2005-2010 VW Jetta Golf Rabbit MK5 2.5 Manual Transmission Removal Clutch & Flywheel Conversion Tips

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 VW Jetta Golf Rabbit

MK5 2.5 Manual Transmission - 5 Speed - Tips on how to remove and replace the Manual Transmission, Clutch and Flywheel Conversion.

This is a basic overview of what to expect when replacing the manual transmission on a 2005-2010 VW Jetta, Rabbit or Golf 2.5. These 5 speed transmissions are known to have problems if they are driven hard or raced.

When these transmissions are power shifted, they come apart inside and knock a hole in the case behind the clutch, leaking gear oil out of the transmission case and causing the clutch to slip.

This video also applies to Diesel Jetta's and Golf's. They have the same exact transmission (except fitted with taller gear ratios) and bell housing pattern as the 2.5 gas 5 cylinder Jetta's and Golf's. They also have the same size cv axle flanges.

Additional Video Notes:

1. To quickly remove the flywheel, a low power electric impact can be used with the corresponding triple square. I used a snap-on electric impact and it worked great. Use a VW/Audi flywheel lock to hold the flywheel in place when reinstalling the flywheel and torque to spec. These flywheel locks are available on Amazon, Ebay, Google etc.

2. The Subframe does not need to come out of the car in order to remove the transmission. It can remain in place.

3. The sway bar links are often rusty and over torqued, and will need special care to remove. They need to be removed from the bottom in order to get the cv axles out on both sides.

4. The cv axles will come out without having to remove the ball joints or touching the alignment. Make sure the outer axle bolts are removed on both sides, and turn the steering wheel all the way out on the side you are working on. This will allow you enough room to slip the axle out without unbolting the front suspension. Simply unbolt at the cv flanges, lift the axle up in the air, and then pull it away from the spindle.

5. The transmission is a carryover unit from the 2.0/diesel MK4 Jetta's and Golf's. It is almost identical to the 02J transmission. The only difference is, the mounting points for the shifter bracket are different, and the MK5 does not have the speed sensor on it (MK5 calculates speed through abs sensors). IMO, the original stock MK5 transmission is not made for the extra weight and torque of the MK5 2.5 VW's.

6. MK5 5 speed transmissions are hard to find! They are usually picked up very quickly at the u-pull its, and are very expensive to purchase on ebay. They usually cost between $900-$1700 on ebay. This is due to many of these transmissions failing early due to the weak design. Mk6 5 speed transmissions can also be used, but are also hard to find. They can be found on the MK6 2.0 models.

7. A MK4 transmission can be made to work in a MK5, but it is not recommended. The shift cable bracket will need to be modified in order for it to work, and the gear ratios will be incorrect. A MK6 transmission would be a better alternative if no Mk5 transmission is available.

8. A Bentley, Haynes or Chilton Manual are highly recommended for this job. They all contain valuable reference material as well as all of the torque specs that will be needed to put everything back together. They can all be found on Amazon or Ebay.

9. When the cv axle flanges are removed in order to remove or install the transmission, some gear oil will be lost. The total gear oil capacity of the transmission is 1.9 Liters. It can be topped off by adding some gear oil through the switch at the top of the transmission. Remove the switch with a 22 mm socket, and using a siphon tube, add the proper amount of gear oil to the transmission.