Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002 00:34:32 -0600
Reply-To: Jon Joyce <okartguy@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jon Joyce <okartguy@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Inner CV Boot Replacement: Okie Redneck Style...
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed
Okay, I'm not exactly proud of this, but here goes...
I decided I didn't want to trust the black RTV repair I recently made to the
driver's side inner boot on my '81, even though it appeared to be holding. I
skipped out of the office for a little while this afternoon, and purchased a
new German boot, a triple-square tool and a tube of moly grease at my
FLIAPS. I could hardly wait to get home and tear into the bus, as it's going
camping first thing in the morning, and also because it was Friday afternoon
and work sucks.
Sooooo... I backed the bus into the garage and jacked up the rear wheel, and
promptly decided the outer boot/nuts looked way too hard to get to, and
therefore I would attempt to just drop the inside end and access the CV
joint from there. Yeah, I know, I made this suggestion earlier on the list,
and it was "strongly not recommended." Well, screw you guys... ;) Of course,
I immediately let the joint tilt too far, everything came apart and I was
left with just the inner race attached to the axle. Niiiiiiiiice.
Actually, it worked out okay, considering I had to use a claw hammer padded
with a rag to pound the inner race off the splines. (Cue banjo music). The
joint was packed with some weird pale greenish-colored grease, but
everything looked clean. I managed to get the race off without scarring it
too much (I massaged it a little with my Dremel tool), and I cleaned all the
components with Berryman and rinsed them in hot, soapy water. I elected to
assemble the joint dry and grease it once it was back on the axle; I found
that a 30mm socket on a 1/2" drive extension works perfectly to pound the
inner race back over the splines (with a claw hammer, of course). Also, I
found duct tape to be invaluable in keeping the outer race from moving
around while I re-seated the retaining clip with a set of needle-nose
vicegrips, some pliers and a lot of F-bombs.
So I actually got it all back together, in less than three hours, and I only
managed to strip one 12-point bolt head! And even that was at final torque
(via calibrated arm), so I'm going to forget about it until the next time
the axle needs to come off. Went out and drove it and it works like it's
supposed to, so it's off to the scenic hills of southwestern Oklahoma in the
morning. So there's the update I promised to you guys who offered advice; I
hope you won't think less of me for my Redneck ways...
JJ
'01 Jetta GLS VR6
'87 Scirocco 16V
'81 Vanagon
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