020 Flange Removal and Reinstallation

[dub be good to me]

Hey all,
Tried replacing the carrier seals on my 020 4T diesel gearbox, only to find I've been given the wrong seals
Removing the flange was the easy bit, just undid the circlip and gave it a knock.
Replace the flange however... its got this big spring which must be pushed in to get the circlip back on. Trouble is I can't get enough force onto it to get the circlip back on
Anyone got any tips for this?
(P.S - gearbox is still in the car at this stage...)
Cheers

[Jarred]

besides more..


??

[peedman]

Theres a special tool that you use to put the flange back on. Its a threaded rod and a thick u-shaped bar with a nut that pushes down on the flange and compresses the spring slowly. Then a good set of circlip pliers and its real easy. On my 020 i ended up taking the gearbox off the car coz i couldnt get the circlip back on, had to buy a nice snap on pliers from the states before i did it. I reckon with good pliers u can do it with the gearbox still in.

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Tools/Volkswagen/Clutch+%26+transmission+tools

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=87307&group_ID=3578&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

[dub be good to me]

Thanks heaps for that peedman, I think I might head to Bunnings to see if I can make my own...

Hardest bit will be getting the threaded rod..

Any idea of the rod's thread size?

Cheers

EDIT: Ok, got a bolt that fits to take to Bunnings. Looks to be 10mm - I'll update my tool building efforts!

besides more..


??

Definitely feeling a bit feeble!

[dub be good to me]

Tool successfully built!