I haven't pulled the tranny or engine in my '88 Van but a cracker-jack
mechanic here did, and he nailed two 2x4's together that spanned the
engine hatch, and slung a chain underneath to support the engine.

Someone on the list posted pics once showing a saw horse mounted over
the hatch with a come-a-long mounted to it to support the engine. Doing
it that way provided a means to lift or lower the engine just enough to
have wiggle room if needed. Same method could be used to drop the engine
gently as well

John Rodgers

On 8/29/2012 7:20 AM, Paul Smith wrote:
> Well the diagnosis is in and the transmission needs to come out and go to
> AA Transaxle for a rebuild. I've found a reputable local mechanic who's
> done work on air cooled VWs in the past. He was surprised to hear that the
> vanagon did not require dropping the engine and transmission as a unit. I
> have my Bentley manual, which I'll leave with him. However, once again I
> turn to the list for any advice, tips, or things to watch out for. It seems
> to be a fairly straightforward procedure, but on a 23 year old vehicle,
> things are not always so straightforward.
> We don't have the VW tool for supporting the engine with the transmission
> out, I assume it's simplest to just leave it with a jack supporting that
> end.
> I'll be buying a clutch kit for when the transmission comes back. I believe
> the CV joints were replaced about 50k ago when the PO had a rebuilt engine
> installed - the boots are in very good condition and the bolts are the 12
> point type. I'll inspect, clean and repack (or replace if needed). What
> else should I look at to inspect/replace while the transmission is out?
> As always, thanks for any replies and insights from the list.
> Cheers - Paul
>