Date: Tue, 23 Aug 2016 19:31:18 -0700
Reply-To: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Neil N <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: CV greaser. Was: squeaking wheel.
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Hi all.
The short version. With CV's mounted on the Vanagon,
a partially collapsed brake line brazed to a grease gun pipe
fit fairly easily under the CV boot possibly allowing me to apply
grease closer to,
or on, the CV.
I'd read here about applying CV grease in under the small end of CV boot
with a grease gun and nozzle then massaging that grease into the CV.
The nozzle I found locally is only about 2" long. I figured I'd try to
make a tool that ** might ** do a better job.
I claim NO victory and certainly don't think I've made a great tool,
but I think it
placed grease closer to the CV.
Tool: using the smallest diameter of brake line I could find locally,
I expanded one end to *just* fit the grease gun pipe, then collapsed
a CV boot length of the other end to ~ 1/2 its diameter. I brazed the
expanded end of
brake line to a spare grease gun pipe then filed a bevel at end of
collapsed section.
Spraying lube at small end of CV boot allowed me to get the new nozzle
in under the boot end. I carefully moved it in until I felt it bump
up against what was likely
the CV face. I squeezed grease in working my around the CV. Loosening
the pipe at gun
helped allowed pipe to turn. This helped for positioning the tool.
Doing this with an old CV boot might crack it ??
Mine are about 8 years old with some miles
on them. The boot was still quite flexible and it didn't crack.
This is by NO means a way to avoid CV maintenance. It was more of a
trouble shooting
thing; I had (hopefully) an intermittently squeaking wheel. It was
suggested that a CV might
be at fault. Prior to making this tool, the squeaking hadn't been happening,
in spite of making hard turns in a parking lot,
but I'm hoping this "solved" the problem. i.e. my wheel bearings are
likely ok for now.
Neil.
--
Neil n
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