 years ago but it wasn't very bad, just a couple drips here and there thinking it's a gasket of some sort but not sure which one exactly. So I go online to do some research and I came across your thread about how the mrk5 has a common oil leak from the vacuum pump gasket, so I figured that may have been the problem because of where I saw the oil sitting. I had a friend of mine, who is a mechanic, fix it for me 3 days ago (today is Friday, it was fixed Tuesday night). After it was fixed, I noticed it's leaking even more oil than it was before I got the vacuum pump gasket fixed, as well as it smoking (which it wasn't before the fix) on top of all this crap. :banghead: the smoke smells like burning oil, so I know theres gotta be oil sitting somewhere on something hot. Do you know what else it could be or what else I should check out? I just don't understand why the leak got worse ....so bad that I have to add 3/4 to a full quart of oil each night to every other night. I am going to take it to a VW mechanic (rather than the dealer so I don't get raped too much with price and labor) probably early next week. What would you suggest me doing or looking at or what else might you think the leak is coming from? Do you know of any other places that are common for leaks in the mrk5 2.5 Jetta? It's so frustrating that it got worse that I'm about ready to go and trade her in, but I love my VW so much that I don't want to trade it in  please help!! What would your next step be as to diagnosing the oil leak?? I hope to hear from you or someone soon on what my next step should be...

p.s. thank you for the detailed thread how to fix the vacuum pump gasket ...it was a big help ...the only problem we had was actually getting the pump out, we had to take the plate off the pump to be able to get it past the selector rod that you said to use as a pivot point


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

LoveMyJettaTooMuch said:


> Hello, I currently have a 2006 jetta 2.5 auto and I have an oil leak that started about 3 years ago but it wasn't very bad, just a couple drips here and there thinking it's a gasket of some sort but not sure which one exactly. So I go online to do some research and I came across your thread about how the mrk5 has a common oil leak from the vacuum pump gasket, so I figured that may have been the problem because of where I saw the oil sitting. I had a friend of mine, who is a mechanic, fix it for me 3 days ago (today is Friday, it was fixed Tuesday night). After it was fixed, I noticed it's leaking even more oil than it was before I got the vacuum pump gasket fixed, as well as it smoking (which it wasn't before the fix) on top of all this crap. :banghead: the smoke smells like burning oil, so I know theres gotta be oil sitting somewhere on something hot. Do you know what else it could be or what else I should check out? I just don't understand why the leak got worse ....so bad that I have to add 3/4 to a full quart of oil each night to every other night. I am going to take it to a VW mechanic (rather than the dealer so I don't get raped too much with price and labor) probably early next week. What would you suggest me doing or looking at or what else might you think the leak is coming from? Do you know of any other places that are common for leaks in the mrk5 2.5 Jetta? It's so frustrating that it got worse that I'm about ready to go and trade her in, but I love my VW so much that I don't want to trade it in  please help!! What would your next step be as to diagnosing the oil leak?? I hope to hear from you or someone soon on what my next step should be...
> 
> p.s. thank you for the detailed thread how to fix the vacuum pump gasket ...it was a big help ...the only problem we had was actually getting the pump out, we had to take the plate off the pump to be able to get it past the selector rod that you said to use as a pivot point


If he didnt tighten the bolts all the way then you have to redo the gasket/sealant because of the oil contamination it now. But did he mess with anything else while he was in there?

When I did it, and used a lot more silicone, you can smell the silicone burning because the actual pump turbine was breaking off any silicone that got squeezed into the inside of the cylinder but that stops after a short time.

That would be my first guess is that he didnt tighten the bolts to the block enough to seal properly. Otherwise Id say get some extendable mirrors or even a scope to get into the hard to reach areas as well as a flashlight and take a good hard look. I cant remember if there were any external oil return lines or not within the engine bay that he could have messed with as well.


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## Wolfsburg007 (Apr 21, 2011)

Na no lines around there. You either screws the seat between block or gasket. Or the seal to the cover he removed. I replaced my pump new. Haven't a single issue. 

Sent from my 0x1 Note 3...... I love tep


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## LoveMyJettaTooMuch (Mar 20, 2015)

*round 2*

Thank u for the response! MUCH appreciated! I am going to get into looking at it with an extendable mirror and flashlight and more than likely go into it again, buy a new gasket and just do it over again as if it wasn't done. But this time going to make sure that everything is VERY TIGHTLY sealed lol .....don't want to have to go through this again and again lol. But thank u thank u thank u again for the suggestions. I will get back on here and let ya'll know how it goes  feeling much more confident about it knowing what I'm getting myself into this time haha
Thanks again for your time


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

LoveMyJettaTooMuch said:


> Thank u for the response! MUCH appreciated! I am going to get into looking at it with an extendable mirror and flashlight and more than likely go into it again, buy a new gasket and just do it over again as if it wasn't done. But this time going to make sure that everything is VERY TIGHTLY sealed lol .....don't want to have to go through this again and again lol. But thank u thank u thank u again for the suggestions. I will get back on here and let ya'll know how it goes  feeling much more confident about it knowing what I'm getting myself into this time haha
> Thanks again for your time


No problem! Just take your time and dont try to ironman the bolts. The ECS bolts stretch super easy, so if you happen to use those (which I wouldnt recommend, reused the stock bolts) and one snaps, youre in for a bad time lol but glad I could help.

Crazy to see this and the thread in the MK5 forum have almost 20,000 views. WOW.


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## syrenka (Apr 7, 2015)

the snake 87 said:


> No problem! Just take your time and dont try to ironman the bolts. The ECS bolts stretch super easy, so if you happen to use those (which I wouldnt recommend, reused the stock bolts) and one snaps, youre in for a bad time lol but glad I could help.
> 
> Crazy to see this and the thread in the MK5 forum have almost 20,000 views. WOW.


Hi, I used your super directions to replace the seal and was able to complete it without to much trouble. 
_Then, once the selector cable and TCM cable are out of the way, use your 12mm socket and remove the actual lever. You only need to remove the top nut, do not mess with the bottom one. Finally, to give your hand some extra room, unclip the cable from its retainer (picture with arrow below) and tuck away.
_

However, I removed the lower nut (under the lever) to gain more wiggle room but then I didn't
know how tight it needs to be when putting it together, is the proper torque critical? This bugs me.

Also, there was a good amount of oil inside the pump, I cleaned it up really good but was that oil buildup related to the bad seal or perhaps something else?

Thank again for the good write up.


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## bent_rod (Jan 2, 2015)

syrenka said:


> However, I removed the lower nut (under the lever) to gain more wiggle room but then I didn't
> know how tight it needs to be when putting it together, is the proper torque critical? This bugs me.


It is not a good idea to remove that lower nut on the transaxle range switch. That is the contact lever adjusting nut. It should never be loosened! I couldn't find a recommended torque valve for that nut in the ATSG transmission tech service manual. I would put it back very carefully the way you found it and lock the nut with the metal retainer prongs. 
Do be very careful when starting up the engine in the event you moved the selector switch out of the proper position! It is possible that the switch positions are out of sync with the transmission valve body.

For general information removing the transaxle range switch will not remove the shaft that extends down into the transmission valve body assembly. The only way to remove the shaft is from inside the transmission.


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## syrenka (Apr 7, 2015)

bent_rod said:


> It is not a good idea to remove that lower nut on the transaxle range switch. That is the contact lever adjusting nut. It should never be loosened! I couldn't find a recommended torque valve for that nut in the ATSG transmission tech service manual. I would put it back very carefully the way you found it and lock the nut with the metal retainer prongs.
> Do be very careful when starting up the engine in the event you moved the selector switch out of the proper position! It is possible that the switch positions are out of sync with the transmission valve body.
> 
> For general information removing the transaxle range switch will not remove the shaft that extends down into the transmission valve body assembly. The only way to remove the shaft is from inside the transmission.


I hope it didn't screw up the settings to much although right after the first engine start I got the error code related to transmission selector or similar (I don't remember the number). After erasing it didn't showed up again yet, the car seems to be driving OK.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

syrenka said:


> I hope it didn't screw up the settings to much although right after the first engine start I got the error code related to transmission selector or similar (I don't remember the number). After erasing it didn't showed up again yet, the car seems to be driving OK.



Well if it's driving fine, and no codes show back up, then you should be fine. I thought about that originally as well, but automatic transmissions are too expensive to be messing with any parts pertaining to its electronics or mechanics. Manuals, Id say no problem. That's why I only took off the bolts for the cable and such.

As for the oil, it is a result of a bad seal. There should be little to no oil inside the pump turbine. When reinstalling, just make sure you clean the cylinder well before putting the cover plate back.


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## Apk_Joe (May 14, 2009)

Anyone in Central Florida that would be willing to do this for me instead of bringing it to a shop and paying $1k. Thanks PM me


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## syrenka (Apr 7, 2015)

well, it's a long shot but here's what I can offer you';I never visited Florida so you buy me a round fare ticket and I'll fix the vacuum pump in return,


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Apk_Joe said:


> Anyone in Central Florida that would be willing to do this for me instead of bringing it to a shop and paying $1k. Thanks PM me


Damn. If I lived in Florida, I would do it for 2 hours labor easy  gotta love it. "We need to drop the transmission to do it properly." Yeahh right lol


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## milkyway (May 10, 2015)

I have a 2006 Jetta 2.5L with automatic transmission. I have a leak that appears to come out of the cracks at bottom of bell housing.

After wiping it bone dry and waiting 1 hour this is what the bell housing looks like:










I am trying to figure out if this is coming from the vacuum pump?! Can anyone give me a quick yes/no...Thanks! :wave:


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## bent_rod (Jan 2, 2015)

milkyway said:


> I have a 2006 Jetta 2.5L with automatic transmission. I have a leak that appears to come out of the cracks at bottom of bell housing.
> 
> After wiping it bone dry and waiting 1 hour this is what the bell housing looks like:
> 
> I am trying to figure out if this is coming from the vacuum pump?! Can anyone give me a quick yes/no...Thanks! :wave:


More than likely it is from the vacuum pump leaking the oil. 
On my car I was thinking at first it was from a bad rear main seal but it was only the vacuum pump leaking the oil.
After replacing the gasket it took some time before all the old oil finished dripping out.
Now no new drips.


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## milkyway (May 10, 2015)

bent_rod said:


> More than likely it is from the vacuum pump leaking the oil.
> On my car I was thinking at first it was from a bad rear main seal but it was only the vacuum pump leaking the oil.
> After replacing the gasket it took some time before all the old oil finished dripping out.
> Now no new drips.


I ordered a vacuum pump delete kit. I'm doing the easy steps so far and gonna have my cousin finish up the slightly more difficult parts...Here is what the area around the pump looks like...there was a nice pool where the letters are but I took a tshirt and padded it down with a screwdriver a day or 2 ago:


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## [email protected] (May 12, 2015)

*Noob*

I have been searching for this for a long time! And just like you said piece milled ideas on tracking down the leak etc, but this is freaking amazing. Thank you for your help. 

However, Total Noob question, but what about using the Reinzosil around the exterior of the vacuum pump and not go through all the hassle of remove and replace?


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## milkyway (May 10, 2015)

[email protected] said:


> I have been searching for this for a long time! And just like you said piece milled ideas on tracking down the leak etc, but this is freaking amazing. Thank you for your help.
> 
> However, Total Noob question, but what about using the Reinzosil around the exterior of the vacuum pump and not go through all the hassle of remove and replace?


Seems risky and probably won't work, for $112 with 2-day delivery I ordered a delete kit (link). 

Seems to me the most sensible solution.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

[email protected] said:


> I have been searching for this for a long time! And just like you said piece milled ideas on tracking down the leak etc, but this is freaking amazing. Thank you for your help.
> 
> However, Total Noob question, but what about using the Reinzosil around the exterior of the vacuum pump and not go through all the hassle of remove and replace?


My pleasure!

Problem with doing that is the metal gasket itself is contaminated with dirt/oil, so trying to go crazy over the exterior of the seals won't do anything because of all the oil that will work its way through and contaminate any sort of seal. It's like a head gasket or manifold gasket, you can't just use silicone overtop hoping it will seal, you need to remove, clean the surface, and replace in order to properly gain a clean seal again. If this makes any sense (been a long day lol)

That's why, regardless if you're replacing the gasket or doing the delete, you need to take the pump out in order to do it properly.


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## syrenka (Apr 7, 2015)

the snake 87 said:


> My pleasure!
> 
> Problem with doing that is the metal gasket itself is contaminated with dirt/oil, so trying to go crazy over the exterior of the seals won't do anything because of all the oil that will work its way through and contaminate any sort of seal. It's like a head gasket or manifold gasket, you can't just use silicone overtop hoping it will seal, you need to remove, clean the surface, and replace in order to properly gain a clean seal again. If this makes any sense (been a long day lol)
> 
> That's why, regardless if you're replacing the gasket or doing the delete, you need to take the pump out in order to do it properly.


totally true, it's impossible to properly apply any type of sealant, it would not hold.


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

21 THOUSAND views! Wow. Never imagined it would reach even 5,000. Thanks for using my guide everyone!


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## bent_rod (Jan 2, 2015)

the snake 87 said:


> 21 THOUSAND views! Wow. Never imagined it would reach even 5,000. Thanks for using my guide everyone!


You should have made it a PAY-PER-VIEW. :laugh:


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

bent_rod said:


> You should have made it a PAY-PER-VIEW. :laugh:


No kidding! $0.50 to have access to the tutorial. I'd have so much more for car parts! lol


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## jmhays (Jun 15, 2015)

*break vacuum pump********need help plea*

hi , can i use the same instruction for my wife car ? she has a jetta 2006 -2.5 automatic 4 doors ? the mechanic what 900.00 and we can not afford it she lost her job so i am trying to this at home , need help please ……...


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## jmhays (Jun 15, 2015)

*brake vacuum pump *******pls help*

hi , can i use the same instruction for my wife car ? she has a jetta 2006 -2.5 automatic 4 doors ? the mechanic what 900.00 and we can not afford it she lost her job so i am trying to this at home , need help please ……...


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

jmhays said:


> hi , can i use the same instruction for my wife car ? she has a jetta 2006 -2.5 automatic 4 doors ? the mechanic what 900.00 and we can not afford it she lost her job so i am trying to this at home , need help please ……...


Sure can! Will work for all 2005.5-2009 Jetta's and Rabbit's with the 2.5L and standard 09G automatic transmission!

26 THOUSAND views! Wow. How come this isn't stickied yet? Lol


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## mypancreasbroke (Jun 2, 2014)

So I am back... and haven't done this fix yet  It's still on to do list, but my main baby is my Land Cruiser, so it gets most of my tinkering and free time. I have constantly measured the oil consumption in the wife's Jetta, and it is negligible. Also the dirty/oily area around the vacuum pump seems to be much much cleaner than others with this problem... which again makes me mad at the dealer for calling it a 'massive oil leak.' I have purchased the ECS kit, and it is sitting on my work bench, but since it is not a major problem, I figure I'll just keep an eye on the pump and oil levels until it gets to a point requiring being addressed. In the meantime the wife's Jetta has given me fits with the alignment, and I'm getting codes for knock sensors, map sensors, etc... so this weekend I'm just changing them out as well as the o2 sensors. I'm kind of hoping I'll never have to actually use this 'how to,' but am thankful it exists! Now the only major issue I need to address in her car is the AC delay in cooling... but luckily there's a huge thread on that issue that has me chasing down whatever gremlin has taken up residency in that system.


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## mypancreasbroke (Jun 2, 2014)

And so... I return again quickly. In spending a bit more time reading about this issue, I am more and more tempted to just delete the vacuum pump. While several manufacturers market a block off plate for the vacuum pump, I found Spulen has a whole kit including hoses for rerouting the vacuum hose, and thought I would share for anyone looking.

http://www.uspmotorsports.com/Spulen-2.5L-Brake-Vacuum-Pump-Delete-Kit.html

I was tempted to shoot them my money now, but will probably hold off until I jump into a few other jobs on the wifes ride like new cooling hoses, ac work, etc. Hope this helps anyone who's looking!


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## rezzmatic (Mar 28, 2015)

So, I noticed my MKV started leaking oil from the vacuum pump couple weeks ago. Didn't take it to the dealer cause I knew I would get ripped off! 

This is a very helpful DIY. Will be working on my car next weekend! 

Thank you


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## Floydman (Aug 22, 2015)

*Cut your time in half*

First thank you to Snake 87 for the thorough rebuild post. I too used the Snake 87 DIY rebuild instructions and found a way to save a tremendous amount of time. After removing and rebuilding the pump I found it very frustrating to maneuver it back into place. In picture #11 or 12 remove the next nut on the shaft and the keyed washer under it. Scribe around one or both of the bolts for a reference when replacing the bolts. Remove the bolts and the gear shift indicator slides right up and off. Now the vacuum pump drops right in with no frustration and swearing. This also eliminates any special tools as I used a straight 1/4" extension.


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## jimcfl (Dec 21, 2015)

I registered just to say thanks for the excellent guide! Saved a huge amount of time knowing exactly where to feel for that bottom bolt!


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## markg612 (Jan 29, 2016)

*Thanks!*

Just completed the gasket change, TWICE. I didn't seal it the first time and it leaked immediately. Used your recommended sealer. Interesting, I used the aftermarket uncoated gasket the first time and the OEM coated gasket the second time, so I'm not entirely sure the RTV is enhancing the seal or the softer surface material of the OEM gasket are doing the job?

I scribed/marked and pulled the multi-function switch and it seemed to make the on/off process of the pump easier.

PS--It might be up in the thread somewhere, but the ends of the impeller, if one isn't watching can fall off the impeller body. That would suck to find later!

Down side of the repair, I stop the flood of oil from this leak only to find the rear main seal has a much smaller leak, enough to form a drop after 10 minutes, nothing along the lines of the near trickle from the vacuum pump!

Thanks again for the guidance.
G


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## Crazydave33 (Mar 23, 2016)

*Brake vacuum pump*








made this torxt-30 bit. Cut the kong end of a t-30 and welded it to a 6 mm socket. Worked beautifully. Great write up snake!! No leaks did this a week ago.


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## trick1190 (Feb 16, 2014)

*Took the cover plate off first*

Hey thanks for the write up! I just did it this morning and I ended up taking the cover plate off and removing the seal. Then I slid the pump vane out before trying to take the pump off, after I loosened the pump I slid the shaft in as much as possible lined up the now empty impellor slots with the selector post and slid the unit out over the gear selector post. Then cleaned everything up very well and did the same for the install in reverse. It's easier to get the vane out if the pump is loose and has some wiggle room (same for reinstalling it). Wouldn't have attempted this with out finding this write up. Dealer was saying 700$ ish to do it. I went to their parts department and got the gasket for 23$. Awwww yeahhhhh.


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## flip2jetta (May 1, 2007)

trick1190 said:


> ...I ended up taking the cover plate off and removing the seal. Then I slid the pump vane out before trying to take the pump off, after I loosened the pump I slid the shaft in as much as possible lined up the now empty impellor slots with the selector post and slid the unit out over the gear selector post. Then cleaned everything up very well and did the same for the install in reverse.


I did exactly this when pulling the pump and installing and it was waaaaaaay easier. I gotta give a big thanks also for this write up, I was in the process of replacing my waterpump and T-stat when I happened to come across this diy in my research. Very easy job if you follow the diy directly, it was very well done :beer:

EDIT: wanted to add my car has 192k at the time of doing the fix so I've managed fine for a long while without doing it. I just kept regular oil change intervals and I never lost enough oil to have to add any. Definitely worth the time to do the fix.

Here's a video DIY that's very helpful also for this job
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMWRCR7y_E


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## Tobias9413 (Jul 7, 2016)

*New to VW*

I just bought a 2012 Jetta SE, never owned a VW before. It took the car in for a check up at the dealer and the Vacuum pump is apparently leaking. They quoted it at $1.2k to replace. This guide says its MK5. From my understanding my Jetta is a MK6 (again, new to VW cars)? Will this work for my car? Thanks!

Also would this video guide work for my car? Similar to this post just video form. Also says MK5

https://youtu.be/TvMWRCR7y_E


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## Tobias9413 (Jul 7, 2016)

the snake 87 said:


> Sure can! Will work for all 2005.5-2009 Jetta's and Rabbit's with the 2.5L and standard 09G automatic transmission!
> 
> 26 THOUSAND views! Wow. How come this isn't stickied yet? Lol


So will this not work on a 2012 Jetta SE?


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## flip2jetta (May 1, 2007)

Tobias9413 said:


> So will this not work on a 2012 Jetta SE?


That's a seven year gap between my model and yours so I can't say honestly, hopefully someone here can chime in, try posting in the MKVI specific forum perhaps? Good luck man.


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## ian20x (Jun 18, 2013)

*What's the worst that could happen and how likely is that?*

So the VW dealer diagnosed this same problem for me and quoted me a little over $1k to fix it which I'm not particularly keen on paying out for. I reckon I can fix this myself, when I get the time as I'd like to set aside a full day.

My question for you is: if I don't fix it, what will happen? Will I just lose oil? Will the pump fail? Will my brakes fail? I just need to figure out the severity of this.

Cheers in advance!


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## herb2k (Jul 29, 2007)

I just did this on my 2.5, word of advice - the plastic impeller isn't a single solid part, it actually has 2 plastic end caps which keep it rotating smoothly. I dropped one side during install, didn't notice and had to redo that part of the job as after I started the engine for a test dive, there was a ticking noise coming from the new pump.

I just used the metal gasket as is, no sealant needed with a new pump. If you torque the bolts well, there are no issues. The metal gasket is a crush gasket which seals when the part is torqued. The factory install does not use or specify sealant. 

As far as I can tell, the pump is designed to be nearly full of oil during operation. There is an oil passage in the engine side spindle which passes oil to the main chamber of the pump.


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## Koojo (Dec 10, 2011)

Doing this process on a 2007 Jetta now. Has almost 130k on it. It's been leaking for some time now. Last night I removed the pump, and waiting on a new gasket to be delivered today. 

Here is what the old gasket looks like. It's metal. This is the one that sits between the engine block and the pump. Notice how warped the gasket is in some parts. This is where it was leaking, and where all of the old oil buld up was on the pump. 

The rubber gasket between the front faceplate of the pump looked fine.


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## Tecchie (Apr 10, 2010)

*Video*

I did find a video a while back.. It's about a year old as of this post.

I know the OP had his process done before this guy, but this guy has some decent videos:

The Humble Mechanic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvMWRCR7y_E


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## ryanj (Sep 15, 2008)

*Rebuild kit available*

Just though I would let you guys know that a rebuild kit is now available that includes the front and rear seal for the 2.5l pump https://www.rkxtech.com/products/rkx-vw-audi-2-5l-vacuum-pump-reseal-rebuild-kit


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## joshua_7373 (Jan 29, 2016)

I do believe I have a vacuum pump leak as well...I noticed this doing my last oil change....the person who linked this DIY uploaded pics of his leak and mine looks exactly like his...my question is...I have a bumper to bumper warranty on my Jetta for another 10k miles...so I just take it into the dealership and have them do this ???? 

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Tapatalk


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## halbwissen (Jul 20, 2001)

ryanj said:


> Just though I would let you guys know that a rebuild kit is now available that includes the front and rear seal for the 2.5l pump https://www.rkxtech.com/products/rkx-vw-audi-2-5l-vacuum-pump-reseal-rebuild-kit


Nice!


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

Love how this is still popular. Thanks for the awesome comments guys!


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## sw12345 (Aug 3, 2017)

*Can't see the picture*

I just had the same problem with my 09 Jetta. The quote I got was $745  like to find out whether I can do it by myself.

However, I can't see any pictures of the original post. Any idea?

Steven


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## sw12345 (Aug 3, 2017)

*Can't see the picture*

I got the same problem and the quote was $750  like to find out how to DIY

However, I can't see the pictures. any idea?


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## the snake 87 (May 26, 2013)

I see the issue with the photos. When I get some time, I will have to migrate all of the images over to imgur. Sorry for the issue. Try right clicking on them and opening in a new tab for the time being.


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## nbradshaw45 (Sep 24, 2017)

*Photos*



the snake 87 said:


> I see the issue with the photos. When I get some time, I will have to migrate all of the images over to imgur. Sorry for the issue. Try right clicking on them and opening in a new tab for the time being.


Hi - any luck on getting the pictures to load? Even if I open the picture in a new window - it will still not show the image...thanks!


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## d0wse (Nov 4, 2013)

Does anyone have this updated with pictures that work??


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## cd2017 (Nov 22, 2017)

*To get pictures working...*



d0wse said:


> Does anyone have this updated with pictures that work??


I installed the following extension in FireFox and all the pictures work. You can do similar for Chrome.

Photobucket Hotlink Fix by BridgeTroII
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/photobucket-fix/

I tried a different extension but it did not work. This one worked great!

Printing it was a little challenging... I used Print What You Like to do that but Firefox's own 'Simplify' (from print preview) works as well (smaller pictures).

Thanks, and thank you 'snake 87'!! I just bought a used 2006 Jetta for my 16-year old and it is leaking oil 

Chip
2006 Jetta 2.5L, 149K


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## Mkvkyle (Feb 13, 2012)

Man those shops are shafting you guys if they wanna charge $1,000+. Takes me 30mins to do it, Manual or auto.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JackofSpeed (Aug 4, 2015)

For people that stumble into this now:

I did this job just now on a 2006 2.5 manual trans. Manual transmission makes this a 1 hour job if you don't know what you are doing. You might have to slide the shifter mechanism off the transaxle input to slide the pump out, but you might be able to slide the pump out and the plate in past the shifter linkage without taking that off at all. If you have your battery box and intake off up to the throttle body, you can see everything.

Importantly, you will need to figure out a solution for vacuum for the brake booster. One of those solutions is here:
https://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.php?6906285-Vacuum-pump-delete


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