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It’s nothing you’re not capable of I’m sure, but working on German cars is equipment intensive. There’s workarounds for having the special tools, but I wouldn’t want to experiment on anyone’s car but my own.
As a example, I think the 03 Jetta VR6 had the 5 speed tiptronic transmission, which is a “sealed” unit which isn’t supposed to require any maintenance. We all know it does, but the engineers who designed that transmission don’t make it easy for the average DIY’er. Draining it is about the only part that doesn’t require any special tools. Once you drain it, unless you want to break the tamper proof red seal on the top of the transmission and pull the plug out from underneath (which will break too most likely), you’ll probably need the VW/Audi gravity feed tool. As 3SheetsDiesel said, there isn’t a dipstick on that transmission, so you’ll need a VAG-COM cable and software to monitor the transmission fluid temperature (40 degrees celcius if memory serves me right) so you don’t overfill it.
A good set of triple square sockets is another must for working on those cars. Stripped out triple square bolts can ruin your day.
I’d scour the VW forums and see if you can find any workarounds for the special tools if you’re unable to borrow or purchase them. I’ve worked on tons of them, and it can be done, but do your research ahead of time (vwvortex.com is a good place to start, I’ve googled a vw spec or 2 in the past, and it’s usually on their forum somewhere).
It sucks to get something tore down to find you don’t have the right tool to move forward, but if you do enough research you should know what you’re getting into and what you’re going to need to get it done. And like Eric said, be ready for bloody hands, keep the band aids close. Good luck!
You might want to check the brake lines. If any of them are leaking they can cause the caliper to drag.
ATF and acetone does work well, I keep some mixed up in an old-school oil can. You’ve just got to shake it up before you use it, the acetone and ATF seem to separate. I mix it in a 1:1 ratio. It’s certainly cheap anyway.
It might be in my head, but I actually think it does work a bit better than PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench. The problem with it is that it’s not as easy to spray all over tight spots, but I suppose putting it into a spray bottle would solve that.
I’d say skill also. You’ve got to know what to do with the information and the tools before they can get you anywhere. Access to information and the right tools certainly do make a more efficient technician though.
I think it’s actually made by Conoco-Phillips, so the base oil is fine at least, you just don’t know what additives are in it. It’s probably not much different from other “house brand” motor oils really.
“Liberty Gold” motor oil and “Bullsye” have been reported to be the two worst motor oils for sale in the United States. I’ve seen a report somewhere that neither of them meet acceptable standards for motor oil. I’ve seen Bullseye for sale around here in convienence stores for nearly $6/quart…
You might also try left handed (sometimes called reverse twist) drill bits. Most auto parts stores carry them. If you try it, just remember to run the drill in reverse while you’re drilling into the bolt. Many times the drill bit will grab ahold of the bolt once it makes its way in a bit and twist it out.
OK- I just re-read your post and realized you’re probably not going to have enough room to drill it out… I’d give the candle wax a shot with a good set of pliers. You also might try tapping on the head what’s left of the bolt with whatever you can fit in there. Sometimes a little “percussion treatment” will loosen it up. It might be galled, in which case, when you finally get it out it will take the threads with it but it’s nothing a helicoil or time sert can’t fix.
I’ve used AutoEngunity before, and it seems to work reasonably well. You can add on modules for specific makes and models as well. I think it’s about $250.00 for the initial set up (generic OBD II), and each additional module is another $200.00 or so. It’s still not cheap, but well below the SnapOn prices.
If you’re looking to go really cheap, and have an Android phone, look up Torque in the Android Market. It works well, seems to get upgraded weekly, and interfaces flawlessly with a cheap ELM327 bluetooth adaptor that I bought off eBay for about $20.00.
I’d also suggest replacing the reciever dryer and the expansion valve, in addition to flushing the entire system. The refrigerant oil that is used with R-12 isn’t compatible with the oil used with R-134a (PAG 46 I think is what is recommended for your Toyota), and it turns into a black, tarry mess that can really gum up your compressor. You can flush the system with mineral spirits if you’re looking to save a few dollars, or you can buy a can of A/C flush at the part store that’s already under pressure if you’re not up for buying a flush gun.
To flush the compressor, you’ll need to remove it. If I remember correctly, it will come out up top if you remove the power steering pump first and just push it out of the way, but leave the lines connected.. Once it’s out, turn it upside down and turn it until all the old oil comes out. I usually pour in some fresh oil just for good measure and run it through and then drain it just for good measure. Pop in a couple new seals and then re-install it.
The parts aren’t very expensive to replace when you consider the cost of a new or reman’d compressor. Good luck!
I did this job not all that long ago to replace a clutch on a 1990 2 wheel drive Toyota pickup with a 22RE, removing the shifter really is one of the easier parts of the job. If you pull the rubber boot back and some of the carpeting, you’ll see six or so bolts that hold the shifter assembly in. You just remove the bolts and pull it straight off.