Hang the engine from above. You will need to tilt the front down to get the
tranny out. Be sure to disconnect the small hoe at the top of the thermostat
housing and possibly the one from the right head to that manifold. Being
able to turn the rear wheels will make removing the CV joint bolts easier.

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
pickle vanagon
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 2:55 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: dropping tranny to do clutch

It seems I've lost my clutch... can't really shift gears unless both the
engine and vehicle are stopped or if they're both moving.  (It feels like it
hasn't failed 100% yet, but something has gotten really bad really fast).
Hydraulics look and feel fine, so I guess I'm dropping the tranny.  I got a
Sachs clutch kit---might as well change the clutch even if its just the
bearing.

Anyways, any tips on doing this, other than following the manual?  I'm
planning on renting a transmission jack to make things go easier.

Should I be able to get away with having just the rear of the van on ramps?
I don't have a way of supporting all 4 wheels that I feel good about (all
jack stands and ramps I've ever seen warn that they are only suitable to
lift one end of the vehicle while the other is on the ground.)  Also... I
was planning on supporting the engine on jack stands when I drop the
transmission... any better ideas?

Thanks!!!
Wes