Best way to approach these jobs (Clutch, Timing Belt, etc)

[tigerstyle]

Can you take the engine out of a HDi whilst leaving the gearbox and driveshafts untouched?

Thinking I can do water pump, timing belt, EGR turbo blank, clutch cable all with the ease of having the engine out of the bay. Splitting the driveshafts isn't the end of the world but would be good to leave them in, and a possible time saver, or time waster fighting it the whole way?

[mcglynn]

Drive shafts definitely have to come off.

You're not going to do a clutch eithout removing them lol. You can do all the work on the car with the right bits stripped off.

[tigerstyle]

It's the 'extras' like EGR blank and clutch cable that might just fly out and back in with an empty bay, was my thinking, that and take 2-3 days to do it and try and enjoy the process and not rush it!

The aircon compressor is easy to remove and attach out of the way and not stop the engine coming out? My aircon actually works so would like to keep it that way!

[mcglynn]

Im sure you would have to have it degaased and again regassed when you reconnect, as it will need to go off somehow.

Those buts are easier done with the engine out but not impossible to impossible do with the engine in situ

[Ricky]

EGR blank just take the engine off its top mount and tip it forward.

[R1-Mini]

I had the same job and i found it a lot quicker just to take the front end off
Take the engine and box out in 1 and do the work on the floor
No messin its there in front of you easier to work on and a damn sight more room lol
Took me about 1 and half days to do the job you say

[Frosty]

It will be a lot easier to take the engine out with the gearbox still bolted on to the engine

[Toms306]

Take the engine and box out together, easily done in a couple of hours first time.

As for the air con, you'll need take the electric plug off, and the aux belt, but as long as you leave the gas pipes connected to the compressor you wont have to regas it. Not sure if you can get it out of the way enough while still attached but might as well give it a go.

[stu9]

Take the engine and box out together, easily done in a couple of hours first time.

Really....a couple of hours, as in 2

[Toms306]

Yeah, to get it out in one lump it's easy tbh. I'd much rather do that than something like a headgasket tbh! Cat off, gear links off, driveshafts out, lower engine mount undone, battery/airbox out, loom unplugged, fuel lines off, water pipes off, PAS pipes off, clutch cable, hook up the crane and whip off the gearbox mount and top engine mount.


Though being a 306, there will always be snags... The driveshaft bearing will probably be seized, the cat pipe nuts will be seized/crossthreaded, numerous bolts will be so rusty they just snap... Then you realise you need to take the aux belt tensioner off as there's so little clearance around the HDi engine in the 306 bay lol.

[Poodle]

If you want to do it without having to disassemble the front end and regassing the aircon, then you can drop the subframe and take it out underneath - need a fair bit of ground clearance though.

[tigerstyle]

I might be able to get the gas pumped out and stored ready to be regassed later. One less big thing to worry about then.
Up and out is preferred due to space/crane size etc.
Sounds like it'll all be coming out in one piece, take time with the driveshafts and hope they play along nice!

[rd070707]

It would be disconnecting the hdi loom and plugging it all back in in the same place would worry me

[Eeyore]

Yeh you definitely cant do it leaving the gearbox and drive shafts in. Just take it out in one lump and do all the work. If you are regassing air con does that mean yours actually works?

[tigerstyle]

If you are regassing air con does that mean yours actually works?

I gambled on the condenser being broken so replaced it last year (end of the summer though!) put in a new dryer for good measure few new oring too and a fridge engineer mate vacuumed it out and charged it up, 5 months later all is still good.

The loom is probably one can of worms I've not thought about!

[R1-Mini]

Just leave the loom on the engine and unscrew the 2 wiring plugs at the bottom right by the rad
Disconnect the ecu and a couple of other plugs by it and that's it
Its no big issue

[tigerstyle]

[Alan_M]

I'm currently working my way through a cambelt change on the HDi. Unfortunately, I can only dedicate a few hours a day so slowly getting there.....engine is currently 'pinned'.

For the clutch though, I plan on keeping engine in car and removing box (with shafts, one needs a new boot anyway). Done it a few times on 205s and my 1.4 306. Hardest part is refitting the box and lining up the splines. Going to rig up a scaffold pole on wooden blocks on the strut tops to hold the box up with rope as I don't fancy bench pressing the box whilst 'wiggling' again.

1

Then you realise you need to take the aux belt tensioner off as there's so little clearance around the HDi engine in the 306 bay lol.

I noticed this today. There is less space in an engine bay of a 306 HDi than a 205 Mi16/GTi6.