CV joint disassembly
11-09-2004, 02:59 PM
#1
Burning Brakes
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CV joint disassembly
Garrett, 
The gold cover on the inside cv does need to be removed. With a standard screwdriver and a hammer should be able to tap it off easily working your way around the circufirance. Behind that cover you will find a clip. You will need circlip pliers to take it out or 2 small screwwdrivers. Be careful not to bend or lose the clip because you will need it when you re-install the cv. At this point the cv should slide off with a little effort assuming you have already removed the other gold cover that holds the boot in place. If you haven't then do so in the same manner in which you removed the cover. Now it may be in your best interest not allow the ball bearings in the joint to fall out if you want to clean it. However if you are replacing with a new joint then your task is half over, just repeat everything in reverse( after adding the cv lube and new boot ofcoarse). But, if you are cleaning and re-installing the old joint then you do not have to completely disassemble the joint once it is off the shaft. Just take the joint (as a whole) to the parts washer and clean it. Be careful not to let the center rotate enough for the bearings to fall out. This really is not that big of a deal if they do come out, but it will be easier if they didn't.
As for the outer joint; the gold ring does not come off and cleaning is a bit more thedious.
Remove the boot, stand the axle and outer cv assembly upright in the parts washer and point the solvent down into the joint. Now comes the fun part; while the solvent is runnig in the cv pull the axle up and down and round and around. This creates a washing machine effect and all the old grease will run out the bottom "eventually". You can expect to have to do this for around 20-30-mins or until the solvent appears clean when it comes out the threaded end of the cv joint. When you are finished make sure that you have all the solvent out of the joint before working in the new grease.
Put on the new boot.
install new boot for the inner joint.
install new or cleaned inner cv w/grease.
install retainer clip and you are done.
Duncan
The gold cover on the inside cv does need to be removed. With a standard screwdriver and a hammer should be able to tap it off easily working your way around the circufirance. Behind that cover you will find a clip. You will need circlip pliers to take it out or 2 small screwwdrivers. Be careful not to bend or lose the clip because you will need it when you re-install the cv. At this point the cv should slide off with a little effort assuming you have already removed the other gold cover that holds the boot in place. If you haven't then do so in the same manner in which you removed the cover. Now it may be in your best interest not allow the ball bearings in the joint to fall out if you want to clean it. However if you are replacing with a new joint then your task is half over, just repeat everything in reverse( after adding the cv lube and new boot ofcoarse). But, if you are cleaning and re-installing the old joint then you do not have to completely disassemble the joint once it is off the shaft. Just take the joint (as a whole) to the parts washer and clean it. Be careful not to let the center rotate enough for the bearings to fall out. This really is not that big of a deal if they do come out, but it will be easier if they didn't. As for the outer joint; the gold ring does not come off and cleaning is a bit more thedious.Remove the boot, stand the axle and outer cv assembly upright in the parts washer and point the solvent down into the joint. Now comes the fun part; while the solvent is runnig in the cv pull the axle up and down and round and around. This creates a washing machine effect and all the old grease will run out the bottom "eventually". You can expect to have to do this for around 20-30-mins or until the solvent appears clean when it comes out the threaded end of the cv joint. When you are finished make sure that you have all the solvent out of the joint before working in the new grease.
Put on the new boot.
install new boot for the inner joint.
install new or cleaned inner cv w/grease.
install retainer clip and you are done.
Duncan
11-10-2004, 11:19 AM
#2
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Mission accomplished!
Hi guys - thanks for the tips. Everything went without a hitch last night! Since I am a visual guy, I like pictures, so I am posting some pics to show future folks what it looks like.
I had one cracked boot on the outer (wheel) joint, so being already overbudget, decided that replacing ONE boot was all the budget committee would permit.
Removing the little metal clips that affix each side of the boot was easy. I even re-used them and they look to be holding with just as much tension as before. I did add some grease here and there, but you can see that the inner joint that I had to remove, had plenty! That stuff is messy - it's hard to take pictures, so excuse the out of focus ones - I gotta snap pics before the camera gets greasy or the engine drips on me!!
There was truly nothing difficult about the boot swap - took about an hour. One word of advice is to be sure to place the 6 allen-head screws and their little backing plates on the joint FIRST, then slide on the boot into its final position. If you put the boot on first, you can't get the screws on there without potentially ripping the boot - which would definitely send me over budget (yes, I know they were only $14 each!!!!). I reused just about everything except the old cracked boot! The only special tool I used was my circlip pliers that you see in the picture that I was forced to get when I replaced the dizzy belt - what a wonderful tool!!!
Enjoy the pics and thanks again for the tips!
I had one cracked boot on the outer (wheel) joint, so being already overbudget, decided that replacing ONE boot was all the budget committee would permit.
Removing the little metal clips that affix each side of the boot was easy. I even re-used them and they look to be holding with just as much tension as before. I did add some grease here and there, but you can see that the inner joint that I had to remove, had plenty! That stuff is messy - it's hard to take pictures, so excuse the out of focus ones - I gotta snap pics before the camera gets greasy or the engine drips on me!!
There was truly nothing difficult about the boot swap - took about an hour. One word of advice is to be sure to place the 6 allen-head screws and their little backing plates on the joint FIRST, then slide on the boot into its final position. If you put the boot on first, you can't get the screws on there without potentially ripping the boot - which would definitely send me over budget (yes, I know they were only $14 each!!!!). I reused just about everything except the old cracked boot! The only special tool I used was my circlip pliers that you see in the picture that I was forced to get when I replaced the dizzy belt - what a wonderful tool!!!
Enjoy the pics and thanks again for the tips!
01-09-2005, 08:40 PM
#3
Track Day
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Helpful Hint: I'm getting ready to replace the two right side boots as the outer on my '88 911 Targa has a slit in it. Today I broke two tools trying to break the stub axle nut loose. Then my buddy suggested applying heat to the nut and axle. After heating the pair sufficiently, the nut came off with a breaker bar with no problem. That's the helpful hint. Now I have to figure out how to retorque the thing to 339 ft-lb when I reassemble it!!!
