# DIY Auto to Manual transmission conversion + 5th gear set swap



## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I'm one driveshaft and a starter away from having everything I need to do the swap. I'm planning on writing up the whole process here with photos etc. If there is anything anyone would like me to focus on or ensure to capture in the photos, now is the time to ask!

I should be doing the 5th gear set swap in the next couple of weeks, and then the transmission swap in July. I'm going wiht a .658 5th gear set which should have me around 2750 RPMs @ 70mph on the highway. Should quiet things down a lot, reduce engine noise, and increase fuel economy.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Two things I'd like to know about...

1. Spring washer and fitment, see http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-89683.html



> The low .65 and .622 gears often need a modification to the spring washer to make them fit. Or you can get the washer from vw.





> The gears should fit fine, just the washer is sometimes bigger than the smaller gear therefor needs either modifying or a smaller one buying.





> stuck the washer from the small gear on the lathe took about 4mm from the out side ,so it would not hit the teeth form the other gear


2. How easy do things come apart and go back on? One thread somewhere said to heat the gears with a torch or something to get them to go on/off easier. Ugh, really?


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I believe the spring washer difference is that it is simply a smaller outer diameter. The gearset I bought from boraparts.com actually came with a new properly sized spring washer so that'll be a non issue.

I'll definitely add notes about how easy or hard the gears are to get off. I am guessing a torch will be required from everything I've read. I have one so that's covered, but finding the right size puller and grinding it down so it fits onto the gear properly may be the more challenging part. I'll make sure to detail that.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Here is a pic of the 5th gear set with the smaller washer: 









Did some cleanup on the transmission today to prepare for the 5th gear swap. The donor van came from North Carolina and the outside of the tranny was covered in a paste of grease and sand. 

Before: 









After: 










This is how I got the parts off the van: 









When I was under it, I noticed the left side of the van wasn't resting on the "rack" so I looked around to see what was supporting it and found it to be this:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Did most of the shifter bushings tonight. I'm replacing every bushing possible. 

If you don't have a hydraulic press, you can use a bench vice and some sockets to press old bushings out and new ones in like this: 









Here are all the components taken apart and (somewhat) cleaned up. Most of the new bushings are in place: 










Two of the pieces I bought didn't work: The small ball at the transmission end which was my fault, wrong part number, so I need to get the right one. Also, the square plastic guide at the bottom of the shift rod was superseded to a part that doesn't look like it will work very well so I may leave the old one in place. 

_[Update 7/10/2013] The small ball-bushing on the shift arm (the one with the spring pin that goes through it) that VW sells WILL NOT fit. The hole diameter is way too small to fit on the rod. You'd have to drill it out and drilling a globe-shaped nylon bushing is nearly impossible without equipment that I don't have. _ 

After I get the last couple pieces I need for the linkage, the next step will be to swap the 5th gear set out.


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## The Producer (Jun 8, 1999)

djnibler said:


> When I was under it, I noticed the left side of the van wasn't resting on the "rack" so I looked around to see what was supporting it and found it to be this:


 You went under that voluntarily? :beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer::beer: 9 beers for each of your nine lives sir.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I drove seven hours to get this stuff.... I was past the point of no return!!!


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

A very frustrating day for me. 

I removed the end cover from the transmission and one of the bolts snapped off so it is stuck inside the transmission. I tried an easy-out and the easy out snapped off in the hole I drilled into the bolt  










Complete bummer now because those easy outs are chrome vanadium steel. I'm now trying to drill out the easy-out and the nice bits I have aren't even scratching it. Unless anyone else has any good advice, I'm going to see if I can't find a very tiny grinding bit for my dremel. But at this point, I think I'm going to have to try to drill out the hole to the diameter of the bolt and run a tap through it as opposed to trying to back out the broken bolt. What a pain in the.....


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The broken bolt saga continues. Took it to my brother in-law's house. He welded a nut to the face of the broken bolt. After it cooled we tried to wrench it off with the nut. No dice. Oh well. Ordered a nice set of cobalt tipped drill bits. Will try to drill it out. Hopefully the cobalt tipped bits will cut through the broken easy-out.


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## EV99 (Nov 27, 2009)

gti_matt said:


> Two things I'd like to know about...
> 
> 1. Spring washer and fitment, see http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-89683.html





djnibler said:


> I believe the spring washer difference is that it is simply a smaller outer diameter.


Yep, just smaller or else it would be big enough to interfere with the teeth.




gti_matt said:


> 2. How easy do things come apart and go back on? One thread somewhere said to heat the gears with a torch or something to get them to go on/off easier. Ugh, really?


I've seen both extremes, where they just slide off, and where you have to heat it up and still use a puller. You def need to invest some money or get a hold of the proper puller or else you run a very high risk of damaging the gears. There is VERY little room under the gears.

Since these gears are the very same (style) ones as found in your 02A you can also refer to this
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/multi/5th-gear-swap-VW.htm


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## EV99 (Nov 27, 2009)

djnibler said:


> The broken bolt saga continues. Took it to my brother in-law's house. He welded a nut to the face of the broken bolt. After it cooled we tried to wrench it off with the nut. No dice. Oh well. Ordered a nice set of cobalt tipped drill bits. Will try to drill it out. Hopefully the cobalt tipped bits will cut through the broken easy-out.


If you have access to a "real" machine shop they might be able to drill it out so precisely that the remaining parts of the bolt just peels out, while not touching the threads at all. Not really that easy to do with "home shop" equipment though!


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## jets (Oct 12, 2005)

My neighbour bought an outboard motor over to me after he broke off a couple of studs, from memory 6mm. I filed the end flat & clamped the crankcase onto the table of my drill press that has a compound table. Starting with a centre drill & if possible a good eye it's possible to drill with a tapping size drill or slightly smaller & remove the core of the stud. With care the remainder of the thread is removed with a tap.
I haven't ever had much success with an easy out on a small stud, the easy out tends to spread the remaining stud making it even tighter.
I know it's too late now but in future before applying too much force when undoing, try some heat on the head & instead of just turning anticlockwise try turning in both directions carefully to break the hold.
I would have tried the welding of a nut first instead of the easy out. Hope this is of some help.


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## WesT4 (Feb 8, 2007)

*Possible solution*

If I could not get this into a mill, line it up and cut it out with a carbide end mill, I would go to McMastercarr.com and order up 2 or 3 Extra-Long Double Cut Carbide Burs w/ 1/8" Shank Diameter and 1/8" Head Diameter, PN 4313A33, load 'em into my Dremel tool and play dentist for a while. With luck I could pick out the remaining male thread crests from the female roots and be good to go. Otherwise, after getting the bolt out I’d buy a Helicoil kit for it and make it stronger than new.
IVAN
Therefore:
I am
Dan


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Thanks guys for the input.

Dan, what you suggested is exactly what I've done and am doing: I got a carbide bit for the dremel and went in there and cleaned out as much as I could. Had to drill a slightly off center hole first so I could get the dremel bit in there and work it up toward the broken easy-out. This worked, though the hole is a little mangled now. 

Next I'm going to fill it with JB weld and after it cures, will use a drill press to drill out an oversized hole for the M6x1.0 helicoil. 95% of the JB weld should come out when I drill.... its mainly there to fill in the offset hole I drilled and to help keep the drill bit centered when I put it on the drill press.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I decided to stop doing battle with the broken bolt today and pulled the gears off. 

Autozone has a free tool loaner program and they stock a gear puller that works PERFECTLY for the large gear. I used that puller, and heated the gear up with a torch and it came off nicely. Couple of things to note: The gear itself rides on a bearing so it will come right off. Part of the synchro hub, however, is a press-on fit so it is this, and not the gear, that you have to get off. The hub has notches around it and three of them fit this puller perfectly. Back the big bolt out 5-10mm, then put the puller on, heat the synchro with a torch and tighten the puller with your hands. The torch was key. I heated it up a bit, tightened the puller by hand as much as I could and it wouldn't move. So I heated it up even more and it began coming off as I tightened the puller. Note the puller doesn't have a bolt to turn... you have to use your hands. 










Here is a pic of the tool name (OEM 27107 Posi lock 3 jaw 2 ton puller):










After getting the synchro off, the big gear just slides right off since it is on a bearing. 

The smaller gear needs to be pulled off. The puller I used on the big gear didn't fit so I used this one I had in my toolbox:










The smaller gear came off really easy without heating. All gears off:










And I came to another couple of problems.

Either someone had been in this transmission before (I doubt it), or the factory didn't properly cut the threads in the last inch or so of the shaft. I noticed when removing the big bolt holding the smaller gear in place, that the bolt was tough to back out all the way to the end (had to use a wrench all the way out), whereas the same bolt for the bigger gear came off by hand easy. After getting both bolts out and cleaning them up, sure enough, one of them has messed up threads in the bottom inch. Had to order a tap and die set on e-Bay so I can clean the threads up (M10x1.0 which is not a common size). 

Second problem is that the washer that came with my new gears is too big! I should have noticed this when I received them but I didn't think to look. The new washer is the same size as the old and as you can see in these pics, it will interfere with the gear. I contacted the place I bought the gears from to see if they will send me the right one. If not, I'll probably just grind this one down on the bench grinder and call it good :facepalm:

New gear with new washer:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I took the transmission to a machine shop to have them fix the stripped out hole the right way (with weld and tap). My brother in law can't weld aluminum. 

Contacted the vendor about the washer and they didn't have an answer as to why the new one was too big but said prior to the new washer becoming available, everyone used to just grind down their old ones so that's what I'm going to do. 

As soon as the machine shop finishes fixing the stripped hole, I'll get back to work.

Anyone have any good ideas on how to grind down the thrust washer, keeping it perfectly round? I don't have a lathe. I suppose it isn't critical for it be perfectly round as the forces so close to the center of the shaft should be low. I was just going to use a compass or something to scribe a line a few mms in from the edge and grind it down on the bench grinder to the line.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Got the transmission back from the machine shop the other day so back at it.

Used a drill and tap to clean up the threads in the input shaft as well as the bolt that holds the gear to it. Bolt worked great after I did that. 

Today I finished the gear swap and buttoned up the transmission. Now it's ready for the swap. All I'm waiting on at this point is my starter and brake fluid hose (for the clutch master cylinder) which should arrive early next week. I may do the conversion next weekend depending on what else is going on. 

So I last left off with the gears fully removed. The first step is to slide the output shaft gear into place, then put the spring washer on and tighten the bolt down to 59 ft/lbs. I explained in a previous post about the washer being too large. I just ground it down on a bench grinder to where there were a couple mm of clearance to the gears. You can see the grind marks on it in this pic and get an idea of how much I took off compared to the other pics of it. It doesn't have to be exact. 









To remove the bolts for the gears and to re-install them, you have to lock the input/output shafts. I did it with a home-made tool. You can see it just locks the driveshaft flanges. Locking the output shaft is enough because the output gear will also lock the input shaft gear once installed:









Once the output shaft gear is in place, slide the needle bearing and input shaft gear and brass synchro ring into place, then install the hub of the synchro ring. I heated mine in a 400 degree oven for a while to let it get hot and expand. It was still difficult to get on. I set it on the shaft and tapped it down with a big socket and hammer. Had to bang on it a fair amount before it finally hit its resting point. One important thing to note for this step: the synchro hub has six slots. Three of them hold the lock fingers and three of them allow the three nubs on the brass synchro ring to fit inside. When you are putting the hub back on, ensure the three large slots are aligned with the nubs on the brass ring. Also ensure the spring clip is on the back side of the hub (and covering the three small slots where the fingers go. 

Here is a pic of everything installed except the outer ring:









Slide the outer ring in place to lock the gears together and tighten the input shaft gear bolt to 59 ft lbs. 

This really blurry picture shows the shift fork re-installed.









Put the new gasket in place then re-install the end cap and you are finished. Note that I used new bolts so the broken bolt thing wouldn't happen again if I ever had to take the 5th gear housing out:









That's it for now. The next posts should detail the Automatic to Manual swap.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Automatic is almost out of the car. Hoping to get it out today, as well as replace the rear main seal, install clutch/pp/flywheel, and at least get the manual tranny bolted into place and on the mounts. 

I didn't take a lot of pictures of the removal process because it is pretty straight forward. 

Get the radiator out in service position (four bolts):









Drain the coolant. There is a metal coolant pipe running in front of the transmission/engine. It has a bolt on the bottom of it with a copper crush washer. Remove the bolt to drain the coolant.

While vehicle is on the ground, loosen the wheel bolts and driveshaft bolt.
Jack the car up, put on jack stands, remove wheels
Undo the lower ball joints by removing the two bolts that hold them to the spindle (16mm socket) - Don't remove the big lower bolt. 
Remove the bolt holding the sway bar and lower shock to the lower control arm.
Remove the rear transmission mount (it is the item on the far right in this picture)








Now remove the driveshaft bolts that hold the CV joint to the driveshaft flange on the transmission. Use a really long extension to do this. Put transmission into neutral. To keep the driveshaft from spinning, stick a screwdriver into one of the vents on the disc brake so when you loosen the inner driveshaft bolts, it causes the screwdriver to wedge against the caliper. I love this trick  There is really only one good spot to access the bolts so after you remove one, you need to rotate the driveshaft to bring the next one into view. 
To remove the driveshaft, turn the steering wheel all the way toward the side you are working on and then put a jack under the rotor, then jack it up a bit. You should be able to pull the driveshaft out of the hub. 
To get the inner part of the driveshaft out, you need to push the engine forward. The rear mount is off now so just stick a breaker bar or jack handle between the subframe and engine/trans and pry it forward a couple inches which gives you enough clearance to work the inner CV clear and remove driveshaft. 

After that, remove starter and ATF dipstick. Disconnect all electrical lines to the transmission which, from memory, include the multi function switch toward the back of the transmission and a plug near the front of the transmission as well as a couple of grounds. Unbolt the metal coolant pipe from its braces on the transmission. Disconnect the shift linkage and unbolt it from it's support brace. Unbolt any wiring harness clamps and move them out of the way. Disconnect the speedo cable from the connector near the firewall, and from the transmission be careful not to loose the plastic bushing at the transmission end). From what I can tell, the A/T speedo cable is the same as the M/T cable. Be very careful as this part is now obsolete and there is no aftermarket option available that I'm aware of. Obsolete parts really make me  Some of the coolant hoses are obsolete now as well. And speaking of coolant hoses, remove every coolant hose in the area (engine oil cooler to metal pipe, all the hoses to the heater core, and all the hoses to the transmission oil cooler). 

At this point, the transmission is ready to come out. 

To remove the manual gear shifter, remove the allen bolt holding the shift knob in place, then pull the knob and the covers up and off. Remove the four or so Phillips screws you can see. Remove all seven bolts from the under side of the vehicle (there is one in back of the box that you can't see in the pic):









Remove electrical connectors and use a screwdriver to pry off the starter lock cable fitting (you can see it hanging free on the left side of this pic):









The shifter now just drops out leaving a hole where the new manual shifter will go. 

I'll detail the complete removal of the starter lock cable when I complete that.

I forget how hard it is on the neck to lay on your back for hours at a time holding your head up off the ground. A few more cups of coffee and some advil and I'll be back at it.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Removing the transmission turned out to be a lot more challenging than I had anticipated 

I realized that my usual ghetto method of supporting an engine while the transmission is being removed (by using a jack and a block of wood) wasn't going to work on the eurovan because the engine leans so far forward. Had I just used a jack, the engine may likely have rocked forward and crashed into the radiator or core support. The Bentley shows you using a slick and overly complicated adjustable metal brace that bolts to the lower part of the engine block and allows you to move the engine forward or backward (which you need to do when removing the transmission).

A trip to Harbor Freight and $225 later, and I am the proud owner of an engine crane. I had one many years ago but after using it once, it just took up space so I sold it for cheap to a friend. I think I'll hold onto this one. 

I used adjustable webbing straps with hooked ends to hook onto the engine (there is a bracket on the rear of the block that also has a hook to support the oil cooler hose), and on the front there is actually a hole built into the block for supporting via a crane. With the crane, you can move the engine forward and down which is required. 











When removing an automatic, you have to disconnect the flex plate from the torque converted before removing the transmission. There are two bolts on the back side of the engine that bolt the engine to the transmission and also hold a cover in place. In the drawing below, they are bolts #1. With those removed, you can see the edge of the spring plate. There are three nuts you need to remove. Use a wrench on the engine pulley bolt to turn the engine slowly until one of the nuts comes into view then remove and continue until all three are off. 

Note the bolts and their location. All of these need to be removed to pull the transmission. #7 is very easy to miss. Bolts #1 and #7 are the only two that screw in TOWARD the transmission (they screw into the transmission instead of into the engine). #7 is an allen head bolt.










The Bentley says to disconnect the down-pipe at the exhaust manifold. I had to completely remove the down pipe in order to give myself enough room to get at the #1 and #7 bolts, in addition to the flex plate nuts.

Don't forget to remove the mounting bracket that bolts the right-side of the transmission to the engine block just below the oil filter (it bolts to the "trumpet" extension of the transmission). Unbolt it from both the block and the transmission. 

I had a transmission jack in my garage that I also bought at Harbor Freight a year or two ago when I did the clutch on my GF's Subaru, so I used that here. Lower the jack and the engine crane so the transmission clears the unibody and sub-frame and pull the trans apart from the engine. This happened really easily (I had to PRY the Subaru trans off and it took hours). Once freed from the engine, the little horn bracket is really in the way and can't be un-bolted. I ended up having to jack the car as high as I could and pull the ATF dipstick tube which, of course, sent ATF spewing everywhere. 










This was one of the hardest transmission removals I've done. Even the AWD Subaru was easier than this. Glad to have the thing out!


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## bigfatgeek (Feb 5, 2005)

Great update - again. Thank you for putting the effort not only into the swap, but documenting it for us.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Oops. 

I tried to install a new rear main seal last night and managed to ruin it in the process. Originally the vans came with a standard-style seal (rubber ring with a lip and a spring inside the lip to keep tension on it... same kind you'd see for wheel bearing seals) but they have now converted that over to a "PTFE" seal which is different. It is also much more fragile. The seal comes with a tool that allows you to install it correctly, but no instructions so I botched it and ruined the seal. If you bend or tweak the lip of the seal at all, it actually stays that way and there is no recovering it. 

After some googling, I now understand how the tool that came with the seal works (though it is shaped differently from the ones I saw in google searches) so when the new one comes in tomorrow, I'll make sure to detail the use very clearly and take lots of pics to save others from the same trouble. 

Here is what it looks like. The plastic thing in the center is the installation tool:









A new OEM seal is $150! I was lucky a month ago and found an actual OEM seal on eBay for $30 new in box but there aren't any more at that price now and even if there were, I need the thing tomorrow so I can get this show back on the road so I'm having to get one from the dealer. 

One other thing to note: There is a paper gasket behind the old seal housing but the new style seal housing has a built in rubber gasket so you don't need the replace the paper seal (according to what many say online but there is nothing official anywhere that details this... not that I have found anyway). The bottom of the seal housing actually seals against the oil pan gasket.

On an unrelated note.... there is no pilot bushing in the flywheel or crankshaft for the manual transmission input shaft to ride in. However, ETKA shows there is a "bushing" in the crankshaft for cars with an automatic transmission. I can't figure out if that needs to be removed or not and can't even figure out if it is actually there (if it is, it is pressed into the crank in such a way that makes it look like it is a part of the crank). The ETKA part number shows as 023105329 but the Bentley mentions nothing about it. I searched the EV_Update yahoo group and found one guy talking about it and it sounded like he drilled it out of the crank. Another guy said the input shaft doesn't even reach the crank so you don't have to worry about it. 

Last night I took a clutch disc alignment tool, verified it is the same diameter as the very tip of the manual transmission input shaft (where there are no splines) and tried to insert it into the hole in the end of the crankshaft. It fit perfectly. Tonight or tomorrow I'm going to try mating the transmission to the engine without the flywheel or clutch parts in place, just to see if it fits in all the way. If it does, I'm going to call it good and assume there isn't a bushing in there that I need to deal with.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

After some more research and testing, I have discovered the following:

There is no pilot bearing/bushing for the 02B manual transmission. 

There is a bushing pressed into the end of the crankshaft for vans with an automatic transmission. You can see it here in this pic (the bushing is more oxidized than the crankshaft):









It doesn't seem that the inside diameter of the bushing is the issue.... the issue is the outside diameter. The OD is just too big to allow the flywheel to fit over it. So the bushing needs to be removed. I can feel the back of the bushing through the hole so a proper pilot bearing puller tool may be able to get it out but I don't have such tool. I'm going to see if the auto parts store has one in their loan-a-tool program and if not, I am going to drill it out, being careful to use a drill bit that is small enough that it won't contact the crank. I read of someone doing this and apparently a 7/8" drill bit is perfect size (smaller than the hole in the crank but bigger than the bushing... enough so that after drilling out to 7/8" you can split it with a chisel).


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The bushing is out and the pilot bushing puller tool worked. Both Autozone and O'Reilly Auto Parts carry everything you need in their free loaner tool program. All you need is a 5lb slide hammer and the bushing puller tool.

Here are two examples of the same puller tool (same tool, different brand). One is an OEM 27059 and the other is a EverTough 67033. Probably made by the same company 









The only thing to note is that you have to grind down the tips of the puller a little bit on a bench grinder or they won't fit inside the bushing. They are just maybe 1-2mm too wide. 

Here is the puller installed into the bushing. Tighten it good, but not crazy tight or the excess friction against the crankshaft will make it harder to get the bushing out:









Pic showing slide hammer attached to the puller tool. The real key is to pull hard on the handle of the slide hammer with one hand while operating the slide weight with the other hand. If you just use the slide weight, it doesn't do much. I had to pull as hard as I could and bang the weight as hard as I could for a good minute or so. I really thought it wasn't going to come out but it did.




































With this bushing out of the way, the flywheel fits perfectly on to the end of the crankshaft.


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## jets (Oct 12, 2005)

Very interesting stuff, particularly the bush in the end of the crank. I had read about it before but now with the pics & details it is now clear. Please keep the details coming.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I don't think I ever detailed what is needed from a parts stand point so here goes from memory.... I will come back and edit this as I remember or discover more:

*Parts needed (new or from donor van)*
-	Manual Transmission
-	Left (driver’s side) driveshaft (can buy new aftermarket for ~$100 or take from donor van)
-	Rear Motor/Trans Mount (very early model 93’s had a funky rear mount and I can’t detail that in the swap since mine is the later style). The auto rear mount looks the same as the 
-	Pedal cluster assembly (you really only need the clutch pedal, pivot pin, spring, cruise control vent valve, wiring for cruise control vent valve, clutch master cylinder and hydraulic line all the way to the trans)
-	Flywheel, pressure plate, clutch, throwout bearing
-	Clutch slave cylinder
-	Starter
-	Master cylinder fluid reservoir (has an outlet for the clutch master cylinder). You can re-use the donor hose or buy new. If you buy new, ensure you get BRAKE FLUID hose. It’s blue, and fuel hose or other non-brake fluid hose will degrade over time and leak brake fluid all over your interior. Not worth it! Can get the hose on e-Bay or dealer, thought the part number for the hose in ETKA was on national back order when I tried to order it. 
-	Shifter and all shift linkage between it and the transmission including the shift box and all associated parts
-	Electrical connector for reverse light switch (connects to transmission). 
- Metal coolant pipe on the front of the engine. It's black, about 1/2" around, has one end near the thermostat and the other end over the top of the transmission. The mounts are different between auto and manual. If you can weld, you can cut off and re-weld mounts that will work. Otherwise, you need to use the pipe from the donor vehicle or buy a new one. New they are ~$200 from the dealer. Not available aftermarket. Definitely try to get this from the donor vehicle. If you do end up having to order it, the correct part number is 074121065Q for '93 vans but there are four types available depending on year, and also depending on whether your van has the "supplemental heater." I don't know what "supplemental heater" means but it is NOT the additional rear heater that comes in the MV. I know because I ordered that pipe and it was wrong. 
- Starter bolts: M8x40 1.25 allen bolts for starter. Need 3 of them. 
- 2x M12 bolts, nuts, and washers for the cover plate and bolting the engine to the transmission near the back.
- Support bracket for speedo cable (bolts to top of transmission)



*Some things I currently believe or know are the same and will confirm when the job is finished:
*-	Metal Spacer that is sandwiched between the engine and transmission (different part numbers in ETKA but they look to me to be exactly the same when compared in person)
-	Cover plate that covers the access hole in the back of the block that allows access to the torque converter bolts on the flex plate.
-	Speedo cable
-	Right side driveshaft
-	Side transmission mount


*Current unknowns:*
ECU. This is the biggest unknown for me right now. I’ve only found a couple of posts anywhere about this, none of it detailed, and much of it contradicting. Some say the ECU is different for Auto vs Manual and others say you can use the auto ECU in a manual conversion. One guy said you have to swap the throttle body because the throttle position sensor is different between auto and manual ECUs, and I believe the statement about the TPS being different is accurate, but I don’t know that the part about HAVING to swap it is correct; I think if you are swapping the ECU and wiring harness (using what you pull from the donor van), then yes, you would have to swap the TB and TPS…. But I think the TB/TPS setup for the automatic may work with the manual conversion. 

Per the wiring diagram, there are only three wires that connect the ECU to the TCU and of them, two are bridged at the diagnostic connector which lead me to believe they just send/receive data when connected to a code-reader like a VAG-COM. 

To further complicate the wiring, ALL wiring diagrams in the Bentley show the TCU in place. But in many places, they put a * next to some wires, or make other wires dashed-lines to denote that they are for automatic or manual transmission only, however, they don’t do this for the TCU or any of the wires to it. I’m going to simply unplug the TCU and see if the van starts and runs fine. If it doesn’t, I read where one guy said he got it to work by leaving the TCU plugged in, then removing the multifunction switch from the automatic transmission and simply plugging it into the wiring harness connector in the engine compartment. If I can’t figure out a better way, I’ll certainly try this. 

I do know that you have to change up some wiring around the PNP (Park/Neutral Position Relay) to get the van to start, and also to get the reverse lights to work. I already know what I need to do there based on the wiring diagrams and I will make sure to cover it in detail when I get to that part of the swap. It should be a very clean update (moving existing terminals from the back of the relay to specific pins on the back of the fuse box….. sounds more complicated than it is).


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The new rear main seal arrived from the dealer and it is different than the one I bought on e-Bay. The dealer seal matches what was on the car, and requires a gasket (which came with it in the box). The seal looks like a standard radial seal (with the spring sitting inside the lip to help keep tension), as opposed to what I believe is a PTFE seal. From now on, for something like a rear main seal, I think it's good insurance to get the part from the dealer even if it's more expensive. Cheap insurance from having to take the transmission out when you find out the aftermarket one you bought is leaking. 

This is the new rear main seal:









This is the tool that came with both the eBay seal and the dealer seal:









You can see the lip that has a larger outside diameter. Put this on the crankshaft with the wider part facing the engine, then slide the deal on over it and into place. The bottom of the seal's metal housing is sealed by the oil pan gasket. To make sure it didn't leak, I added a bead of the white VW fast-dry silicone sealant. The bolts get torqued to 7ft lbs. 









Next the flywheel goes on. The bolts are stretch bolts so always replace them. I made a quick tool to lock the flywheel which you can see in this pic below. Flywheel bolts get torqued to 60 Newton Meters then an additional 90 degrees. 









Clutch and pressure plate installed. 15 ft lbs on the pressure plate bolts. Use a clutch disc alignment tool. I believe the tool is specific to an 02B but I didn't have one of those so used the normal VW kind and it worked though it didn't have a perfect fit into the crankshaft. As long as the transmission can align with it, it's ok. 









Mating the transmission to the engine:









Aside from it being very difficult to align and get mated (would have been very hard to do without the transmission jack allowing me to fine tune the angles), I did notice one difference between the manual and automatic. The two bolts that hold the cover plate in place (and also help bolt the engine/trans together) screwed into the transmission from the engine side on the automatic transmission. In the manual, there are no threads in the transmission for those holes so it looks like there is supposed to be a nut on there. So you'll need two M12 nuts. 

Hopefully more to come tomorrow.


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## jets (Oct 12, 2005)

Everything looks very tidy where you are working, very little rust etc.
With ref. to post #17, in addition to the new screws, did you use any anti seize on the threads?
What is the red paint mark on the flywheel for?
After buying the second crank seal it looks like any standard seal from a bearing supply co,[at a fraction of the VW price]could have been used, although you wouldn't get the installation sleeve.
Was there any groove worn in the crank where the seal sits?
Keep up the posting.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The car is originally from Georgia and I am the third owner so it has stayed around here. Very little rust on cars in this area. 

I did not use anti-seize on the threads of the bolts holding the gears in place because I felt it might interfere with the torque values. Any lubricant on threads will mean you have to tighten harder to get the same torque and usually they don't use anti-seize for engine and transmission internals. However, now that you brought it up, I probably should have used some for those bolts that hold the transmission cover plate on so I don't end up with another bolt snap. Hopefully I will never have to take that plate off again though. 

No idea on the flywheel red paint mark. Machine shop may have put that on there as part of the re-surfacing? *shrug* I can say that the crank and flywheel have a hole or two that are offset-drilled so you can only install the flywheel one way (takes care of alignment for you). Set the flywheel on the crankshaft and just keep turning it until all the bolt holes align. 

You are right about the seal.... just the standard type. As for the crank, no, there was no groove. Felt brand new (van has 166k miles on it).

Hoping to get most of the under-hood stuff wrapped up today. After that I just have to tackle the wiring.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I forgot to detail the starter bushing replacement. 

To get the old one out, run a 1/2" tap into it. The tap will bottom out on the transmission and if you keep turning, it will back the old bushing out. I've seen other write-ups for VWs say to use an 11mm or 7/16" tap but the 02B in the EV must use a bigger bushing because those were too small. 1/2" is perfect... just bigger than the ID of the bushing but smaller than the OD so it doesn't eat into the transmission. 

Tap the new one in place with a hammer and whatever you have that is flat.... small piece of hardwood or something.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Didn't get as much done today as I would have liked but I still made progress. 

Couple of things learned today:

The metal coolant pipe shown in the picture below is specific to automatic vs manual transmission. This is because it has built-in support brackets that hold it to the transmission and brace it. The starter on the automatic uses 2 M10 bolts where as the manual starter uses 3 M8x40 1.25 bolts (so you'll have to by those from the hardware store or get from the donor van..... they are allen head). Anyway, the braces get in the way of things so for now I cut them off with a dremel. I'll probably rig up some sort of crude support until I can get the correct pipe. The support is very important because the coolant after-run pump hangs off the metal pipe and a major wiring harness clamps to it as well. There are a lot of wires and rubber hoses that it could rub on and wear. Looking at ETKA, there are 4 different pipes for manual transmissions. One for cars with the additional rear heater and one for cars without. There are vin splits for each. Mine is an MV so it has the rear heater but I'm not sure what the difference would be in this pipe. 










I also found out that the support bracket for the speedo cable is different between automatic vs manual transmissions. Speedo cable is the same but not the support. Here is a pic of the new one installed on the cable and the old one in hand:









One other thing... don't install the clutch slave cylinder before bolting the transmission to the engine. It has an internal spring that pushes the release bearing arm forward and makes it harder for you to mate the engine and transmission. 

The big engine bolts (M12) get torqued down to 59 ft/lbs and the smaller ones (M8) to 18 ft lbs.

Not much else to report from a learning standpoint. The transmission top mount is bolted into place. Down-pipe is bolted in (not fun... very hard to reach up there). Now I need to connect all the wires, hoses, bolt the driveshafts to the transmission, install shift linkage, do the wiring at the fuse box, fill with fluids and hopefully that's it.

The two bolts that hold the lower ball joint to the lower control arm are stretch bolts and must always be replaced. You wouldn't want these breaking while you are driving. Torque them to 41 newton meters and then an additional 90 degrees.


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## jets (Oct 12, 2005)

djnibler said:


> However, now that you brought it up, I probably should have used some for those bolts that hold the transmission cover plate on so I don't end up with another bolt snap. Hopefully I will never have to take that plate off again though.


Yes, those are the ones I was referring to.
You are fortunate not to have a groove in the shaft at that mileage. I replaced the front seal on my 2.5TDI at around 110,000KM & the groove forced me to leave the new seal out from fully home by a couple of mm


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Maybe the fact that I always use a high quality synthetic oil contributed to that? At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself so I can keep justifying $7 a quart oil


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Busy week as usual. Didn't get to do any work on the van until tonight. 

Removing the ignition lock is easy. You don't even have to do it really. Once you disconnect it from the auto-shifter, it will no longer lock the ignition. If you want to remove it, just remove the screws holding the lower steering column cover in place (3 screws), then remove the top cover too. Pry the cable end off with a screwdriver and pull the whole cable out of the car. 










To get at the wiring, remove the fusebox cover then pull the top of this little white clip AWAY from the side of the fuse box to disengage the pin, then pull it up and out. 










The relay with the yellow line pointing to it is the PNP (Park Neutral Position) relay which should only come on cars with automatics. 









The big red wire with the black stripe coming off the back of it needs to be connected to circuit 50 which has battery positive when the key is turned to the "start" position only. This wire goes out to the starter solenoid. The RIGHT way to connect it to circuit 50 is to pull it off the back of the relay block and then insert it into plug "F", terminal "1". 

The arrow here points to F1. There is a white and red wire in that terminal but it can be removed:









The problem with doing this is that the red and black wire that comes off the back of the PNP relay terminal has a female spade connector with a locking tab. The plugs on the back of the fuse box itself don't accept that kind of connector. I forgot about that so need to go to the dealer at some point in the future to get a few of the right kinds of connectors. In the meantime, I just spliced it into the wire that goes directly to the key ignition. To splice it, I just removed some insulation on the big wire, cut the female spade off the end of the other two wires, stripped them, wrapped them around the big red and black wire, and then soldered and taped. 










Installing the shifter and linkage was very straight forward. Put it on the van the same way it came off. To set the side to side play, find a 10mm spacer and put it between the right side of the shift gate and the shift rod. Then wedge whatever you can on the other side to hold the shift rod against the right side spacer. These paintbrush handles I had in my garage were exactly 10mm in width. Worked perfectly.










Here is the manual pedal cluster bracket. 









You need to remove the clutch master cylinder, hydraulic line, clutch pedal, clutch pedal spring, and all the cruise control hoses and valves. In the pic below, remove the clips holding the pins in and the pins will push out. One pin is for the clutch and brake pedals, the other is for the clutch master cylinder. 










All cars have holes in the firewall for the clutch fluid hose and for the hydraulic line. Just have to remove the rubber blocker grommets to expose the holes. Here is the new clutch master cylinder connected and ready to be bolted in.









That's all for tonight. Not much left to do assuming all else goes well. I'm hoping to wrap up the job and take it for a victory lap tomorrow.


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## jets (Oct 12, 2005)

Did you check the clutch pedal bracket for any cracks? I don't know if the LHD van suffer from the same problem as RHD but there is a guy on the T4 Forum that does a changeover service for the bracket. There was also an extended warranty by VW in the UK but not in Oz. Some owners had them replaced with new ones only to fail again in 12 months.[VW didn't improve/modify the bracket] The changeover that is done by Windwelder [forum member]as well as repaired is strengthened to prevent it breaking again.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I didn't know about that issue; thank's for mentioning it. I'll make sure to take a look at the bracket today when I am in there finishing up the pedal cluster work.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> I didn't know about that issue; thank's for mentioning it. I'll make sure to take a look at the bracket today when I am in there finishing up the pedal cluster work.


Pretty sure that was a RHD issue only from what I've read but good to check anyway.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The van is back on the road and everything works. Started up on the first try. 

The good news is that the wiring was just as simple as I thought it would be. Really all you have to do is remove the PNP relay and connect the two red/black stripe wires to circuit 50. That's all there is to it. 

I haven't done the cruise control yet so I'll post an update when I do. It should only take a few minutes. There are still some odds and ends I need to tie up. 

I didn't take many pictures of the last round of work since it was just putting stuff back together again (bolting driveshafts in, filling with coolant, re-connecting coolant hoses). But I did take a few and will post them along with any notes I have later (including the pedal assembly stuff which was a total PITA). I have about three weeks worth of stuff to do around the house that this project caused me to neglect. I think there is mold growing in the kitchen somewhere and the grass is like 3' tall. 

All told I'd say I probably have about four or five solid eight hour days into the swap.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

So you went with the .658 5th gear? What's your revs on the highway now and at what speeds?

Nice job on getting the van going.:thumbup:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Thanks Matt! I haven't had it on the highway yet.... just got it up to like 45 or 50 on a rural street near my house. RPMs were low, but still in the powerband of the engine. The RPM drop from 4th to 5th isn't bad either... I was a little worried about this. 

I'll get it out on the highway sometime this week and when I do, I'll reply with RPMs at 55, 65, and 75mph.


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## Rob C (Jun 19, 2001)

Great write up! I'd be curious to know if your shiftboot stays connected to the floor. Mine is constantly popping off the floor. I don't know if I'm missing something or if that's a normal problem. (Mine was originally an auto also).


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Rob C said:


> Great write up! I'd be curious to know if your shiftboot stays connected to the floor. Mine is constantly popping off the floor. I don't know if I'm missing something or if that's a normal problem. (Mine was originally an auto also).


Hah, I had the same thing happen the first time I tried. Since then I read the Bentley description and discovered I put it together incorrectly. I'm actually about ready to go out and re-install the "right" way. I will let you know if it stays on.

Hey, you didn't by chance used to live in Beaverton/Aloha area did you (back in the 90's)? Knew a guy named Rob there many years ago who I imagine would have the same list of cars you do now.


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## Rob C (Jun 19, 2001)

Ignore the arrow on the boot?  I did that too; Unfortunately it didn't matter on mine. Hopefully it will work for you. Please keep me updated.

Sorry, I've never lived in Beaverton area.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Ok so the boot is on, tight, and I really don't think it will come off. 

So here is the shift box bolted to the floor. Notice that rubber flappy thing. That's not attached to the shift box. It's a rubber gasket with a lip. It's supposed to sit like this, lip down. The first time I tried to install it, I tried putting it on the bottom side of the car with the lip sticking up through the opening in the floor. Then I bolted the box in place but it didn't seem right. Looked in the Bentley and sure enough, it goes on TOP. So it seems you just bolt the box in place and when finished, slide the gasket down until it stops. I guess the pressure from the plastic cover piece that goes on next holds it down and is what it seals against? Still seems crazy to me but that's what ETKA and the Bentley show. 

This pic shows the BACK of the shifter box, and you can see the lip. Notice the square hole in the back of the box. There is one on the front side too. 









Now you put the plastic trim piece down. It has two tabs (circled) that lock into the square holes of the shift box picture above. This piece has the text "Vorn" on it which means front.... AKA, "this side forward." Also note the plastic tubes that fit over the ends of the bolts that bolt the shift box to the car and stick up from the floor. The locking tabs shown in the first picture lock very nicely into the square holes of the shift box and it really keeps the unit together. You may have to push down hard to get it to engage.









Even the ugly rubber "bellows" (as VW likes to call them) that goes on over the top of this trim piece has a front, and if you don't install it that way, it will look like it will work but it won't. There's that "vorn" again:






































Well that's about it. I hooked up the cruise control tonight but it isn't working. Could be a million things but I was in there pulling and forcing a lot of wires around so it is going to take some time to find out if everything is connected properly and then start testing individual components. I tested both the clutch and brake vent valves for function and they both passed, so that aside, I need to test the button on the stalk, the vac pump in the engine compt, and the computer for it along with all the wires. It was working before the swap so has to be something simple that I just knocked loose or forgot to hook back up. Once I get it working, I'll post detailed instructions on the cruise control portion of the conversion work.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Oh yeah, almost forgot to report back on the highway RPMs.

2250RPM @ 55MPH
2750RPM @ 70MPH

Can drive in 5th gear at low RPM on most 2 and 4 lane boulevards at ~45mph and be at around 1700RPMs which is very nice. Even down that low, it still has enough torque to handle many hills. 

So far I am happy I went with the .658 gear set.


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## Rob C (Jun 19, 2001)

Very interesting! I made the same mistake you did and put that first piece in from the bottom! I don't want to take that all back out.... but I do want it right. Ugh. Did you have to take the linkage loose from the trans to get the shifter down far enough to remove that piece?


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> Oh yeah, almost forgot to report back on the highway RPMs.
> 
> 2250RPM @ 55MPH
> 2750RPM @ 70MPH
> ...


Cool...thanks for the info. Mine at an indicated ~72mph (actual 65mph by my GPS, thank you VW for crazy speedo error!) turns 3500rpm in 5th. So it's a good 750rpm drop more or less on the freeway then.

I'm actually curious too how the even taller .622 5th gear would run...like about ~2600 rpm at 70mph?

I really am bugged by the gearing on these vans....2, 3, and 4 aren't too bad, but 1 and 5 are far too short. If I'm stopped facing downhill, I'll just release the brakes and roll to a few MPH and start off in 2nd which is like most cars' 1st gears. And cruising in 5th on the freeway...there's no good reason for it to spin like it does.:screwy:


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

And P.S....if you get the chance to take a long freeway trip with your van, I'd be interested in knowing your freeway MPG. The best I've done with mine is about 22mpg under pretty ideal conditions. Wondering how much that .658 improves MPG.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Rob C said:


> Very interesting! I made the same mistake you did and put that first piece in from the bottom! I don't want to take that all back out.... but I do want it right. Ugh. Did you have to take the linkage loose from the trans to get the shifter down far enough to remove that piece?


Hey Rob, making it right was actually really easy. Go under the van and remove the four bolts holding the shifter in place. Go back in the van and push down on the box. I was able to push it down about 1/2" to 3/4" which was enough to pull the gasket up and out, into the van. Then I went back under the van, smeared some silicone around the mating surface with my finger, and bolted it back in. No linkage disconnection required. Then re-install the rest of the pieces and you're done. The whole process only took like 15 minutes.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I hear you about the RPMs Matt..... VW seems to love to gear all their cars super low. I once read this was for "engine elasticity", AKA, so you don't have to down-shift to pass people on the highway etc. That's great and all but I'd rather downshift on occasion than run high RPMs full time.

I'll let you know about MPG but I never get very good economy in my van. I average about 17mpg on the highway, but everyone drives 70+ around here, and I often have a lot of stuff on the roof when I travel distances. Plus I drive it most in the dead heat of summer with the A/C on full which kills mileage as well. It isn't a tune-problem because it passes a smog test with flying colors.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> I once read this was for "engine elasticity", AKA, so you don't have to down-shift to pass people on the highway etc. That's great and all but I'd rather downshift on occasion than run high RPMs full time.


Agreed. It's a minivan fer crying out loud, not a sports car. Get in the right lane, set the cruise control, and cruise (QUIETLY!). An occasional downshift to 4th would be rare. Besides with the torque band of this motor, there's plenty of lower-end grunt; don't need to be way up there.



djnibler said:


> I'll let you know about MPG but I never get very good economy in my van. I average about 17mpg on the highway, but everyone drives 70+ around here, and I often have a lot of stuff on the roof when I travel distances. Plus I drive it most in the dead heat of summer with the A/C on full which kills mileage as well. It isn't a tune-problem because it passes a smog test with flying colors.


OK. But I guess even just a before/after change (+1mpg? +2mpg?) would be nice to know.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

gti_matt said:


> OK. But I guess even just a before/after change (+1mpg? +2mpg?) would be nice to know.


Yeah, I will def provide that. I'm fairly consistent at ~ 17mpg with a combination of city/highway so after I burn another full tank of gas, I'll report back.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Cruise control is sorted out now. I should have looked at the wiring diagram before assuming everything was the same. 

On manual trans cars, the cruise control computer gets power from a connector on the back of the fuse box which is protected by a fuse. On cars with automatics, it gets it from the PNP relay and I'm guessing the PNP relay only sends it power when the car is in drive. Also, on automatic cars, one wire goes to the transmission computer. I didn't want the cruise control system talking to the transmission computer and since the car doesn't have an automatic in it anymore, I removed the transmission computer today. Since I removed the PNP relay, I had to wire power to the cruise control computer. 

To get power to the cruise control computer, simply join the two wires shown in the pic below. The wire in the left just terminates in that grey plug with nothing connected to it. The wire on the right goes into the back of the PNP relay block. You can just cut the wires and splice them together. I use solder when doing this so they stay connected forever. 









So on to the other mods you need to do. This is the manual transmission van pedal cluster bracket after I robbed the pedals. You can see the diaphragm on the right connecting to the throttle pedal. Then you can see a vac hose that connects it to two black valves and then the vac hose ends. The valves are vent valves and also sensors. When you press in the brake or clutch, they send a signal to the CC computer to let it know to turn the cruise off. In addition, they instantly vent all vac going to the diaphragm which makes the accelerator pedal back all the way off. 

To make this work, you need to:
1. Screw the vent valve into the hole in your pedal cluster bracket above the clutch, and adjust it so when the clutch pedal is all the way up, the button on the vent valve is pressed all the way in. 
2. The brake pedal for the manual is a different shape and you'll need to screw the vent valve for the brake pedal in a bit so it is pressed all the way in. It's a pain because it's hard to get to but removing the brake light switch directly below it helps. The brake light switch comes out with just a 90 degree twist. The vent valves both screw into a metal bushing. This metal bushing can't be removed without breaking it so you will need a new one. The part number is 431721283B. 
3. Swap your vac lines for the vac lines off the donor car (since the donor car has both vent valves where as your van has only one). 
4. Wire the vent valves. It's easy. Use the harness off the donor car (shown below). Your car has only one connector. You need to splice in the connector for the other. The simply way is to just cut your connector off. Now you have two wires. Connect one wire to one end of the donor harness and the other wire to the other end of the donor harness. Plug the plugs into the vent valve and you are done. 
5. Deal with the power wiring as explained at the top of this post. Also probably disconnect the TCU (I did but not 100% sure you have to do this). 

Here is the harness for the vent valves:









That's all there is to it.

Next up, reverse lights.


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## Mk1Madness (Nov 8, 2009)

Skimming through this but didn't see. Is there a 5 speed swap possible for a 2001 24V VR6?


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Mk1Madness said:


> Skimming through this but didn't see. Is there a 5 speed swap possible for a 2001 24V VR6?


You need an 02G trans (sorry, EU only) from a European T4 Multivan/Caravelle VR6. The above 02B trans from a 5-cylinder 2.5 gas or 2.4D Eurovan will not bolt up.

T4 VR6 manuals across the pond are rare though. But I think the 02G trans was also used in the 2.5 TDIs over there and they should be somewhat plentiful.


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## Rob C (Jun 19, 2001)

I got under my EV last night and found that I didn't put that rubber flappy thing on the bottom, I simply don't have it! I hope that's still available from VW.... Thanks again!


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## Mk1Madness (Nov 8, 2009)

gti_matt said:


> You need an 02G trans (sorry, EU only) from a European T4 Multivan/Caravelle VR6. The above 02B trans from a 5-cylinder 2.5 gas or 2.4D Eurovan will not bolt up.
> 
> T4 VR6 manuals across the pond are rare though. But I think the 02G trans was also used in the 2.5 TDIs over there and they should be somewhat plentiful.


Thanks, I knew there was something over there. Ill hit up the EU club members.:thumbup:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Rob C said:


> I got under my EV last night and found that I didn't put that rubber flappy thing on the bottom, I simply don't have it! I hope that's still available from VW.... Thanks again!


Part number is 701711136 and is only $13 from the dealer. 

If the flap is just missing, that won't explain why your shift boot base isn't staying put. Did you check to see if the tabs in the base are locking into the slots in the shift box and that the base is facing forward?


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## Rob C (Jun 19, 2001)

I found a rubber flappy thing last night and installed it. You are right, it didn't help.  

The tabs on the base that lock into the slots on the shift box needed to be bent in so that the snap into the slots. I gently did that last night. It seemed more solid last night but we'll see how long it lasts......

Thanks for your help!


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Finally received the correct metal coolant pipe and installed it last night. Part number is 074121065Q. There are none in the country and the one I got came out of Canada. The electric coolant after-run pump mounts to the new pipe differently than the old (I say this because there is a big bracket on the new pipe that the old one didn't have and you might think you have the wrong pipe just looking at it). 

All I have left to do now is wire up the reverse lights.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Still haven't gotten around to the reverse lights. It's going to be easy but I hate running wires.

Updating because I finally finished my first full tank on the manual transmission. Unfortunately it is all city miles, but I got exactly 18mpg which is 2 more than I got with the automatic. Now that I've gotten better at knowing when to shift the van with it's unique ratios (and skipping some gears if I'm not going up a hill or don't need to accelerate quickly), I think I can probably get 19. Not sure when my next highway trip will be but whenever it happens, I'll post the economy here.

The van does fine with the tall 5th gear around town. I find I drive around in 5th on 45mph streets all the time and even though the RPMs are low, the van has plenty of torque to pull through the kind of minor inclines you typically encounter. A real hill will result in a slow decrease of speed (especially if the A/C is on and you have a couple people in the van) but often you can make it up the hill before the RPMs get so low that the engine starts to lug and continue on in 5th. If you have to down shift to 4th, it isn't a big jump at all. 4th to 5th is really like 3rd to 4th from an RPM jump standpoint. The bottom line is that my fear of constantly rowing between 4th and 5th is gone. I haven't ever needed to downshift to 4th on the highway. If going over a very steep mountain I suspect I will though.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

18mpg is pretty good. I get a little more than 18 in mixed-ish driving with my '93 5-speed.

Regarding gear ratios, they are stupid short (and close). I find that if I'm facing downhill, or barely moving, I skip 1st and start off in 2nd. 1st is a total waste of time in those conditions.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Yeah I have taken to doing the exact same thing by starting out in second wherever possible. 2nd in the van is like 1st gear in a normal car. I will say though, that the driveway at the dog park I go to is so steep that I can't make it up in 2nd and have to use first so I am glad it's there for those times.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Some pics showing RPM at various speeds with the taller 5th gear set. 45mph @ 1800rpms.... you can see how frequently you use 5th around town even with the taller gear ratio.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Nice...thanks for the pics.:thumbup:

Love the gear indicator too.:laugh:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Hah, yeah. The instrument cluster from the donor van had already been sold so I couldn't get the non-automatic style tach. Oh well.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

With a stiff cross wind, 400 miles at 70mph cruise control the whole way got me 23.3 mpg. Still having an issue with hesitation so hoping i can get another mpg or two once thats fixed. Will update mpg on return trip.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> With a stiff cross wind, 400 miles at 70mph cruise control the whole way got me 23.3 mpg. Still having an issue with hesitation so hoping i can get another mpg or two once thats fixed. Will update mpg on return trip.


That's promising although I would be thrilled if 25mpg was possible.

At least for mine, I kinda cringe on cold mornings when I get on the freeway and the engine is still fairly cold and yet I have to keep up with traffic and the motor is seemingly screaming away at 3500rpm.:banghead:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The second tank only got 20.5mpg. I ran the A/C for 1/3 of the trip, which definitely contributed to some of that. And maybe the cross-wind I had on the way down was more of a crossing-tailwind? I did stop several times for 15+ minutes and had it idling with the front and rear A/C on full blast. And lastly, I used different pumps for all of the fill-ups and since they all vary in their click-off sensitivity, that means there is room for error there too. Trip down had much cooler temps than the trip back (40 degree temps vs 70 degree temps). So averaged out, I was at 22mpg @ 70mph cruise control for ~800 miles. I should add that I had two adults, their luggage, and a 150lb dog. Might have done a little better with less weight. 

To your point Matt, I have NO doubt 25 is possible. 70mph is fast for the brick-van. I would bet easing down to 60 or 65 would probably increase another 1-2mpg. Slowing down for up-hill stints and speeding up for down-hills like the truckers do will help too. Bumping the air pressure in the tires a tad, advancing the timing a couple degrees, and adding an air damn to the front bumper would help too. And of course, I still have that misfire/hesitation issue to resolve which may get me up to better numbers.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> To your point Matt, I have NO doubt 25 is possible. 70mph is fast for the brick-van. I would bet easing down to 60 or 65 would probably increase another 1-2mpg.


Here's the million-dollar question though...what was your actual speed? Have you verified your speedometer via GPS or some other device?

On my van, the speedometer is very optimistic. An indicated 72-ish MPH is actually about 65mph via GPS.

If you were going 70mph according to the speedo and if your speedo is as optimistic as mine, sadly you really were going about 63mph already.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

That's a really good point. The only reference I have is the automated speed warning signs that have radar speed detection in them. @ about 50mph, they show me going about 3 mph slower than I'm really going. So the indicated 70 is probably closer to 65.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

I had a Tom Tom portable GPS that I used which shows my calculated speed and so I'd just set the cruise control on an even stretch of highway and compared the speedometer to the GPS to figure out roughly how far it was off.


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## EV99 (Nov 27, 2009)

djnibler said:


> After some more research and testing, I have discovered the following:
> 
> There is no pilot bearing/bushing for the 02B manual transmission.
> 
> There is a bushing pressed into the end of the crankshaft for vans with an automatic transmission. You can see it here in this pic (the bushing is more oxidized than the crankshaft):


Actually here is the end of a MT crank from a 93 EV


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I have confirmed that there is no pilot bearing or pilot bushing for the 4 or 5cyl engines hooked to the 02B transmission. 

Could it be the pic you posted is from another engine/transmission combination?


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## GreenEuro (Jan 4, 2014)

There was a pilot bushing pressed into my '93 Manual trans donor van also, so that picture is correct. 
I struggled to carefully remove it from the crankshaft end, but learned that the 02B trans input shaft does not make contact with the crank bushing.
I figured that was why the bushing was not listed or available. 

There are two alignment bushings that are essential to the alignment/ mating of the engine and transaxle that are very important. I found this out the hard way.

I'd like to know if you are still pleased with the .658 5th gear now that more time has passed. 
I'm really trying to figure out which set to go with.
I live in the Pacific NW and cruise really good up the pass fully loaded in 5th gear. BUT...... that 5cyl is just screaming on the flats.

Great thread!! valuable to anyone tackling the essential upgrades of the early Eurovan.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

The following information is from a guy who has probably done more 5 speed EV conversions than anyone else in the world:

_The 02B EV 5spd trans does not utilize a pilot bearing in the crankshaft of the 5 or 4 cyl engine it is mated to. None is present in ETKA and none are available because it doesn't exist. All 02X series 5 and 6 spd transmissions (02A, 02B, 02J, 02M, etc.) do not use a pilot bearing to support the trans input shaft. The auto trans utilizes an alignment bushing for the auto trans input shaft and flex plate that is installed inside the crankshaft._

To answer your question about my being happy with the .658, yes, I am thrilled. It isn't too tall, for sure. That was my big concern, but I literally drive around the suburbs with it in 5th at 45mph ALL the time and it has plenty of power at the corresponding RPMs. On the highway, I have never had to downshift to 4th to get up a steep hill but I live in Georgia where a "mountain" is like 1,500 feet (kind of funny really). I'm sure that on a REALLY steep grade, I will have to downshift but I would have had to do that with the automatic anyway. If anything, I could deal with having an even taller 5th gear than what I have now to get the RPMs down on the freeway. I'd be happy with another 500rpm drop @ 70mph. But I think the drop from 4th to 5th might be a bit much if that were the case. 

So really I think the .658 is about perfect in this van, for a petrol engine. I'd do it over again in a heartbeat if I had another van.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

So you're pretty much thinking that the .658 is great but the even taller .622 probably wouldn't be a mistake either? I'm eyeing the .622 myself.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

My god...this place now lists a .592! 

http://www.darksidedevelopments.co....2c-02z-592-622-658-681-717-5th-gear-sets.html


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I would need to check the RPM difference between the 658 and 622 (don't have time at the moment to do the math) but I think the 622 would work great as well. The only thing I'd mention is that if you live around, or VERY frequently travel through very steep areas that you need to drive 55+mph on, then maybe not go with 622. But think about it like this..... if 99% of your driving is on flat or flatish roads, and you only go up steep highway hills once in a while, what's the problem with having to drive a little slower up the hill and downshift into fourth and have higher revs for a few minutes? In trade you are getting way less engine wear during 99% of your driving, way better economy, and way lower noise.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

gti_matt said:


> My god...this place now lists a .592!
> 
> http://www.darksidedevelopments.co....2c-02z-592-622-658-681-717-5th-gear-sets.html


Time to get out the calculator...... :banghead:


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

djnibler said:


> I would need to check the RPM difference between the 658 and 622 (don't have time at the moment to do the math) but I think the 622 would work great as well. The only thing I'd mention is that if you live around, or VERY frequently travel through very steep areas that you need to drive 55+mph on, then maybe not go with 622. But think about it like this..... if 99% of your driving is on flat or flatish roads, and you only go up steep highway hills once in a while, what's the problem with having to drive a little slower up the hill and downshift into fourth and have higher revs for a few minutes? In trade you are getting way less engine wear during 99% of your driving, way better economy, and way lower noise.


Yep that's what I'm figuring. It's not for towing but for cruising.

I'm betting this motor should pull fine on mild hills even at 2300rpm.



djnibler said:


> Time to get out the calculator...... :banghead:


I know huh?


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Oh thank goodness someone else did the hard part.
http://www.myturbodiesel.com/1000q/tire-wheel-gearing-calculator.htm

Using this as my starter data for US Eurovan specs:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/archives/lit/1993eurovanmedia/brochure/Page0006.jpg

.837 as delivered at 70mph is 3526 rpm (about right according to my tachometer at that speed) and using the 195-70-15 tires I have now on the van...

.658 (djnibler's gear) at that speed is 2772 rpm.

.622 (the one I've been eyeing) at that speed would be 2620 rpm.

.592 would be 2494 rpm.

At 45mph the .592 would be 1603 rpm....a bit low for my tastes if under load....would have to downshift to accelerate I think.

At 45mph the .622 would be 1684 rpm....a little better.

At 45mph the .658 would be 1782 rpm....good.

The .592 almost looks like it'd be a bit too tall for reality. .622 looks good for general cruising. .658 looks good if you really want a little extra insurance on a hill while still lowering revs.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Nice find..... 

Yeah I think 622 and 658 are the best options. I think 622 would probably be worth it.


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## njt1rider (Aug 19, 2013)

Do you have the part numbers for all the bushings in the shift linkage?


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

I don't but I could look them up for you if you need them. The easier way to do it is to just order the kits from euro-parts:
http://europarts-sd.com/shifterrepairkit-mt1992-1996-1.asp
http://europarts-sd.com/shifterrepairkit-mt1992-1996.asp


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## njt1rider (Aug 19, 2013)

Awesome links! I have never used that site. I was trying to fool around with the shoddy ETKA on vagcat.com... you are a lifesaver thanks!


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

njt1rider said:


> Awesome links! I have never used that site. I was trying to fool around with the shoddy ETKA on vagcat.com... you are a lifesaver thanks!


On europarts-sd, you usually can right-click on the photo and in the URL for the pic, they usually name each pic with the part number too.


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## GreenEuro (Jan 4, 2014)

I like using this Jim Ellis VW site for parts:
http://www.jimellisvwparts.com/show...1730&ukey_driveLine=8033&ukey_trimLevel=18859

Hopefully that link worked, I'm not very tech. I grab the part number from there and I like to buy from VW parts center:

https://www.vwpartscenter.net/


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

GreenEuro said:


> I like using this Jim Ellis VW site for parts


I sometimes use that too for part numbers. I find it hard to navigate though...somehow when I want to switch what I'm looking at I end up having to start all over, enter in the vehicle info again, etc.


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

That place is about 4 miles from my office. I usually use VAG-CAT to get part numbers and then buy from Jim Ellis. They usually have pretty good prices but the best I've found so far has been www.1stvwparts.com out of Washington state. 1stvwparts does charge a lot for shipping though (retail UPS ground rates), but sometimes their price is so low that even adding high shipping charges, the total comes out lowest.


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## SPF2006 (Jan 31, 2014)

This is a great write-up. Just went through this process last year. FWIW, after the conversion we ended up having to swap the throttle body from a manual van to resolve an intermittent but persistent stalling problem at idle -- problem appeared to be lack of a dashpot (controlling the descent to idle) which the auto trans throttle body does not have (nor does it have a mounting bracket for one). In the end we were able to make this work with the auto van's ECU, the manual van's throttle body, and with the TCU deleted.



djnibler said:


> *Current unknowns:*
> ECU. This is the biggest unknown for me right now. I’ve only found a couple of posts anywhere about this, none of it detailed, and much of it contradicting. Some say the ECU is different for Auto vs Manual and others say you can use the auto ECU in a manual conversion. One guy said you have to swap the throttle body because the throttle position sensor is different between auto and manual ECUs, and I believe the statement about the TPS being different is accurate, but I don’t know that the part about HAVING to swap it is correct; I think if you are swapping the ECU and wiring harness (using what you pull from the donor van), then yes, you would have to swap the TB and TPS…. But I think the TB/TPS setup for the automatic may work with the manual conversion.
> 
> Per the wiring diagram, there are only three wires that connect the ECU to the TCU and of them, two are bridged at the diagnostic connector which lead me to believe they just send/receive data when connected to a code-reader like a VAG-COM.
> ...


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## m_shea (Dec 23, 2004)

*Reverse lights*

Hi.
Did you ever get your reverse lights working? Any chance you took some pictures of the wiring you did?
This has been a huge help for me and my swap.
Thanks for all your work.

Mike


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Hi Mike, glad I could be of help to someone else! 

I never did hook up the reverse lights. Only because I have just been so busy with other things. 

It's very easy to do though. You just need to get a reverse light switch and a proper plug that fits into it (two wire plug). I think I got one at a junk yard but the dealer sells them too. If you get really stuck on this, I may be able to look up the connector part number for you but then you'll need to get the the terminals that fit into it as well. 

So get a connector and plug it into the reverse light switch which is on the transmission (probably came with it from the junk yard). The connector has two wires. Route them into the cabin near the fuse box and connect one of them to plug F, terminal 7, and one of them to plug F terminal 6. You are going to have to figure out which of the plugs on the back of the fuse box is plug F though. For vans with an automatic, F7 should have a black wire going into it. F6 probably won't have anything coming out of it so you'll have to insert a pin terminal in there. If you don't have the means or feel comfortable doing that, don't worry, all F6 does is provide key-on power (circuit 15 as VW likes to call it), so if you can find any other wire that gets power when the key is on, you can splice into that. 

To help you locate the F connector, here are some wire colors you should see going into it in the following locations:
F5 = Red with green stripe
F9 = Green with red stripe
F3 = blue
F7 = black
If you happened to have a wire coming out of F6, it would be black with a blue stripe. 

They changed some of the colors at certain dates so I can't be 100% certain with the above pinouts but they are probably accurate.


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Do u know where I can buy the mt shifter box that goes under the floorboard with the sound /heat insulation in it?


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Junk yard or dealer would be my suggestion.


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Neither have come thru for me


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

http://www.jimellisvwparts.com/show...1730&ukey_driveLine=8033&ukey_trimLevel=18859

Lower housing is 7D1711071A. Available from the dealer for $80.

The bottom trim ring bezel for the shifter isn't available in the US. So my advice on that is to go here: http://www.vagcat.com/ Create a free account, then click the "parts catalog" tab on the upper left. Click the "Transporter" link, then select your year and then select hand and foot levers and then the shift mechanism for manual gear box. You can then get the proper part numbers and google them. You should get hits for eBay Germany and eBay UK. You can order them from international sellers. 

To find in a junkyard in the USA, goto www.car-part.com. Search for a manual transmission for a '93 EV or whatever year you have. It will list all the junk yards that are in their database that have the transmission. This means they also have, or had the van. Start calling them up on the phone (starting with the ones closest to you) and ask them if the van is still there and if so, is the shifter available. Most will pull the parts for you and ship them to you. This is how I found my transmission and all the bits and pieces I needed for the swap including the pedal cluster, shifter, etc.


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Thx m8 this is valuable info


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## Titu1982 (Sep 22, 2015)

*wiring*

I'd like to thank you for taking the time to document everything. Without this I would never started my project on my 93 auto tr eurovan.
I found a local junkyard with a complete 93 EV with manual transmission. Started buying parts off of it than one day I asked the guy " how much for the transmission and everything I need for the conversion?'' The answer was $600  , I could't pass on it 

Printed out your list and gave it to the guy that worked on it. For $20 tip he made sure all bolts and nuts are saved.

Everything worked just like you described, the bushing in the crankshaft and the tool rental :beer:


before returning the engine to its place I did this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/351466916610?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151502214119?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Just like other EV this year, mine was no different I had a giant crack on the exhaust manifold. shipping took about a month from Germany. As you can see the price is very reasonable especially that the euro is almost same price as the dollar.


I have some questions about the wiring. I spliced and connected the wires just like you described but the car still won't start, cranks but no start.
I removed a spark plug and it looks completely dry, checked and there's no spark either. 

I couldn't figure out what to do with the small red and white wire, it's still connected. I only removed the relay and connected the two ticker wires + the little red that was attached to red/black.

Any suggestions?

Thank you 

Val


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Val, thanks for the kind words. Helping others is exactly why I took the time to post this up and hearing that it helped someone makes the time spent well worth it. 

Very smart to replace the manifold and down pipe. 

If the car cranks but doesn't start, then your issue is unrelated to the swap you just performed. The wiring modification I described simply allows power to be sent to the starter when the key is turned to the start position, so if it's cranking, you did that part right. If it is not firing up, there is a different issue. Some things that come to mind..... are you sure you plugged all engine connectors back in? Did you check all your fuses? Did you maybe unplug a relay on accident when you were working around the fuse box? Most likely, it's going to be something like that. 

If the above fails, I would start attacking it as if you didn't just do the conversion. No fuel or spark? Sounds like the ECU isn't plugged in or grounded, or the ECU isn't getting power from the ECU power supply relay (because maybe it was unplugged on accident?). Do you have the wiring diagrams? If not, let me know and I can send them to you. You can then start tracing power and grounds to the ECU.


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## Titu1982 (Sep 22, 2015)

*Found the problem!*

Thanks you again for your time! 

Taking your advice and tracing down few things found out that one of the wires got pushed back when I connected the harness to the Hall Effect Sender by the distributor :banghead:

Not an easy one to find. 

The van is running great, 148k miles. I love it even more with the 5 speed. So quiet with then new manifold, almost no engine sound at all inside the cabin. 
Unfortunately it failed the smog check(california) due to high Nox, changing oxygen sensor didn't do much. got a quote for catalytic converter $175 installed ( weld-on) Taking it in this Saturday.

Got some 16x8 s-class wheels that I'm planing to install, has some old 265/70r16 tires and fits. the rear needs a small spacer, rubbing a little ( we'll get front and back spacers). Any suggestions on spacer size? I've seen your ML wheels but can't find the site anymore.
I like the Yokohama Geolandars but people say they get noise so thinking of getting the Firestone Destination A/T. We need to drive quiet a bit on freeways here in LA to find some fire roads, noise would be an issue. 

Man, I learned a lot about this van. The 3 speed cooling fan was another challenge, I had 3 broken relays up front. (114 and two 98)
Resistors checked out fine. 

Best Regards, 

Val


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Hey guys just to update I ended up scoring that mt box from a German group buy.. I installed it a couple days ago... Sooo cool! Thx for your help

....inscribed with just a thumb


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

....inscribed with just a thumb


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## Titu1982 (Sep 22, 2015)

Nice. I want one.

Do you have the part number by any chance ?


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## filmshoot (Jan 7, 2015)

Custom made on t4forum.de. the oem part number is floating around somewhere but they are unavailable oem

....inscribed with just a thumb


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## Titu1982 (Sep 22, 2015)

Hello gentleman,
Please help with vacuum hose pictures. Brake pedal is har but the brakes have no stopping power. I have nothing connected to the brake booster check valve. The car has no cruise controller. 
Small hose goes from intake to a splitter than down to fuel valve and ecu. Larger hose goes from intake to booster (check valve in between )
Previous owner installed new pads and rotors, I did new master cylinder , replaced the booster. Flushed the system several times. 
If i adjust the proportioning valve to engage under no load the rear locks up pretty easy but it's scared me at a hard stop(rear started sliding and car was still going, obvious front brakes are not doing much) I set it back to normal.

Need to sort out the vacuum lines I think, ecu and fuel valve area lines.
Any hepl appreciated

Val


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## Ejspada (Apr 2, 2018)

Anyone have linkage pictures ?Your article has been awesome - do you have any pictures of the linkage hook up ?
I have the big ball at the end of the largest main piece of linkage and don’t know what or where it is supposed to hook to ?

Also - you mention something about the starter bushing in your article ? Is there something I have to do to my current manual trans to hook up the starter? I am purchasing a new manual starter so I assume it should just bolt up 

Thanks so much 
Eric


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Ejspada said:


> Anyone have linkage pictures ?Your article has been awesome - do you have any pictures of the linkage hook up ?
> I have the big ball at the end of the largest main piece of linkage and don’t know what or where it is supposed to hook to ?


Shift linkage? Here you go:


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

All these years later, I still have the van and it still drives great. No issues with the transmission, the 5th gear set, or the swap. Just thought I would check-in with an update. Very happy I did the swap.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

Great to hear!

How is the .658 doing? (That's what you got, right?) Is it "just right" or if you had to do it again, would you go .622?


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## djnibler (Aug 5, 2005)

Hey, the .658 is great and I would do it again for sure - it's just right. I think .622 would be a bit too high. As it is, the car doesn't have much guts on the highway for steep hills. Not that it ever did before the swap, but I just think .622 would be problematic. I can get up 98% of highway hills with the A/C on without having to shift into 4th. I lose some speed depending on how steep the hill is, causing me to need to be in the right lane because I am going a little slower than some of the traffic around here (most traffic here drives 80-90mph).


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## Josh_wa (May 15, 2017)

I'm in the PNW. I ran a .717 for a long while and would not consider going lower than that. I think .756 would be ideal. There are just too many significant hills around this region to consider flatland friendly sub .700 gearing.


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## abgrace (May 21, 2021)

This is an incredible guide and I can't give enough thanks to djnibler putting it all together. My pandemic project was this very same swap and all is running great in my 93 Westy Weekender, largely thanks to this detailed writeup. I also put in a taller fifth and encountered many of the same issues you talk about here. Without this writeup I definitely wouldn't have been able to complete the swap. So thank you for taking the time!

We're getting ready for a big western camping trip and I'm trying to sort my cruise control. And here is the one place where my van is slightly different. I've finished all the physical parts of the cruise control – the addition of a clutch vacuum actuator and the wiring at brake and clutch switch – but my problem is getting the cruise control power. You show the steps to join a wire coming off the back of the PNP relay to a wire that dead-ends on the back of a grey plug. Problem is, I don't have that grey plug and therefore can't locate this wire. I've inspected the wiring harness looking for any indication of where it could be, but it just doesn't appear to be there. I have the Bentley, but the wiring diagrams are like reading Sanskrit for me. So my question, if anyone might be able to help, is where does that wire live if not in the grey plug? Is there another suitable connection that could be made to give power to the cruise control computer? I have not yet taken out my transmission computer if that's any help. 

Thanks in advance, and thanks, again, to the OP for this incredibly detailed writeup.


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## gti_matt (Oct 9, 1999)

MPGs improved on the highway and doing well?


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## EVenture (Jul 16, 2019)

Hi DJ, Great writeup on the AT to MT swap! Thanks to your documentation, I'm 99% done with my conversion on my 95 EV Camper, and I want to know if you had to use the ECU from the MT or did you keep the ECU from the AT? Did the TB/TPS setup for the AT work with the MT? And did you leave the TCU plugged in or have to do remove the Multifunction switch? Anything else on the wiring? And are you happy with the conversion? Thanks! Tom


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## jsan0001 (2 mo ago)

Amazing thread! Big thanks to DJ >>> 

Tom - did you figure out if you need to keep the ECU originally for the Auto or did you need to swap out with a different one that was set up for a Manual?


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## jsan0001 (2 mo ago)

Extremely helpful to get some amazing insights from this thread. 

Curious if anyone has any recommendations for a shop (we're pretty flexible on distance, but ideally in the northwest - south BC, Washington, Oregon) that could do the swap? We have a manual trans kit we can order, but we understand this conversion has some curveballs so looking for someone with experience.

Thanks so much


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## jsan0001 (2 mo ago)

djnibler said:


> Cruise control is sorted out now. I should have looked at the wiring diagram before assuming everything was the same.
> 
> On manual trans cars, the cruise control computer gets power from a connector on the back of the fuse box which is protected by a fuse. On cars with automatics, it gets it from the PNP relay and I'm guessing the PNP relay only sends it power when the car is in drive. Also, on automatic cars, one wire goes to the transmission computer. I didn't want the cruise control system talking to the transmission computer and since the car doesn't have an automatic in it anymore, I removed the transmission computer today. Since I removed the PNP relay, I had to wire power to the cruise control computer.
> 
> ...


any one know part number for this connector? Don't have a donor van, and this one is a PITA to find.


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