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Date:         Sun, 14 Sep 1997 16:36:22 -0500
Reply-To:     "Rick Sherrod (hopeless VW nut)" <kdf_cars@MYLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         "Rick Sherrod (hopeless VW nut)" <kdf_cars@MYLINK.NET>
Organization: Specialty Automotive
Subject:      Re: Hesitation (and dry C/V joints)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

In a message of 12 Sep 1997 10:25:41 -0700 Erik Rhodes writes:

> What the devil causes that initial hesitation when you >accelerate from stop lights? In my 79 westie, there's always been this >anoying hesitation before the power is there. Usually I'll avoid it by >just reving the engine up a little before I let out the clutch pedal so >the RPMs go up a bit before I put the load of the motor on. > > For a while I had a problem where the RPMs were too high and >this problem went away. But that's gone and now my hesitation problem >is back.

Hi List,

The quickest and cheapest way to prevent or cure the above symptom is to lubricate the CV joints on your Bus/Vanagon. It sounds ridiculous, I know, and yet I know it to be true regardless of what we think about it. (Physics and properties of physics seem curiously unaffected by what we think about them)

Here it is just the way my father, the 30 year master VW tech, laid it out for me. VW is a cheap company. They are so cheap that they removed the drainplugs from the '74 and later Bug motors to save 17pf per car. (Drainplugs apparently don't sell cars). They also didn't put enough Molybdenum disulfide grease in your CV boots when they were "crafting" your Van. Just think what a promotion old "Klaus" the bean-counter got the year the Hannover factory started skimping on grease. Good for Klaus, more work for your typical hopeless VW nut (like me). I have never loved a product and hated the company that produced it like I do VW. Anybody else? Different posting altogether. Read on!!

A CV joint can be dry inside even if the boot is in perfect condition, and even if the boot seems to have lots of grease inside, because the boot is not the critical or "working" part of the joint. The cage, or balls, of the joint are the critical or "working parts of the joint, and require the lubrication. To check a seemingly fine joint for lack of lubrication, clean the joint and boot thoroughly. Remove the bolts that pass through the joint, and inspect. If the grease is pastey, or chalklike in consistantcy in any way, relube. Now, this doesn't mean to remove the joint and disassemble and place it in a parts washer,etc. If the joint is intact and uncontaminated with sand and dust & such, you may simply use a grease gun and a grease "straw or needle", available at Pep-Boys. Everything that you need is in the oil section at the end of the aisle where the air filters are. You will also find the proper grease there under the name Moly-Graph (black container or tube). If you have contaminated joints due to split or cracked boots you will have to do the tear down thing, no exceptions. There is no way to flush the sand out properly to install one of those "zip-on boots" that you install with the joint in place. Without removing the sand you will grind your joints to oblivion even with new grease.

To lube a dry, but otherwise serviceable, joint get a grease gun, a straw or needle attachment, a tube of Moly-Graph grease (or two), and some rubber gloves or some old towels to wipe your hands off with. Remove the six bolts, flex the joint down sharply, and find a "window" for the needle to pass through the balls and cage to gain access to the boot well. Do not puncture the boot with the needle! It will not heal like your skin. Pump plenty of grease into the boot until it bulges just slightly. Remove the grease gun and attachments, and squeeze the boot until grease comes back through the joint. Wipe out the tranny drive flange "cup", fill it with grease, and reattach the joint. Your done. Just remember that there are 4 identical joints on 2wd vans, and 8 on Syncros (the two front outers on the Syncro are different and will require much more work), and the two rear outers on Vanagons are hidden in the control arm cave, you should remove the shaft completely from the vehicle because of this fact. The alternative to doing this is to pay someone to do it for you and hope against hope that he gets more grease in the joints than he does sand. ;--)

Questions? Comments? Offers?

Rick Sherrod kdf_cars@mylink.net

86 Syncro Weekender for sale to worthy listmember(s) 87K Macon, GA


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