Re: CV joints and other crap

[skerocdriver@juno.com (SHAWN C MEZE)]

On Thu, 4 Sep 1997 10:44:22 -0400 brett@kodak.com (Brett VanSprewenburg)
writes:

>First the tutorial for those who like that sort of thing (also known 
>as "What Robert Bentley _doesn't_ tell you"):
>
>Subject car is a 1988 Scirocco 16v
>
>1. Loosen axle nuts (30mm, 1/2 drive a must) with car on ground.

Yeah! That's awfully hard to do while the car is up in the air. But you
know, there IS a way to do it. Have your assistant stand on the brakes.
Ive done this route. (16yr old son STOOD on the brakes.) 
Or, if you got one of them heavy duty impact wrenches, BAP-BAP-BAP-ZING
and its off. Works for me, sometimes but I do over torque them nuts on
purpose so mostly I remove the nut while its on the ground AND somebody
is standing on the brakes while I use my 4' cheater bar. :)


>2. Raise front of car enough so that you'll be comfortable under it.  

Right, That's usually as a high as the jack will go, right?! I know it is
for me.  

>Use blocks or jack stands, never get under a car with only a jack 
>supporting it.  I've seen hydraulic jacks 'let-go' before.

Good common sense. Come on guys, use your head if you do work under the
car like this. (or you might not have one left to use.) 


>3. Go get your 12 pt 8mm triple square tool, nothing else will do as 
>good a job.  Remove the 6 inner CV joint bolts from both sides.  Spray a
>cleaner or WD40 into the head of each bolt before putting the triple
>square tool in.  This will loosen the crap in there and make putting
>the 12 pt tool in a bit easier.

Oh, but don't forget to blow out the LUBRICANT you've just sprayed in
there. For this, I recommend you use brake cleaner. It cleans very well
and also dry's fairly quickly and with no oily residue. You need all the
friction you can get with these bolts.

>  Knock the tool (once it's lined up) 
>to the bottom of bolt head with a hammer before you try undoing a bolt, 
>a partially seated tool will cause much heartache.  In order to keep the
>drive shafts from spinning, you can put the car in gear (just reach up
>to the linkage and do it from underneath) or jamb the wheels to keep
them
>from spinning.  Either way, remember that you'll have to keep turning
>the drive shafts to get the other bolts.


I usually just hold the wheel with my knee while I break the torques on
these babies. It goes a little quicker than fussing with the shifter.
(Unless the bolt wont break free and I need the additional leverage of
the tranny being in gear. 


>4. Snip-snip and SNIP!

It sounds to me like you did it the hard way. I dunno, im not saying it's
the wrong way, just saying that it might of been easier to do it this way
instead:
1)  Loosen axle nuts (both sides.)
2) Jack up the car. ect.
3) Remove the bolt to the ball joint. (both sides.)
4) Disconnect the swaybar. (if you got one) (both sides.)
5) Disconnect the lower control arm from the hub. (both sides.)
6) Remove the 6 bolts to the inner CV.
7) Remove the axle from one side.
8) Remove the axle from the other side. 
9) R&R axles reinstall in reverse of removal. 

Simple, no?? 


>What I found while doing this procedure:
>
>-A broken passenger side sway bar retaining clamp.  (Run outside and 
>check yours now.  I'll wait until you get back...)


Heh! I gotta Neuspeed swaybar. No worries mate!


>-The driver's side inner CV joint was full of tranny fluid, no telling 
>how long this has been going on, but it wasn't dripping.  I'd have 
>noticed that.

The little plastic cap is leaking then. You will want to replace that
before you reinstall your freshly repacked CV's! (Its in the center of
the drive flange. It doesn't look like much but it is what seals the
tranny fluid from the inner CV.) They only cost a few dimes or something
like that. YMMV


>-The driver's side ball joint is ripped and shot.


You might as well replace that while your at it. Why do the same job
twice!


>Yuk.  As if I didn't have enough of a job ahead of me.  I guess I'll 
>just have to order new tranny seals, I understand that if I order the
right 
>parts that I get a 'free' 80% Velocity diff kit with those seals. :-)! 
I'll 
>be saving my pennies.   This repair is going to take significantly
longer 
>then I thought at this point...

No, its if you order the 80% diff kit, you will get the free flange
removal tool so you can replace them flange seals! :)-


>What size drill bit should I use when drilling out my ball joint 
>rivits? 

Whatever is the same size as the center of the rivit. (I know that was
alot of help.) Start with a small drillbit and drill your hole. Chances
are good that you wont drill out the canter of the hole anyways so this
will allow you to use a larger size bit but not enlarge the size of the
hole. Then when you've remove enough material, simply use a chisel and
cut off the remaining material and the rivit should come out. (Or just
cut off the head of the rivit all together. Drilling first is best tho.) 



>Any other suggestions or comments?
>
>==Brett


Yeah, buy another Scirocco shirt, you'll feel much better for all of this
truly awesome advice ive given you! :) 
(Oh, That's right, you already got the largest collection of Scirocco
shirts, don't you! :) 
HTH!



              Shawn Meze
86' Jetta GLi           82' Scirocco GTi
The Fastest, Quickest, Cleanest and
best looking Scirocco in all of San Diego!
http://www2.netcom.com/~trnsfrma/vws.html
--
To subscribe or unsubscribe, send email to scirocco-L-request@privateI.com,
with your request (subscribe, unsubscribe) in the BODY of the message.