Auto to Manual Conversion on a Mk2

[Golf Loon]

So have begun the conversion from tired sluggish auto to slick manual.

Just thought I`d document it a bit for anyone else who fancies a go at it.

Put the car up on stands

Got the auto box out eventually, those things are heavy.

Disconnected exhaust and undid the four bolts undr the shifter mechanism and ripped out the old cable shifter.

The Manual shifter machanism bolted straight in, support bracket fitted to boltholes on steering rack. Cheers VW.

Clutch bolted on, Manual Gearbox from a Mk2, but more recently a Mk1 fitted straight back on. Gearshift and linkages work. Cheers Golfwise.

Now I didn`t have a front engine mount or a Mk2 starter, so I cut the auto bracket to clear the manual box, retaining the boltholes to hold the starter on and used a Mk1 Starter.

The side engine mount on a Mk2 is in 2 pieces and I only had the top piece, so I used that and a spacer to raise the motor to the correct height. Bolted in pretty solid now.

Auto and Manual Driveshafts are the same. Hoorah.

Now the steering box and pedals.

Oh my God, the wires and the damn sheer bolts that VW attached the column with. Accursed German steel.

Finally got the column out, along with most of the dash. Tried tapping the bolts and eventually gouged them with a grinder and then they undid. Normal bolts going back in there methinks.

Pedals were a cow, but got the auto pedals out eventuall, remember it attaches to the brake booster and pedal.

Manual pedals went in nicely. A quick break to admire the third pedal in the car and back to it.

A Mk1 Clutch cable was pressed into service, although I did have to enlarge a hole in the raintray. I put a grommet in it, she`ll be right.
Damn, just found a Mk2 cable, ah well, next time. Clutch works, I`ll leave it alone.

Cut the end off the auto throttle cable and hooked it up to the carby linkage.

Car is still in the air, but I had it running and could engage the gears (and disengage) and make the CV shafts spin round. Hoorah.

Car has a mad miss, due to the HT lead I destroyed. Job for tomorrow.

Thats how it is today, close of play. Tomorrow need to put the dash back in and then put it back on its wheels.

[imported_brackie]

Good on ya, Matt. Fellow Golfers....Make it your goal in life to seek and destroy all automatic gearboxes and replace them with manuals. Seriously though, I once did a slmilar conversion on (of all things a Cortina) and it was a bitch. All credit to you, Matt.
Driving down to Launceston and back yesterday not for the first time I longed for a 5th gear!

[GoLfMan]

great job mate!!! fair effort. im itching to respray my 2 door and whack the carby on.

[Golfwise]

Loon great job you make it sound easy.
Good encouragement for others.
Those shear bolts are easy (read done lots) sharp chisel and a hammer then they undo by hand.
Good news about drive shafts oh I have a starter of course but you overcame that.Well done !

[Golf Loon]

Pics from yesterday

Inside with the column out finally. Normally easy with a chisel. These were bas*ards, have not been undone since the factory.



Wiring spaghetti is better than it looks.



Engine with mounts on and no radiator etc. Note my modified front mount.
Just the auto one with the side cut down and an elongated bolt hole.



Going back together now. Radiator was a biach and I tried 5 starters before I found a good one.

Today I tightened the driveshafts, and put the front suspension and wheels on. Car is on the floor.

Bodgeyed the auto cable and manual gear drive together. Took ages, put it in and the instruments and dashboard fascia. Then i found another speedo cable. Typical.

Had to buy a new HT lead as the one to the coil was pulled too hard in the move. Car starts but wont idle and has a mad miss.

Buggered around with the timing and idle adjustments, then realized that the big vacuum pipe had been split. A new pipe and the car runs.

Put her into reverse, went great out of the garage, every gear except 1st.

IT WORKS IT WORKS

Clutch feels nice, car revs great.

Tried to adjust the rod and it popped in, but split the plastic ball on the gear shifter. Goes nicely into 1st, but also reverse. Hmm. Job for another day. Wont matter to me, but the Mrs will probably kill the box with it like that.

Still needs retuning and some trim putting back on. Will road test tomorrow

[Golf Loon]

Had the carby on and off the car 3 times. Its finally right now.

Went for a burn up the road and the front mount has too much flex as the power steer pup hit the front subframe. Have put on a restraining bar for the moment, will get a different mount one of these days.

Not as fast as I hoped in 1st, but goes smoothly and the gearbox is very long legged, was doing 3000rpm at 120kms. The mount still has flex, so this will be eliminated with a new mount and car will go faster.

Few suspension clunks, but new lower springs are next, so will address that then.

Also reverse lights need hooking up. But not today.

Its nice to finally be able to get at the Mk1 in the garage and drive round in the Jetta.

[imported_brackie]

Gee...5th must be tall! Sounds like everything went pretty well. Toldya it would be the needle valve! You need to fix a few old lawnmowers then you'd learn all about them. It's the first place we old guys look as we know nothing about this fuel injection stuff.

[Golf Loon]

Yeah gotta take my mower apart soon. The 50 dollar victa truly is an australian dream.

[Anonymous]

The worst part of doing this is pulling the old Auto out. I did a M2 Jetta a few years ago, the main problem was collecting enough parts for the conversion. Well done Matt.

[Golf Loon]

Yup mate the parts came from everywhere, took me 4 months to get em together. Cheers to the Tassie crew for not throwing anything out. The mounts are the only thing non factory and they are simpler, more rugged and basically suited to Oz! Damn its satisfying dring the manual that was an auto!