Removing the CV Joint from the axle?
05-17-2005, 02:10 PM
#16
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It's off!!! 
The splines look to be in good shape. I think they just need a good cleaning and some anti-seize to slip it back on. Once it was off I confirmed there was nothing put on the splines to make it easier to pull the joint off. I'll be cleaning it up tonight and try to get it back on so I can have her back on the road tomorrow.
Anybody know where to go to get the big brass drift? I don't have one of those and the only place he knows to go is Snap-On tools.
Thanks!
The splines look to be in good shape. I think they just need a good cleaning and some anti-seize to slip it back on. Once it was off I confirmed there was nothing put on the splines to make it easier to pull the joint off. I'll be cleaning it up tonight and try to get it back on so I can have her back on the road tomorrow.
Anybody know where to go to get the big brass drift? I don't have one of those and the only place he knows to go is Snap-On tools.
Thanks!
05-17-2005, 04:19 PM
#17
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John;
I did this dirty deed two summers ago and documented it on my website. Unfortunately the webserver is down at the moment, so I can't just point you to the witeup, so I'll just reproduce the part on cleaning the outboard joint here.
E-mail me if you want the entire document...I have it in MS Word format...soory, no pictures, as my digital camera was toasted when I performed this job.
________________________
Cleaning the hub end CV joint.
There is little to disassemble on this end, as it is welded to the stub axle - all you can do is remove the boot and clamps. The rest of the joint cannot be disassembled without machine shop tools (as far as I could tell). If the joint is working, it does not need to be (otherwise you will have to replace the whole axle assembly anyway). Note that the prop shaft and the stub axle both have a hole down thru the middle. These can be used to your advantage:
Remove the boot clamps and cut off the boot as done previously;
Wipe out as much grease/dirt as you can from the top side of the joint;
Suspend the entire axle assemble from overhead, with the stub axle facing downward, over a plastic container big enough to handle a liter or two of solvent/cleaner.
Using a turkey baster (preferably not the one from the kitchen) or squeeze bottle, squirt solvent into the top part of the suspended joint housing. The baster can be used like a mini pressure washer and blast the grease away;
The stub axle can be moved up and down like a plunger to break up the grease and work the solvent around. The solvent will run down the stub axle center hole and drain into the plastic container. You can reuse the solvent from the container for the initial cleaning. You may need to unclog the drain hole from time to time...just use something thin to poke up thru the axle hole and loosen the accumulated material. I used a plastic knitting needle about 10" long;
When most of the grease has been rinsed out, you will need to let the joint soak in solvent for awhile. You can simply fill a bucket up with solvent and stand the prop shaft up in it, but here's the way I did it: Plug the stub axle center hole with a golf tee by tapping it gently into place. Stand the whole prop shaft up in a container to catch any drips and fill the inside of the joint up with you favorite solvent (kerosene is relative cheap and works well). Let it sit for awhile (overnight in my case) to dissolve any remaining grease. When you are ready to continue cleaning, remove the golf tee and let the solvent run out. You may have to encourage this by uncloging the axle hole as noted above.
Continue cleaning until all the grease and dirt have been removed...you need to get it all. Very important. As a final cleaning step, spray brake cleaner down through the joint and let it dry completely.
___________________
To regrease the outboard joint, I bought a couple of large plastic medical syringes from the local drug superstore. Get ones of at least 60cc (2oz) volume with a catheter tip. Fill the syringe with CV grease from the boot kit and insert the tip in the outboard axle hole. Inject the grease up the shaft and into the outside part of the joint. Work the joint around to distribute the grease. Force a few empty syringes of air up the axle hole to force all the grease into the joint housing. The workshop manual indicates that you need 80gr of grease on either side of the joint.
I also used the syringe to inject grease in the inboard side of the hub-side CV joint. It allows the grease to be forced into the bearings and is much less messy than doing this by hand. Work the joint up and down, round and round to ensure all the metal surfaces are coated. There is no need to place grease in the dust boot itself. Indeed the workshop manual specifically states not to do this.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
SteveCo in St. John's
I did this dirty deed two summers ago and documented it on my website. Unfortunately the webserver is down at the moment, so I can't just point you to the witeup, so I'll just reproduce the part on cleaning the outboard joint here.
E-mail me if you want the entire document...I have it in MS Word format...soory, no pictures, as my digital camera was toasted when I performed this job.
________________________
Cleaning the hub end CV joint.
There is little to disassemble on this end, as it is welded to the stub axle - all you can do is remove the boot and clamps. The rest of the joint cannot be disassembled without machine shop tools (as far as I could tell). If the joint is working, it does not need to be (otherwise you will have to replace the whole axle assembly anyway). Note that the prop shaft and the stub axle both have a hole down thru the middle. These can be used to your advantage:
Remove the boot clamps and cut off the boot as done previously;
Wipe out as much grease/dirt as you can from the top side of the joint;
Suspend the entire axle assemble from overhead, with the stub axle facing downward, over a plastic container big enough to handle a liter or two of solvent/cleaner.
Using a turkey baster (preferably not the one from the kitchen) or squeeze bottle, squirt solvent into the top part of the suspended joint housing. The baster can be used like a mini pressure washer and blast the grease away;
The stub axle can be moved up and down like a plunger to break up the grease and work the solvent around. The solvent will run down the stub axle center hole and drain into the plastic container. You can reuse the solvent from the container for the initial cleaning. You may need to unclog the drain hole from time to time...just use something thin to poke up thru the axle hole and loosen the accumulated material. I used a plastic knitting needle about 10" long;
When most of the grease has been rinsed out, you will need to let the joint soak in solvent for awhile. You can simply fill a bucket up with solvent and stand the prop shaft up in it, but here's the way I did it: Plug the stub axle center hole with a golf tee by tapping it gently into place. Stand the whole prop shaft up in a container to catch any drips and fill the inside of the joint up with you favorite solvent (kerosene is relative cheap and works well). Let it sit for awhile (overnight in my case) to dissolve any remaining grease. When you are ready to continue cleaning, remove the golf tee and let the solvent run out. You may have to encourage this by uncloging the axle hole as noted above.
Continue cleaning until all the grease and dirt have been removed...you need to get it all. Very important. As a final cleaning step, spray brake cleaner down through the joint and let it dry completely.
___________________
To regrease the outboard joint, I bought a couple of large plastic medical syringes from the local drug superstore. Get ones of at least 60cc (2oz) volume with a catheter tip. Fill the syringe with CV grease from the boot kit and insert the tip in the outboard axle hole. Inject the grease up the shaft and into the outside part of the joint. Work the joint around to distribute the grease. Force a few empty syringes of air up the axle hole to force all the grease into the joint housing. The workshop manual indicates that you need 80gr of grease on either side of the joint.
I also used the syringe to inject grease in the inboard side of the hub-side CV joint. It allows the grease to be forced into the bearings and is much less messy than doing this by hand. Work the joint up and down, round and round to ensure all the metal surfaces are coated. There is no need to place grease in the dust boot itself. Indeed the workshop manual specifically states not to do this.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
SteveCo in St. John's
