Date:         Thu, 20 Jan 2011 14:05:29 -0800
Reply-To:     John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      CV bolts and DPO mechanics
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

I found out what's worse than the DPO's mechanic not torquing down the 6
left side inner CV bolts: him torquing down only ONE of them. If they were
all loose, surely I would have heard the horrible rattling noise of a loose
CV joint. Instead, that ONE tight bolt held the CV joint fast against the
transaxle flange, and so long as ONE of the other five bolts was at least a
half turn into its hole, all seemed well. As soon as that last bolt fell
out, THWACK! The CV joint flipped off the flange and snapped off that one
tight bolt. Fortunately it happened in the parking lot at work, so I was
able to make a quick and dirty (VERY dirty) jury rig by stealing three bolts
from the right side and drove home without incident with three on each
side.

I had intended to go over all that stuff with a torque wrench when I bought
the van, but what with one thing and another, I've ended up driving it daily
for work while dawdling with the Subaru swap on my work van. One more stupid
thing to check on a newly purchased van: if the CV boots look too new to be
original, CV bolts could be loose!

--
John Bange