Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:39:46 -0700
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: CV joints..What to look at, how to tell...
In-Reply-To: <g2k6bc66ccf1004162014r21c48d16sd1cba8438a7abeb1@mail.gmail.com>
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On Fri, Apr 16, 2010 at 8:14 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
> No drug content, but I did say "Joint" in my subject line..do I get credit
> for that?
>
> Tomorrow is going to be an 'under Vanagon' maintenance session for me. I
> have my regularly scheduled spelunking maintenance to do and while I have
> all that 'smegma' in my eyes, I wanted to check on my CV joints again. Last
> summer I pulled em all apart and repacked with fresh grease, and I replaced
> one that was the worst one--a couple of the bearings and the cage was pretty
> badly surface galled. The others showed some discoloration on the bearings,
> cages looked OK. I didn't have the cash to just replace em all because of
> a bit of heat bluing.
> Right now, I hear no unusual or alarming noises while driving..everything
> seems OK under there..From the Driver's seat. But I am, "Going Under" in the
> morning, swapping in some Swepco for the tranny and lubing and checking all
> the shift linkage as well as changing gas filter and adding an inline
> "pre-pump" filter, so I am going to be "right there" at the axles...
>
> I really don't want to take the axles apart again just to look. I'd really
> like to avoid that awful mess of grease and solvent, probably stripping out
> an allen screw or two, if I can right now...So, can I get an idea of how
> those joints might be holding up by any non-invasive inspection methods?
> Push/pull on the axles? Rotate a wheel and listen? Run the van while on
> jackstands and listen?...anybody have any little tricks that might help me
> tell if I have an imminent failure just waiting to happen under there?
>
> I am planning on doing a complete job on the CVs and axles this coming
> fall, when I do my next 'under van' scheduled maintenance before our next
> major trip, our winter time desert sojourn. I am being lazy and maybe a
> bit risky, I know...but I just don't have the time and cash right now to
> simply do the whole thing on the basis of some heat discoloration I saw last
> time in there...
>
> Helpful hints? thanks, Don Hanson
>
I don't know the figures, so am guessing, but if low miles put on
since new grease and replaced CV, and not a lot more miles will be put
on before Fall Overhaul, and boots are ok....
I have read that one can sneak in some lube under small end of boot
using a needle of some kind. Some kind of attachment on a grease gun
maybe? Archives will tell all on that one. As others do, I run my
boots w/o that clamp on small end.
Recently had my drive shafts out. Trying hard to recall, but pretty
sure inboard CV's showed grease drying out faster. Not completely
gone, just dryer. Say after 30K miles. So if you don't pull the axles,
make sure to add grease to inboards at very least.
Of course if you do pull them, I can't speak highly enough of flushing
out the bolt heads with WD40 or some such cheap crap along with
clawing out mung with a pic. Then take time to tap in the hex or star
tool so it's seated well before turning each bolt.
Neil.
--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
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