Facelift 8P S3 - Manual to DSG conversion

Hi all,

So I have searched for quite a while and read most of the threads here and on other forums regarding the conversion from a manual to DSG transmission; most specifically on an 8P S3. I had been thinking about attempting to source the parts for equally as long (contemplating DQ500 vs DQ250 etc), and @DeckedS3 's threads were my initial inspiration and motivation towards the fact that it could in fact be done! I was initially set on the DQ500, but due to the RS tax and general scarcity of 8P RS second-hand parts (here in SA, 8V RS3 second-hand parts are actually far more common ) I decided that the DQ250 would be fine for my needs.

Seeing as the previous threads did not delve much into the details or list all of the parts required, I decided to create my own and give a breakdown/guide to the best of my ability. I guess at this point I should note that I am by no means any technical expert (my knowledge come primarily from Google, other related forums and input from tuners/mechanics who will be carrying out the conversion for me); so on to the details!

I'm based in Cape Town, South Africa; and I have sourced all of the parts within SA; mainly off another S3 being stripped for spares (much easier this way, as I initially contemplated getting them piecewise from different places; but not every scrapyard or spares dealer is clued up on the minor specifics related to some of the parts and many times have tried to push incorrect parts that they happened to have in stock).

I have a 2010 FL S3 (owned for over 7 years now and being a dream car of mine, I don't see myself ever selling ). My reasoning behind undertaking the transmission conversion is that over the years i've put in a lot of work/mods and I know the general condition of my car. While an entire transmission swap is not a straightforward project; it made more sense than removing all my mods, selling the car, and then buying a DSG model that I had no idea of the health etc.



So after a bit of eye-candy, we can get into listing the parts I found to be necessary:

• 02E AWD Gearbox including transfer case (the manual and DSG transfer cases are not interchangeable) (from my research, the possible codes that would work are: MMF, LTY, LRK, MTX, NJE, NMA - reference sites: Audi Workshop manual Golf 6R manual ) Something to be noted is that the AWD boxes all look the same physically, but there is a difference WRT to the ratios between the lower powered 2.0TFSI quattro models and the S3/TTS models. Many times I was offered "S3/6R" boxes that were in fact from the regular A3/TT quattro's.
• Dual mass flywheel
• Starter motor (differs between manual and DSG models)
• Entire gear shifter assembly with trim panel
• Wiring harness for both the gearbox/mechatronic unit as well as the gear selector
• Bolts for the gearbox and starter motor (I took the transmission mount as well, even though they look the same between the manual and DSG)
• Steering control module and squib/slip ring (My mech advised I get this, as my existing modules may not accept coding for the paddle shifters on the DSG wheel. I'm not 100% sure this is necessary, but since everything was coming off a single car; I decided to get it as a backup)
• DSG steering wheel
• Accelerator and brake pedals (the brake pedal is not 100% necessary, as the only difference is that the stalk is thicker and the pedal itself is wider, but I got it to complete the aesthetic) (Accelerator pedal is different between manual and DSG as there is an electronic control module on the DSG pedal that isn't on the manual one)

There may be one or two things that i've forgotten to list, but my next update will include pictures of all the parts. Future updates will then include the process/actual installation, however since I won't be doing this myself; i'll give a summary of the steps as best as I can.

Hope this is helpful to others like me out there who have contemplated this, but needed a bit more info before attempting it themselves!

NHN said:

You won't need another steering module or slip ring, as it's a facelift it's probably got a K module & D ring already which are compatible for coding the paddles, bottom line, if it has an mfsw then you have a compatible module & ring for paddles.

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Thanks for confirming that I thought it may be the case, but the parts were negligible price-wise so it made sense to just get them in case.

desertstorm said:

Hi I would have thought retrofitting a DSG box to that car would be simpler than me fitting one to my Mk1 1.8T TT, and that wasn't that difficult.
You may have seen my build thread but there is a link here with information on gearbox codes and stuff.
You also need to fit a spigot bearing in the end of the crank. Only a £10 part but the gearbox won't be happy if you don't fit one.
View attachment 256768There are a few other codes available that are all the same in terms of ratios/fitting etc.

https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threa...ack-goodbye-mr-gt3.319422/page-9#post-3639454

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Thanks! Yes I did also read your thread, and my retrofit should be lot simpler, pretty much plug and play since I’m getting everything from another FL S3, including the wiring harnesses etc.

One question regarding that spigot bearing you mention. Could that be just related to your fitment? I’m assuming the crank is the same for the S3, irrespective of manual or DSG models… since both my car and the donor vehicle have the same engine code (CDL). But just in case I need it, is this an OEM Audi part and could you refer me to a part number or any other way to identify what bearing I’d need to buy?

S. said:

Great thread.
Every now and then i think about this too but i don't trust anyone here for the job like that.
Spigot bearing is dsg specific part.
Manuals don't have it.
I had manual input shaft extended with added spigot bearing from dsg so i could actually shift above 5.5k rpm (single mass flywheel drama ).
It reduced input shaft play at higher rpm.

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Thanks! I would have missed this completely!

Is this the part you're referring to? Part number: 056105313C

Pilot bearing

desertstorm said:

That is the part number quoted for a CDLA with DSG . You need a new set of DMF bolts as they are TTY so not reuseable.
I bought two spigot bearings when I did my change, one was for a 1.8T auto gearbox and the other for a 2012 TTS, which is what my gearbox came from. The spigot bearing is different between these two parts. The outer diameter is the same as is the inner. The difference is in the length.
I used the 2012 TTS item in my 1.8T as it fitted, I believe either would have done the job.
The 2012 item is enclosed at one end with a small hole. It's possible this strengthens the end of the bearing. One thing I did was put the spigot in the freezer over night before I used it. This shrinks the part slightly and makes it easier to fit. Put a bit of WD40 or similar in the hole before you fit the bearing , Only take the bearing out the freezer when you are ready to fit it and it taps in easily.
06B105313D https://www.autodoc.co.uk/luk/9708094

View attachment 256800

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Thanks for the detailed reply! This is really helpful, glad I created this thread prior to doing the whole install

Struggled to get a booking at the workshop to finally get this DSG swap done; but finally managed to drop off the car today!

Decided to also get the iABED rear main seal upgrade seeing as the gearbox was being dropped; as well as a DSG fluid and filter service kit so that everything would be fresh.

Also found it too pricey and difficult to get a DSG S3 steering, so decided to just get one off a DSG quattro TT (it doesn't have the extra white stitching and the paddles are black instead of aluminum, but otherwise identical and 1/3 of the price of the S3 version). Once I swap out the S3 logo at the bottom and put on a set of aluminum paddle extensions, it'll look the part.

Here are some pics of the parts:

@NHN @desertstorm @DeckedS3

Can anyone advise if the manual facelift S3 has the auxiliary radiator like the DSG version has, and when doing the manual to DSG conversion… Do you also need to swap in the aux radiator as well?

Got an update today that the car is up and running! There were some teething issues with the software since my ECU had a custom tune to begin with, and the TCU tune needed some extra tweaking to get everything to play nicely with each other.

Car seems to be running strong on the dyno, and I will hopefully be picking it up tomorrow!

Just wanted to add in a few parts that were required, that I didn't list in my earlier posts:

• 1K0122157 DT or KD - Lower water hose
• 1K0121156BE - HVAC heater hose
• 1K0121156BEF - Automatic Transmission Oil Cooler Hose. Engine Coolant Hose. Return Hose

The DSG models have extra piping (not present in the manual models) in the engine coolant loop which circulates the coolant through the DSG oil cooler.

Also took the opportunity to upgrade the oil cooler (10 row) to the Rev. C version (15 row); part number: 02E 409 061 C.

Want to also thank the guys @ J2Performance South Africa for all the work put into the car over the past few weeks; as this has been a project a long time in the making, which is finally coming to fruition!