The Ad Said "IT JUST NEEDS..." The Ad Was Wrong

[@HumbleMechanic]

Use the code "humble" to save at Advance Auto! Now that we got the Cabrio running, we need to do a few more repairs to get her roadworthy!!!

[@lawnside82]

car adds kill me when they say " it was running when I parked it", "runs just fine. just needs a" (missing something that makes the car do anything)battery...or something soo small and cheep, wtf didn't they just replace it...wants $3k for a car but needs battery. just replace the $80 battery smh

[@Elektoos]

VR6 it 😬?

[@davidparker9676]

Why didn't you just remove the through-bolt on the outer ball joint to remove the axles? Its just one bolt and you don't change the alignment. Messing with the three smaller bolts is more work and just a waste of time if you aren't replacing the ball joints. Good luck on the project.

[@HumbleMechanic]

I thought the 020 mounted different from the 02a/02j. But I may be thinking of the automatic.

[@danparden8103]

Awesome video Charles!!

[@nikkojones2784]

My daughter's first car was a '97 Cabby. I recently suffered a stroke & talked my daughter through changing out the radiator in mom's '10 new beetle 2.5L vert. I'm so proud of her even taught her how to cut a slot across 2 of the damaged 3square bolts holding up the belly pan & impact them out with a flat blade tip. Thanks to you she's gonna change out the leaky vacuum pump next. Proud American working on cute over engineered German $hit : )

[@HumbleMechanic]

That’s awesome. Good on her! .

[@NoWr2Run]

GREAT JOB SIR & SORRY FOR THE HEALTH PROBLEMS.

[@paulsolovyovsky1702]

I feel you. Had my daughter replace a relay the cloth washer mainboard and saved me $600, thank god they still teach engineering in schools..

[@308-blackout]

Overengineered is an understatement😂 VW is still not as bad as mercedes Theyre built like youll never have to take them apart😂😂😂

[@fireerik]

@@308-blackout as a technician that primarily does foreigns, I HATE when I have to do anything on a Mercedes. I would do 2.0t head jobs all day over doing anything on a Benz

[@lawnside82]

" it just needs a speed sensor, I don't drive it any more, brought a new car..need to get rid of.. $5k...$4999.98 lowest ill take price firm. must sell. moving out the country. "

[@kennorcott7074]

I will say sometimes it’s genuine. I was told by the previous owner of my Saab that it just needed some dents and scratches looked at. And it turns out there was a huge dent in the front subframe lol

[@matf8436]

@@kennorcott7074 i didn't see that coming 😂😂😂

[@NoWr2Run]

@@matf8436 Same thing with the 97 ZJ that I bought, body work done, FRAME NOT SO MUCH.

[@danielcarter5579]

Lmfao haha depending on. The speed sensor on this thing it can be an issue had a vehicle speed sensor go on my vehicle and no speedo etc hard CEL

[@hironakirogawa1684]

Just changed the oil… fresh oil (meanwhile people don’t realize he’s put 17,800 miles on it and just got around to changing oil) 😆

[@grantkendrick277]

"I actually struggled more than I would have preferred to" Yeah, isn't that how it always goes? Story of my life.

[@schmuhf]

Love to see this older, more basic model on this channel. R32 turbo is nice and all, but I can relate more to this one. Not only because mine will need a clutch soon :P

[@danpatterson8009]

My favorite was the ebay seller who said the doodad he was selling "needs batteries, don't know if it works or not". When I asked why he didn't just put batteries in and find out, he replied that he "couldn't".

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahha the hell?

[@jimamizzi1]

When I come across this I automatically low ball them because it’s classed as a non runner,

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

Yep. Untested always means tested and broken

[@VndNvwYvvSvv]

@@jimamizzi1 "Ran when parked" = doesn't even start.

[@scottinWV]

@@VndNvwYvvSvv And had 80w-90 in it to calm down the knocking.

[@DGR33]

I found the easiest way to install a clutch cable is to remove the instrument cluster and go in that way as you have a bit more access. For me, this was one of the hardest jobs I did on these cars. Jetta 2.0 is the same.

[@HumbleMechanic]

That’s a great idea!

[@spinnetti]

I thought you were kidding at first lol

[@TheZohanLohan]

My favorite that I've seen on alot of Japanese cars is "just needs a tune/fuel pump"

[@HumbleMechanic]

Lol fuel pump!!!

[@joeblack007]

Isn't that a standing joke? "It is never the fuel pump." Especially when cars became slightly more complicated. So many things are related to a non start issue but people love removing perfectly fine OEM fuel pumps and installing cheap eBay/Amazon pumps.

[@redneck4528]

@Les Reeves naaa I've had too many aftermarket pumps crap out within 6 months. Clean tank, new filters and stick with OEM

[@redneck4528]

@Les Reeves I've dropped plenty of gas tanks, drain old gas, use lye and water as cleaning solution and a section of chain to break away rust and varnish. You add the lye and water to the chain in the gas tank let it sit and shake the tank once in awhile. It's the same method we used at a classic restoration shop, it also works on plastic tanks. But yeah those plastic fuel pump modules can fall apart but you need to replace it with the highest quality unit budget permits OEM, Denso, Bosch or Hitachi. Buy a $30 eBay pump and you'll be replacing it every year.

[@jocking3]

15:48 - ALWAYS replace the rear main seal when you service your clutch. This wasn't replaced, and I am 9700% sure that it started leaking 2 days after the repair.

[@cooperhall2793]

You're bringing back memories of my first car purchase, a 95 Mk3 Cabrio that also "only" needed a few things. That thing was a neglected mess. Very much a love-hate relationship.

[@robinhoogers7548]

It’s cool to see how different this kind of clutch works instead of the ‘normal’ ones you see the most!

[@Artemisgoldfish]

The clutch pushrod setup reminds me of a couple motorcycles I've worked on, kind of bizarre to see it in a car

[@MrTheHillfolk]

@@Artemisgoldfish goes all the way back to the mk1 ,and you can turn those flywheels down on a lathe and take em from around 13 pounds to about 6. Wakes it up nicely

[@jsr3793]

As a former "German" car mechanic. This clutch change is reactivating my PTSD.

[@reamrkj1125]

Are you "German" or the cars. If you what nation do you live in now?

[@papaarmo5028]

At least it's not as bad as the b8 s4 that has both a flex plate and a flywheel

[@fingranleoxhmpfh7631]

@@tyrellwashington747 or he was too good for the job

[@producdevity]

@@tyrellwashington747 I am pretty sure that you are the only one even mentioning that he couldn’t do it or is having trouble with such a task. I think he wouldn’t claim te be a mechanic if he had trouble with working on things like this. I hope this isn’t your attitude at work, school or in life. Have fun arguing against arguments you just made up yourself.

[@Tk3997]

@@tyrellwashington747 More likely he got tired of the endless bullshit for increasingly mediocre to crap pay relatively speaking, like huge swaths of the people in the industry do. Putting up with BS doesn't make you 'good'/'tough', it just makes you a bitch.

[@acefighterpilot]

Damn, you got that badass shift knob for ONLY $800, AND they threw in a Cabrio for free?!

[@HumbleMechanic]

The knob is pretty……. Something Hahha

[@steverandall5814]

I had a '98 Golf with the ADA engine and a 5 speed. Rock solid little car...drove it for 5 years with no serious problems. That key in/headlights on alarm brought back pleasant memories. I changed out the plastic shifter bits and that really improved the "gearshift stuck into a jar of peanut butter" feel.

[@gerardstefanelli1618]

I remember changing the clutch on my first rabbit. I stripped out most of the axles bolts and used a pair of vise grips to take them out and in. 😂 being young was awesome.

[@jamesmurin9974]

Wow this brought me back. I haven't worked on an ABA forever. My first VW was a 1995 golf III sport. ABA. I also love how the transmission in your car has the clicking in reverse. Definitely MK3 stuff

[@darkminstrel2041]

That's what mine's doing. Driving the hell out of it because an O2J swap is in its future.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahah standard 02a things 😂

[@TheUberdude14]

hey Charles taking out axles on mk2 and mk3, even some mk4 the easiest way is to take out the front control arm bolt completely and loosen the rear one. some of the arms have slotted holes for camber adjustment on the lower balljoint and then you need an wheel alignment when your done with the job

[@dadtype2339]

Unless you or Eric Cook (ETCG) is selling a car, your ads would simply say It Just Needs a Good Home! Thanks for the video and the work Brother!

[@HumbleMechanic]

THAT is a great point. I might be finding my way to seeing ETCF next weekend. Im hyped

[@dadtype2339]

@@HumbleMechanic if you do tell him I said hi, he knows me, I wanted the keg he was hording back from his first cave shop, but more importantly, let him know I'm finally getting to the Kia soul timing belt,,,, he'll know, lol. Be well and be safe brother! (Edit to add) shame EC's shop fall through, but damn he needs a break well deserved, looking forward to the Return, I did promise him I'd get up there but with a full keg which in my opinion is way better than an empty one. Rule the day, Cheers!

[@MrAndrej2000]

Hi Charles, i own a 5 door mk4 with a 1.6 16v engine, a complete engine overhaul and tuning is taking place (lightened crankshaft, lightened flywheel, ported heads) on a DIY basis. Thanks for this video, and the bent valve idea, i had trouble with removing the clutch, but now it’s going be a lot easier reinstalling it.

[@christoffdeclerk9448]

Hi, I wanted to thank you for giving me the confidence via your expert videos to change the water pump on my 2 TSi 2012 Amarok Double cab here in darkest Africa. It took me 3 try's and about 24 hours in total but I finally got it and she is purring like a kitten, your phantom leak advice also helped me stop that leak and I also replaced the PCV valve which was also leaking. If it was not for your assistance I would never have had to courage to tackle the job in the first place. Thanks a lot for making it look easy! Just joking, I just want to say thanks, you are a stand up guy. Regards Christo South Africa.

[@nigelcox1451]

Well that brought back memories, the inside-out clutch, the self-adjusting cable and the plastic ball on the gear lever. All great when new, but susceptible to wear, and easily broken. The clutches were only 'adequate' for their job, and easily destroyed. Foot resting on the pedal would cause them to slip just enough to get hot and disintegrate, without the driver feeling the slip. Oil leaks from that pushrod seal would cause slip too. We used to replace the pushrod every time too, as they do get shorter with just a little wear, but mostly they wear a ridge at the seal, causing the new seal to leak. First time, we might turn the rod around, and use the 'new end at the seal, but next time, replace it. Seen one destroyed in about 30 seconds. Old deaf guy, held clutch on the bite point, revved the engine's nuts off, just to reverse out of a parking slot. The guy who'd just replaced the clutch should have reversesd it in!

[@ericmorales6262]

I actually love the mk3 ignition chime. I owned an mk3 Jetta in the late 90s and it was great. Maybe I’m just nostalgic about the sound. I wish there was a way to retro fit it in my mk7.5. Charles, any ideas how to add that relay to the mk7?

[@someidot3699]

lol thanks for the idea! im going to try to get that chime in my mk6!

[@UsoundsGermany]

I drove Golf2 and 3s and never heard that sound, must be some special US thingie ?? I am in mid Europe

[@jamesmcfarlane5543]

My '02 Golf (1.6 petrol, European model) had the same clutch set up. As it was my first clutch on my own and it caused me no end of confusion though still got through it in about 5hrs in my driveway.

[@christophermarshall5765]

Jack up the number plates, & replace what is in between!!! Nice job Charles!! Strangest clutch I've seen.

[@dil6969]

Part organization techniques are really important if you get pulled off the car to do something else or you need to wait for more parts. If you start working on it a week or more later, the chance of you forgetting where something goes is high if you just haphazardly toss all the bolts onto a tool cart. Anyone working on their car at home should be doing stuff like this. It makes the reassembly process way less stressful.

[@HouseCallAutoRepair]

"It just needs" is the true "mechanic's special". The car advertised as a "mechanic's special" is real a rolling parts source!

[@Uncle-Duncan-Shack]

If you lost the box that the new clutch came in, gonna have to order pizza for a bolt storage template. Seems like a valid reason to loose the box that the new clutch came in.

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

Works for me.

[@catawalks]

Anyone else notice that the "little spring-a-ding clamp" for the pressure plates bolts went back on crooked? The bottom part of the spring wasn't behind the bottom tang when he put it all back together, you can see it pretty clearly at 16:43 and again at 16:48 . Hopefully he fixed that off camera before buttoning everything up.

[@gavinstrange955]

Dude love the 2.0 cabi content. Makes me want to start a whole refresh on my 2.0

[@RobertLeBlancPhoto]

When "As Is" items are advertised as "It just needs...", that usually means just to get it to move a few yards under its own power, and nothing else. ;)

[@scottinWV]

"It only needs these sensors to get it running, but you can't put them on here and drive it away, you have to tow it away first."

[@antoniobednjanec4787]

on vw u dont need to take the ball joint out for taking the axles out ,just take lover control arm bolt that holds it in subframe the one thats in the front side and just pull out and there is enough room for taking the axles out

[@victorh940]

Also the rod has two different ends so if you pull it out make sure the round end goes to the release bearing. The more pointy end goes toward release plate.

[@sletourneau3]

Got my mk4 golf off Facebook marketplace and she "just needed" a manifold gasket 🤣🤣🤣 being me, I saw this poor little golf and had to rescue her. That was July 2020, she was my pandemic project. She's never stopped working once but the codes I pulled after the "just needs" was over 50. So yeah, buyer beware of the "just needs" unless you're willing to go whole hog into a car. I was. 🤷‍♀️ I'm still fixing stuff on her. Up next, suspension and brakes.

[@nestrac]

Just out of curiosity.. How does the shifter on the mk 3 differ from the mk 2 ..? A friend of mine owned a mk 2 with a VERY loose shifter / connections to the point you where in doubt that you had selected reverse (because the lock didn't work) first or third gear...

[@GertvandenBerg]

The mk2 has levers (some of which tend to break their connection, resulting in only 3rd and 4th being accessible) (I only know this since I drove one for a few years (as a student), so I'm not that useful in the comparison and the other parts of it that did not break)

[@tihspidtherekciltilc5469]

"Rebuilt engine" or "rebuilt transmission" are my favorite things that when asked for any kind of proof none can be provided as it got lost or the dog ate it.

[@HumbleMechanic]

HAHAH TRUTH!

[@GeekSHO]

"Rebuilt engine" means pressure-washed engine.

[@heat1235]

@@GeekSHO and a new valve cover gasket :P

[@petermolnar8667]

@@heat1235 or a new timing belt at best lol

[@redneck4528]

I hate the "we installed a new engine / transmission" a used transmission or engine from the junkyard isn't new or rebuilt.

[@benjaminbeebe9182]

Good old 8v engines! I’ve definitely benched pressed a few of these transmissions in the past. Did a clutch disc slap on my 92 Jetta on a gravel driveway in a few hours. I was so lucky it exploded in my driveway!

[@RichDasix]

You made this look so easy Charles. By the way, I'm a proud owner of a 92 Vento VR6 (Jetta) and I have been restoring the whole car in the last 13 years. Now I'm onto the clutch slave and master cylinder, I have rebuilt O2A shifter with dieselgeek and pheonix engineering stuffs, so it feels a million times better, but the clutch is letting me still down. It has a couple years old Sachs clutch with basically like 2000 miles on it since new or less. So the clutch is fine, but the pedal feel is trash and the pedal is not returning all the time. Been like this since I owned the car, but never got round to it, and I haven't been so mechanically educated as I'm now. Do you maybe have a video on how to master and slave on the white wookie build, what is the best way to bleed them or any tips and trick? I tried looking for it, but couldn't find anything. In doing this I'd also love to flush the brake fluid. I read on old Vwortex forums that a lot of people were suffering with them generally, so I'd like to do it once and do it right. Thanks and keep up the awesome content!

[@Iamjim1]

Having done this on my 96' GTI VR6, I don't recall it being too painful. Definitely start with the slave, much easier. Flush and bleed like brakes, check the return. You might be able to save yourself from doing to master if the slave replacement worked. I don't recall specifically, but I think brake and clutch fluid use the same reservoir, might not be a bad time to do a brake fluid service while you're at it.

[@RichDasix]

@@Iamjim1 that is exactly my plan of attack, I bought 2 quartz of ATE Dot 4 and a slave cylinder and plan on doing the brake flush first, than swap out the slave and bleed it out. We'll see how it goes, really hope it works out fine.

[@Iamjim1]

@@RichDasix awesome, sounds like you got it figured out! Best of luck!

[@theebgbz]

Here we see Charles creating his own language while working on cars. We’ll need a dictionary of those new words soon! 🤣🤣

[@HumbleMechanic]

HAHAH Yea thats pretty spot on!

[@garthor]

Tbh that's one of my favorite parts of vice grip garage... batteries are "lightning cubes", anything electric is "digical", and any tool is the 3000... xD

[@worldhello1234]

@@HumbleMechanic Just remember the rubber tapper. 😁

[@funnypranker34]

@@garthor spark plugs are sparklers, distributor is a lightning whirler, wires are lightning tubes. I love watching his videos

[@oransands]

Those pressure plate bolts are stretch bolts are shouldn't be re-used (depending on who you talk to). However in practice it's mostly fine. When in doubt bolts with a dished top are usually stretch bolts.

[@HumbleMechanic]

I prefer to replace!

[@kris-english]

You're the first American I've seen using your legs to actuate the jack (19:08). Good work sir!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahhaha

[@peter-pg5yc]

Cardboard trick I use on trans fluid changes, my car had 3 diffo lengths..grrr

[@Back2BasicsUS]

Takes me back. I bought a 1996 Gti as my first new car. Had many mk3’s after that. Last ones I owned were a 97 Cabrio Highline, and a 98 VR6 Gti. Kinda miss them and how simple they were… compared to my MK2 TTS.

[@fuzemusic5135]

I had some trouble with my car (Golf 4 1.6 8v AKL with DLP 02K transmission, same transmission setup as 02O but with a hydraulic clutch) like this and solved it with a new clutch, clutch bearing and clutch rod. My clutch rod was worn to the point that it wouldn't fully disengage the clutch and wore it out. 'Simple' fix but quite rewarding. Seemed to be a common problem with this setup according to forums.

[@ryanferguson110]

The bent valve!!! Love that going to start doing that.

[@faugrad]

The Mk3 looks downright easy to work on vs the modern VWs.

[@danieloshaughnessy8476]

I am waiting for Charles to do a build video with his long lost brother Aaron Kaufman. Keep up the good vids! Always an encouragement to keep working on my B5.5 Passat!

[@JD-xt8cj]

I like the mk3 tones as well. have you ever had to weld a broken shifter back in? my 02a 1996 needed that (weld the shifter handle assembly back to the body). internet had suggested swapping to better mk4 shifter.

[@NoWr2Run]

Next car I sell the Ad is going to say " IT JUST NEEDS A BLANK ". GREAT VID. SIR. & NICE SHIFTER TEMP. FIX.

[@mattalki]

I've always wanted a stock mk3 Golf 2.0L. When I was 20, they hit the dealerships, and I instantly fell in love with them. It wasn't until the mk4 came out that I was able to purchase a Golf, and that was 2001. Even though I really liked my mk4, I still pined for that mk3. Unfortunately, most of the mk3 Golfs are dead now or modded within an inch of their lives. It would be cool to find a unicorn, but until then I'll just have to have wistful thoughts. Nice work on the clutch! I couldn't believe how trashed it was. The PO obviously wasn't too good at driving stick.

[@RashoYT]

Hey, Charles! I thought we agreed on you getting an EOS! 😋 It's OK - I had a MK3 before, so this project is also very interesting to me and kind of a mix between the two 😁

[@CorradoAlley]

Nice video, not being a mk3 guy it’s interesting to see the fun. I did find the plastic wire loom cover on the frame rail pretty cool and will take a closer look next time I see a mk3.5 Cabrio at the yards. I see a full suspension refresh video coming it will great as it applies to so many mk2>rado>b3>b4>mk3>mk3.5

[@I_make_things_]

Hey HumbleMechanic- in this video around 14:22 you talk about the divot in the pressure plate not being centered and the root cause being the input shaft seal, did you mean the seal or the bearing? Just checking. Thanks, and love your channel.

[@alicetaylor1001]

thank you Charles so much for doing this video definitely not enough videos on the Cabrio Mark 3 basic models

[@3rdworldgarage450]

Reminds me of my MINI Cooper. I bought it knowing the clutch was so fried that it no longer held the engine. I figured "it's just a clutch job, how bad can it be?" Bad. It's a minimum 10 hour job book rate...and I did it in my driveway over the course of 2 months due to it having a VERY rare transmission. Also: Found bad bearings in the transmission, a bad motor mount, broken strut mount, etc. 3 years and 10k miles later ( on a car bought with good maintenance records and 83k miles), and I have had the supposedly un-rebuildable transmission out three times to get it right ( I DIY my own transmission rebuilds) and have rebuilt or repaired most of the major systems outside of the engine. (Top Tip: a clutch job on a R50 MINI is easier to do as an engine and trans out job if you do it without a helper.) I have even had the dash out to fix the A/C evap core. Some things were age related "while you're in there" jobs and some due to poor engineering or sloppy manufacturing on BMW's part. It had records for a new power steering pump 3k miles before I bought it...guess what just started to fail? Run away from European cars. Just. Run. AWAY.

[@MOTA_KRAMPUS]

Great video! I love learning new stuff! How come you didn't replace linkage bushings in the engine bay? Or you did? 🙃

[@mullerandre95]

Clutch blown out, I'd suspect the self adjusting cable. I usually replace the clutch rod, bush and seal too. Not a pleasure to change the clutch on these. Good on you for changing the clutch cable to manually adjustable.

[@NewDemons666]

Just got done pulling the motor and trans out of my 2012 mazdaspeed3. That was a fun job 😂 got a stage 1 xclutch put in, and motor and trans back in. Time to go full bolt on, bigger turbo and catless turboback 😍

[@HumbleMechanic]

YASSSS

[@nowiecoche]

I don't even have a Mk3, used to have a Mk4, but that chime alone, I love it.

[@jasonamiles]

All that work and you didn't replace the brass bushing in the input shaft which is the reason why the push rod was not hitting in the center of the plate. Always replace those two seals on the input shaft the brass bushing and the rear main seal.

[@itzed]

This brought back memories. I changed the clutch in my ‘95 Jetta. The smell of old gear oil.

[@worldhello1234]

@13:29 If it just needs, why didn't the guy fix it himself and sell the car for a higher price? the parts are cheap for a Golf MK 3.

[@plamendimitrov5762]

I can confirm that no matter what you try to replace on a mk3, the nuts and bolt require impact or when that fails the 1-2 meter long breaker bar. Also a warning! Dont try to unbolt the front control arms for bushings - odds are you will have to cut the floor to get to them loose nuts.

[@CedarAshCanvas]

Just finished this repair this afternoon. On Mk2, bolts screw into blind nut welded inside frame member. Nuts get stripped. Official VW procedure is to drill through nuts, tap them (12x1.5), and put longer VW bolt in. I did this from below through bushing/A arm, no need to open floor. BTW, there is a moveable metal cap under carpet+underlay, no need to cut floor.

[@Jakeeddie32]

2008 Rabbit 2.5 Manual: How in the world do you get the clutch bled out? Replaced master and slave. I've bench bled, reverse bled, "brake" bled. Feels like its barely disengaging clutch but also slipping under heavy load. Car was absolutely fine until pedal hit the floor. 177k miles on system. Any advice welcomed !!!! Great Videos!!! Thank You!

[@HumbleMechanic]

You really need a pressure bleeder that does 2bar. It’s a pain!

[@Jakeeddie32]

I got it bled. Just let it sit a day for tiny bube to gather. Couple burps later , I had a good pedal.

[@GrumpyMan]

brings back memories of swapping a transmission on my '83 Civic in a parking lot with no power tools (I am old this was waaay before rechargable tools!)

[@raiNofchAosFPS]

this is the reason i hold onto my vw gti mk5. is because i have knowledge like this on it! and i love her!

[@gplusgplus2286]

When the shift cable bushes went in my TT and were fortunately fixed by lathing some new delrin ones instead of replacing the whole shift cables for $$$$$, there were 4-5 small plastic parts including that ball thingy under the stick that I got myself and replaced at the same time. These were like 8-10eur from Audi and guess what the stick feels like a new car (mine has 250k kms). WHY NO MECHANIC CHANGES THESE THINGS???

[@Michaeltje89]

More of the cabrio please... Doing one myself at the moment (1.8 8v ADZ)

[@DaDude999]

I just bought the same model, same price, but full of rust. Thanks for the helpful videos.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Nice!!!! Love me a cabby

[@billbradley6380]

One of the first things I pulled out of my Corrado when I got it was that dam La Cucaracha siren/relay. It actually sounded better when you sped it up 😀

[@rafaelkestafa]

I did this job 3 or 4 months ago on mi sister's 1.6 golf IV. The job was miserable,BC I didn't have a lift,we did it in my garage. When we went and try the clutch I didn't work. Turns out that the "Sachs" (OEM by the way) clutch,came wrong from factory. I took it all assembled to the shop and they confirmed that the clutch had a factory issue. Also the shaft and the clutch plate were a little burnt up.

[@DaimyoD0]

7:20 Funny, I just learned about this technique earlier today from Zach Jobe on an old episode of Donut Media's Money Pit. Honestly seems like a much better idea than the classic I always fall back on, which is to just take pictures of everything I take apart. It doesn't really work great when it comes to telling hardware apart from one another on a tiny phone screen lol.

[@SuperFluffyfluff]

I miss my mk3, my step brother somehow forced the rod through the release plate. That 020 trans was a great trans though

[@benwright9341]

Always used to replace the pushrods as they wore down and make for good paint stirring 😂 miss doing theses 020 boxes

[@hughm5996]

If the push rod is off centre then the bushing that supports the rod is worn and needs to be replaced,comes in a kit with the seal.

[@seandebottis3276]

This was an awesome video man, too bad I’m in Houston or I’d be paying you some coin to fix a few issues on my 93 s4. I miss my 97 trek edition Jetta. The 2.slow was good to me when I was broke

[@GeekSHO]

Great video, Charles! 10/10 I know he's like four hours away, but when are you moving shop next door to Paul for that magical bromance content?

[@HumbleMechanic]

Hahah we have some stuff planned

[@exarkunn69]

I had a 97 Jetta 2.slow and I loved that noise. When I got my 03 Jetta 1.8t I asked why it didn’t have it.

[@funnypranker34]

That’s brand new by Illinois standards. Now I wanna ask you something. My friend got a 2005.5 Jetta 2.5L (the weird year that they made the new generation halfway through the year) with the 6 speed auto with 115,000 miles that’s been well maintained. How stout are the trannies on those and I notice the transmission likes to slip a little when it shifts on cold fluid. On the highway it shifts great. Also the motor shakes passenger side when I accelerate the car while its going more then 70. It doesn’t shake when maintaining a set speed. That the passenger side top motor mount? Also random electric issue. Car says parking light is out but the light works as it should and it still has the bulb out warning on the gauge cluster. Sometimes while driving the warning goes away and it’s fine but when you restart the car it comes back. It’s a new halogen bulb too TLDR the car was in really good shape and only needs minor work and we wanna fix the little issues it’s got and I don’t know much about Volkswagens

[@blatantpotato1367]

Buying my bmw, it just needed an engine, suspension overhaul, and a few wheel speed sensors. Two years into it, and it now just needs a wiring harness, headlights, wheel speed sensors and an extensive amount of money for gas :)

[@craigbomer8962]

I picked up a super cheap GMC Sierra 2500 to use as a beater/tow pig and the owner said "it just needs a starter, it has a bad spot in it". I could tell from the sound that the starter made that it wasn't the starter, and I later confirmed my suspicions when I found a broken flexplate. I wasn't mad, the price I paid was low enough that it's been worth the effort to drop the trans and transfer case to swap out the flexplate along with everything else it needs.

[@jamesk3565]

@19:08 🤣🤣🤣 foot operated jack working was on point

[@S666GRJ]

Man watching mk3 vids makes me miss mine. Had 0 rust on it when it moved on, one of the easiest cars to work on ever.

[@omaralvarez1513]

Ive been thinking about getting a mk3 gti 2.0 but getting rid of all the 020 nonsense and using a mk4 tdi trans (longer ratio gear set) and 02j polo box and the vr6 hydraulic system and have a nice little daily. My mk3 vrt isn’t all that fun to drive almost all week long lol

[@AlDim000]

It just need a new clutch, new shift cable, an entirely new suspension, and who knows what else lol. A few months ago I got a rather rare sports car that I couldn't test drive as it wasn't registered and there was too much snow for its height and summer tires. It "just needed some paintless dent repair" for a few hail dents and it was "great" mechanically (the previous owner actually did mechanical work and had supposedly fixed it up 100%). Well, turns out he had run it out of gas, so it managed to both flood and not start because of too little fuel. Once I fixed that and pumped up one of the brand new tires which had lost all pressure after several weeks in my heated garage, I took the car for a short drive. I found that the steering wheel was completely off, the coilovers were set far too low and immediately damaged one of the fenders, the idle fluctuated 300-500 rpm, car died when I let go of the clutch in neutral while it was cold, grinded gears on multiple shifts, the shifter moved at least 1" when I let go of the throttle suggesting that the mounts are completely shot, and the front turn signals didn't work due to a wiring issue. Also worth mentioning, being a JDM car the licence plate mount is different, so the solution seemed to be holding the plate with 1 bolt and the radio was held in by a piece of wood instead of an actual dash kit.

[@ghomerhust]

ive shell-built so many of these mk3s over the years that i can do a 95% shakedown on the lift at this point. theres almost nothing that a drive would show me other than a lug throttle issue or a bad wheel bearing vs what i can find on the lift or on the floor. i know these goober cars so well i could probably wire it with my eyes closed! (i daily a vr6 mk3 5door, my wifes car is a vr6 mk3 jetta. and im vr6 swapping a rabbit pickup for a little work truck) edit: a note on CV axles- most replacement or aftermarket CV axles for these cars has a different boot cap, the metal part, and you cannot use the little 2 bolt washer thingies. THIS IS A BAD THING. those washer things do a HUGE job of locking those bolts in. if those are not present, the bolts DO HAVE A PROBLEM OF BACKING OUT, even with locktite! i check my CV axles on ALL of my cars MONTHLY if ive replaced the OEM axles. they HAVE left me on the side of the road before by backing out and coming off the transmission flange, again WITH locktite.

[@88fieroformula]

Maybe try some lock washers

[@George-zq2sk]

awesome content Charles!! when are you doing a VR 5spd swap into it? are VR swaps considered a swap in a Mk3?

[@BigchungusZx96]

Damn! I just sold my mk3 cabrio for $800 and that thing had so much strut tower rust holes! I wish I would have kept it I really wanted to vr swap it. Good find Charles. If you want to let it go let me know!

[@3vIl3aGl3]

Not to be like that but I don't think VR swapping fixes the rust holes...

[@BigchungusZx96]

@@3vIl3aGl3 you’re right, but I would have drove that thing till the ball joint went through the hood!

[@gmans7859]

9mm 12 point. German's chuckling upon assembly. Glad I edge a' makated myself before my son and I tackled his mk6 clutch.

[@802Garage]

Very strange clutch design! You still make this stuff look easy.

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks dude

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Nice thing is, take a closer look at that flywheel. You can take it down from around 13 pounds to about 6.5 on a lathe.

[@802Garage]

@@MrTheHillfolk Hahaha I was thinking about that!

[@jonakermo7119]

That is a unicorn in many ways, those 2-liter Crossflow engines are sought after and bring big bucks.

[@adamchoi8136]

That was wild and I’m glad I didn’t buy someone else’s project car recently. CVT transmission was slipping and he indicated because it’s a sporty car…. The car was a CRZ btw. Haha

[@RESTORATIONRESCUE]

Another great video man! Im not even really a VW fan but love the way you work and its awesome to watch!

[@HumbleMechanic]

Thanks so much

[@RESTORATIONRESCUE]

@@HumbleMechanic keep it up! And no problem

[@danielcarter5579]

I had my clutch done and a month later the "key" that holds your whole linkage together I guess came apart and my clutch peddle clipped to the floor and that was it and they hooked me up with zip ties and a bar to hook the linkage up. A+ right? I cant even figure out what part it is to even fix it

[@SchlongkyDong]

1H0798303A should be the plate for it. Mine did the same

[@gavanphotography7814]

Have you had issues with captive nuts coming off the inside of the subframe in your MK4s? Trying to diagnose a clunk up front and can’t figure it out…

[@HumbleMechanic]

Yes easy diag because the bolt will be loose. But only had it break on assembly/disassemble

[@gavanphotography7814]

@@HumbleMechanic Interesting. I’m hearing a clunk noise from my front end over bumps and turns. New LCAs w/ bushings, coilovers are new, strut bushing and bearings are new, sway bar links are good, dogbone is good. That’s my last conclusion :/

[@JimmyMakingitwork]

An honest add for any used car would read, "it just needs $2000 worth of repairs to run and drive then $1500 more for all the small issues so I lowered the price $200."

[@LAEdgar]

The end of the video when he shows us the mk3 chime is the best, unforgettable lol

[@tommyjakks]

Cabriolets need love too. Nice work

[@ferrumignis]

Weird backwards clutch, does any of the newer VW stuff use this style?

[@leerose6257]

Do you have any advice on changing the turbo and down pipe gasket on the 1.8t tt 225

[@HumbleMechanic]

They aren't super fun(in my opinion. Staying organized and replacing the crush gaskets is probably key

[@leerose6257]

@@HumbleMechanic cheers ive got to do mine weekend as its blowing. Is it worth heating it up first to get bolts out easier as ive heard the threads in the turbo can come out or just spin if that happens can i just used nut and bolt. Ive got a completely kit gasket set coming so will do both while there. That golf definitely needs a vr6 engine and that gear knob binning lol

[@saltyreesescup3104]

Hahaha, "I feel like I did that the hardest way possible"...You Did...! Thanks For Sharing.