Second most important thing is that calling this guide a DIY is a bit of a stretch, it's more of a list of steps to a goal, not a bolt-by-bolt guide. You should be mechanically competent before starting this procedure. The only thing tougher than this job would be pulling the engine out. I'm sorry I didn't have the time to step-by-step document how to do this job. I didn't plan on doing a DIY when I started and I did the majority of this work a few days before Christmas and was pressed for time. Because of that, I don't have extreme detail as in which bolts to turn.
Obligatory disclaimer: I'm not responsible for you destroying your car. Follow these steps at your own risk. I don't claim any of this is correct or will even work. I'm a stranger to you, do you normally take advice from strangers on the Internet? Performing these steps could lead to serious injury or even death so be careful and take proper safety precautions. This procedure was done on a 2012 A4 2.0T Quattro base trim so your car may be different.
I'd like to apologize about the poor quality of some of the images. My camera is apparently horrible at taking pictures of shiny things in the dark.
Time & Labor
This job is rated at 10-12 hours from Audi. That means you're looking at at least $1200 in labor and who knows about tax, disposal fees, and misc charges. This obviously does not include parts so you're looking at over $2k from Audi but I would expect it's upwards of $2.5k, but I never got a formal quote.
This job spanned about 2 weeks from start to finish. Most of this was waiting for parts, from both Audi and online, and random trips to the hardware store for tools. I also broke my flywheel while taking it out and had to wait for that to arrive (follow the guide and it won't happen to you).
I would speculate that if I were to do the job again, have all the tools and parts when I started, I would allot 3 days. I would say 2 days would be enough but It's nice to have a buffer day in case you hit a snag.
You'll more than likely want someone to help you with this job. I did a lot of the reassembly alone but at one point you'll either need a special tool, a custom brace, or a friend to help you unbolt the flywheel from the back plate.
Parts
(I have misplaced some documents so I don't have part numbers for everything but you should get the parts based on your VIN as they change throughout model years)
- 6 Pressure plate bolts. N-911-361-02 6 @ $1.12 = $6.72
- 3 Flywheel to backplate bolts
- 1 36.1mm Oetiker clamp for the drive shaft N-107-722-01 @ $3.50
- Every bolt from transmission to engine. I didn't replace these but you should as they're one time use aluminum bolts. There are 10.
- Special lube for the input shaft (no idea what it's called, sometimes comes with a clutch kit)
- Pressure plate & friction disk (usually referred to as the clutch)
- Optionally a new flywheel (I would recommend going with a single mass 'downgrade')
Tools
- I expect you to have a full metric ratchet set with multiple extensions and at least 1 u-joint/swivel connector, screwdrivers, tape, marker, cardboard, pliers, general repair stuff
- I would recommend a full metric set of 12pt ratcheting wrenches. While probably not required I wouldn't do the job without them
- You'll need about (rounding up) 3 feet of extensions (specifically for detaching the exhaust from the down pipe)
- A 24mm socket for bracing the engine crank
- 12pt 18, 19, 16mm sockets. Deep or shallow is fine, doesn't matter (I can't remember if I used the 19. I also have a 20,21,&22mm but again, no idea if I used them, sorry).
- 10 and 12mm triple square bits. You'll want both short and long. If you're only going to get one, get the long ones.
- 40mm torx bit in addition to standard 20 - 30mm.
- An insanely shallow 16mm 12pt socket. I used this from Lowes and a 19mm wrench. I can't find a link online but you'll get the idea.
It's a tight fit to clear the steering rack:
- Oetiker clamp clamping tool. I got a standard one from Lowes for $30 and modified it (you'll see it later). You can find them online much cheaper, just be sure it can clamp a 36mm clamp.
- 4 Jack stands. I like Craftsman 2-1/4 ton stands as they have flat tops that don't gouge the underside of your car.
- At least 2 jacks. A standard floor jack and a bottle jack will work.
- A transmission jack with 2 way tilting (something like this)
- O2 wrench/socket
- An impact wrench is nice for removing the axles and drive shaft.
Steps
Ok here we go.
First, when taking bolts off, it helps to use cardboard to keep everything organized. Here's an example:
- Point your wheels straight and make sure the steering wheel is at dead center
- Put your car in the air. Use 4 jack stands. Do your best to get the car level once it's in the air. Keeping the car level will make it easier to line up the transmission and required if you're going to replace the transmission fluid (you should).
- Release your parking brake and take the transmission out of gear. Open the trunk, open your hood.
- Unlock all the doors, disconnect your battery
- Take the wheels off. You should have something like this:
- Remove the plastic belly pans and cross brace. Refer to the first part of Dan_Q's DIY here: http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...n-Fluid-Change
- Remove the rear cross brace (is that what this is?)
- Remove your entire exhaust
- Disconnect the 2 O2 sensor wires from the engine wiring harness.
- Remove the 2 O2 sensors from the down pipe. Use a proper wrench for this.
- Unbolt the downpipe from the flex pipe by removing the 3 13mm nuts. You may need a 3 foot extension for this one.
- Unbolt the downpipe from the turbo manifold. There are 4 bolts, you'll need to make weird extensions like this to get all of them:
- Take out the down pipe. This is tough, you have to sneak it between the exhaust manifold and strut tower. PROTIP: Line the strut tower with painters tape to minimize scratches. (You can also go down with it if you take the rest of the exhaust out first)
- Now drop the rest of the exhaust. Work from the front of the car, unbolting each mount. I always have trouble putting the exhaust pins back in the rubber brackets but if you're good at it, disconnect these instead of unbolting the mounts.
As you're dropping the exhaust, use a box or something to hold up the end of the exhaust so you don't create too much stress. - Store the exhaust somewhere
I would suggest putting the bolts back in the holes they came from as to not loose them. Especially one towards the middle as it holds half of the gas tank.
- Remove the heat shields blocking the drive shaft. Do this with 10mm sockets by unscrewing the plastic nuts for the plastic panels under the car. Then removing the metal nuts that hold the heatshield. You don't need to remove EVERY heat shield, just the one blocking the drive shaft.
- Remove the driveshaft
- Remove/cut the Oetiker clamp on the transmission side.
You can do this by grinding off or prying up the 'interlock' pin.
- Unbolt the rear differential side using 10mm triple square long bits. (this photo is upside down) (I like to use an impact wrench on these bolts)
- Unbolt the center mount
- Drop it out. You may want help with this as you don't want to put a ton of pressure on that center bearing, though the two parts will flex. Push the drive shaft towards the transmission and you should be able to get the shaft flange to slide past the rear subframe.
- Remove/cut the Oetiker clamp on the transmission side.
- Unbolt the two front axles from the transmission flanges. (shield in following step has already been removed in this pic)
You'll want to use a long 10mm triple square bit and some extensions. I like to use an impact wrench to remove these (tighten too).
- Remove the shield from the passenger side axle flange
- Unbolt the steering shaft (not the right word) from the steering rack. You'll need to remove the bolt and pry the clamp open to get it off.
The shaft will slide up into itself. Then hang it up with a zip-tie to the clutch slave cyl line.
- Disconnect the shifter from the shift linkage
- Unbolt the heat shield hiding the shift linkage where it connects to the shifter.
- Disconnect the shifter from the linkage.
- Unbolt the heat shield hiding the shift linkage where it connects to the shifter.
- Remove shifter from car
This video is going to show you how to properly pull your center console apart so you can get to the shifter. It will also show you how to remove the shifter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS5gEwPwzRg&t=5m2s
quickly, pop your ac controls out, lift the shift boot by pressing on one side (not top or bottom), pull up on center console to release cover, unbolt coin tray, pop rubber cover bracket off, mark where the shifter sits on the slide, and mark the bolt, unbolt from linkage, 4 bolts hold the tray to the car, remove these at the corners, remove tray.
You should end up like this:
Ziptie the two shift linkage rods together so they're not flapping about. - Remove slave cylinder
Remove this bolt first, it's holding the line to the transmission
Then the bolt on the slave cylinder
(this picture is upside down)
- Disconnect the starter
There's 2 bolts holding the starter to the transmission. One of those bolts may require the special shallow socket discussed in the tools section.
You'll also want to unbolt the power wire from the alternator that runs to the starter. This wire runs around the back of the engine. You will have to cut some zipties for it to come out. This will provide some slack for the starter to slide out.
Make sure you have the battery disconnected or you'll weld that cable to whatever ground it touches.
There's also a bracket on the transmission that holds the wire, unbolt this one too. You can see it in the bottom of this picture.
Push the starter out as far as you can, it won't go far. - Unbolt the flywheel from the back plate
On the bottom of the transmission bell housing there is a plastic inspection plate that will let you remove the 3 bolts from the back plate.
This setup is much more familiar to an automatic transmission. I didn't know this when I did it and broke the bearing in the flywheel.
You'll want a friend to brace the crank by sticking a 24mm socket on a breaker bar and holding the crank steady with the bolt inside the crank pulley on the front of the engine. If you have a proper tool to chock the flywheel, go ahead and use it, I didn't.
Only rotate the engine clockwise to spin the back plate to get to the next bolt. These things are on there pretty damn tight, no idea what torque setting is. - Put your transmission jack in position
Put the plate as close to the transmission mount as you can. This is the center of mass for the transmission.
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Originally Posted by Audi.Airman
. It did come with two plastic tools of which I have no idea what they're for. 
.
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