Itinerant Air-Cooled

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Pretty easy fix, unless something is actually broken in there. In order for that shaft to pull out, a circlip had to come off, a
splined sleeve had to be pushed back, and the shaft turned backwards many many revolutions to unscrew a stud. It's
hard to visualize what could have done that. Or maybe something just snapped. Anyway, just take off the clutch housing
and have a look. The Bentley Transmission and Rear Axle chapter, section 6.1 gives the removal procedure, and of course
assembly is just doing removal backwards. You'll need a transmission gasket kit (for the clutch housing) and probably a new
input shaft seal. Make sure the pressed-in oil return sleeve on the inside of the clutch housing is not too damaged.

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That thing may have been on there for over thirty years. If not, it may have been "glued" to the trans case
with some sort of sealant, instead of just the gasket. There are two fat locating dowels between the trans case
and clutch housing, just like between engine case halves, you can see them from the inside of the clutch housing
and I am sure they would benefit from a dousing of penetrating oil or something. Yes, it can be a real test of
patience getting that thing off.

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chachi wrote:thank you. you may be "new here" but you sure are helpful.

(Ah yes...New to a forum doesn't mean new to the forum's focus subject. Post count means nothing.)
I hope the shaft didn't snap, but it possibly did because, as he said, it is supposed to be attached in there pretty good.
If the shaft did break from pulling the engine, it was likely ready to break down on the road in my opinion. I do not know what it would take to replace the shaft, but I hear good things about Rancho VW transmission rebuilds if it gets too complicated.
You may also try heat from a heat gun or hair dryer on the cover to expand it and loosen the old sealant/gasket. Gentle heat, tapping with a rubber mallet, and patience almost always work. Good luck.

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chachi wrote:it's like a zen koan now. every couple of days i go down to the basement and whack on the thing, spray a little more pb blaster, whack some more...the koan goes unanswered.

Something is not right here. Did you count a full ten nuts and ten studs?
Colin

Life is short ... . If I were in your shoes, I'd go get one of my thinnest spackle/putty knives and, starting at the top joint, gently tap
it in, and continue on until the damn clutch housing comes loose. This is how I remove heavy-as-hell cast iron sinks that have been
tightly glued down to a counter surface. Just make sure all the hardware has been undone, and don't try to tap the knife thru
the steel dowels, 'cuz it'll just mess up your knife. I doubt the case/housing will be nicked up very much. There are some things that
pb blaster just won't dissolve.

kreemoweet wrote:Life is short ... . If I were in your shoes, I'd go get one of my thinnest spackle/putty knives and, starting at the top joint, gently tap
it in, and continue on until the damn clutch housing comes loose. This is how I remove heavy-as-hell cast iron sinks that have been
tightly glued down to a counter surface. Just make sure all the hardware has been undone, and don't try to tap the knife thru
the steel dowels, 'cuz it'll just mess up your knife. I doubt the case/housing will be nicked up very much. There are some things that
pb blaster just won't dissolve.

Respectfully disagree here . . . Aluminum/magnesium finely engineered mating surfaces are no cast iron sink glued to a counter. Assuming you have an engine out at the same time, I would rebolt the bell housing to the engine with all separating nuts duly off and accounted for. Now you have some push points between the crankcase and the differential reinforcement ribs.
Colin

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Ya sure that stud isn't broken off? It's a 7 mm stud about an inch long (as I recall), with matching tapped holes in the ends of the
front and rear sections of the input/main shaft. I don't know how else the mainshaft could have come apart if the circlip is still in place.
I don't think it will screw in much more than half its length into each shaft. I'd get it out and check/clean-up the threading in the shafts.
Check the splines on the shafts and inside the reverse drivegear.

To reassemble: Take circlip out of its groove and slide back as far as possible on shaft. Screw stud about half way into end of input shaft. Slide on reverse drivegear. Screw other end of stud
into end of mainshaft, holding reverse drivegear back just far enough so it doesn't mesh with reverse gear. When input shaft contacts
mainshaft, back it off enough that reverse drivegear can be meshed with reverse gear, and slide all the way forward. Reinstall circlip in groove.

I'd be wondering why it all came apart in the first place.

kreemoweet wrote:Ya sure that stud isn't broken off? It's a 7 mm stud about an inch long (as I recall), with matching tapped holes in the ends of the
front and rear sections of the input/main shaft. I don't know how else the mainshaft could have come apart if the circlip is still in place.
I don't think it will screw in much more than half its length into each shaft. I'd get it out and check/clean-up the threading in the shafts.
Check the splines on the shafts and inside the reverse drivegear.

To reassemble: Take circlip out of its groove and slide back as far as possible on shaft. Screw stud about half way into end of input shaft. Slide on reverse drivegear. Screw other end of stud
into end of mainshaft, holding reverse drivegear back just far enough so it doesn't mesh with reverse gear. When input shaft contacts
mainshaft, back it off enough that reverse drivegear can be meshed with reverse gear, and slide all the way forward. Reinstall circlip in groove.

I'd be wondering why it all came apart in the first place.

kreemoweet,
Glad you got to this while I have been out of town!
Colin