Final Drive/Transmission Housing Oil Seal, Replacing

Front final drive to transmission housing seal, replacing





Special tools and equipment
^ VW681 Extractor lever
^ 3383 Double sealing ring installer
^ VAG1331 Torque wrench
^ VAG1332 Torque wrench
^ VAG1358 A Oil extraction unit

Additional information
A malfunctioning seal will allow ATF or gear oil to leak into the torque converter bell housing via the central breather in the seal (between the two sealing lips).
A malfunctioning seal will also allow ATF to enter the front final drive; this will then become over-filled and oil will leak out through the front final drive breather.

Removing
- Raise vehicle.
- Remove front wheels.





- Remove right-hand drive axle heat shield from wheel housing (arrows).
- Remove right-hand drive axle protective plate.
- Remove drive axles.





- Remove drive flange bolt (arrow) (use pin to prevent flange from turning).
- Draw oil out of front final drive using VAG1358 A oil extraction unit.
- Place container under transmission.
- Pull out right-hand drive flange.
- Remove right-hand transmission support.
- Remove bolts securing cover for front final drive, and remove cover.
- Pull out differential and remove.





- Remove tapered roller bearing outer race -1- for differential and shim -2- (behind outer race) from transmission housing by hand.
Shim -2- has a specific thickness and must not be replaced with another shim of different thickness.
- Remove left-hand drive flange.





- Pry out seal.
The seal extractor lever must be positioned behind the two sealing lips of the seal. Do not apply the lever to the outer circumference of the seal, as this would damage the sealing surface in the transmission. Guide the lever carefully when removing the seal.

Installing
- Examine seal seat in transmission for damage; reface surface if necessary.
Lightly lubricate outer circumference and sealing lip of seal with ATF.





- Push seal onto 3383 double sealing ring installer with protruding sealing lip on seal (arrow) facing toward tool.





- Drive new seal in up to stop.





- Install shim -2- and tapered roller bearing outer race -1- for differential up to stop in transmission housing by hand.





- Replace O-ring (arrow).
- Install differential in transmission housing.





- Install cover for front final drive.

Tightening sequence:
^ Stage 1: tighten bolts -1-, -2- and -3- hand-tight
^ Stage 2: tighten bolts -1- to -12- to specified torques in sequence indicated
- Install left-hand drive flange.
- Install right-hand drive flange.
- With transmission installed, check oil level in front final drive Differential Fluid - A/T





Tightening torques
Cover for front final drive to transmission housing: 23 Nm (17 ft. lbs.)
Bearing bracket for left-hand drive flange to transmission: 23 Nm (17 ft. lbs.)
Right-hand drive flange to transmission: 23 Nm (17 ft. lbs.)
Drive axle to transmission M10 bolt: 80 Nm (59 ft. lbs.)
Drive axle to wheel hub:
M14 bolt: 115 Nm (85 ft. lbs.) + 1/2-turn (180°)
^ Always replace
M16 bolt: 190 Nm (140 ft. lbs.) + 1/2-turn (180°)
^ Always replace
Protective plate above drive axles to transmission: 23 Nm (17 ft. lbs.)





- The same tightening torques are used for the right-rear (illustration) and left-hand transmission mounts.
A - 23 Nm (17 ft. lbs.)
B - 40 Nm (30 ft. lbs.)
C - 40 Nm (30 ft. lbs.)
D - 10 Nm (7 ft. lbs.)