Replacing CV Boot (91 Brumby) Oh no...now what do I do?

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 11:23 am

... So here I am about to jump in the deep end again (well pretty deep for me and my mechainical experiences) with my Brumby.

Last week I noticed the top CV boot on the RHS has split and is spitting grease everywhere so that means time to replace the boot (I was warned that being a brumby owner I would find myslef doing this atleast once!)

Just been down to repco and picked up a replacement boot, complete with clips and grease.

... so what do I do now I ask myself looking at the engine bay.

If anyone has got the time to type out a few instructions for replacing the boot I'd love to hear from you. They don't have to be detailed to the n'th degree but honestly I don't know where to start.

Cheers,

Robbo (Benalla Vic)

stinky · Post by **stinky** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 12:26 pm

You should be able to do it on the car. I've done it *once* and it was some time ago. I unclipped the old boot, and slid it off to the side. I think there was then a circlip holding the shaft to the cup which you need to remove, seperate shaft/cup pull the old boot off, put the new one on, redo the circlip and that's about it.

You're probably better waiting till somebody who actually knows what they're doing replies

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 12:53 pm

Good, that sounds promising (tought I'd have to pull a heap of stuff off to get to it). I'll get a better look after work tonight when I start the job!

Robbo

Wilbur · Post by **Wilbur** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 4:49 pm

Get hold of a gregorys manual or something like that. Your bound to need it again some time.

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:00 pm

Replacing the whole CV Joint is a quick and easy job, especially with a good trolly jack and the right tools.

Replacing the CV Boot is a messy, infuriating tedious job. My recommendation is to give it to a Subaru workshop that should be able to do the job for about $60.00.

If you still wanna change the boot yourself . . . then I'll write some step-by-step instructions for you.

BaronVonChickenPants · Post by **BaronVonChickenPants** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 5:48 pm

I'm with muddy, if you can spare the money pay someone to do it.

CV grease is one of the worst substances you can deal with, it gets everywhere then refuses to come off.

It's not hard to do just messy and tedious as muddy said.

Jordan.

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 6:38 pm

Darn it ... I've gone too far now... stupid frustrating thing!

Took the old boot off and then realised just how annoying this job is going to be. Not sure where to go from here with it??

Will be calling into repco tomorrow (car pooling with the wife) and ordering the Gregorys!

If you have time MUDRAT some step by steps would get me out of trouble!

... next time the mechanic can do it!

BaronVonChickenPants · Post by **BaronVonChickenPants** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:07 pm

You going to regret this but here goes:

Theres a why ring about 5mm inside the bearing cup, you need to remove this then the bearings will come out.

Now just push out all the balls and take not of which way round the ball cage goes.

Theres a circlip on the end of the shaft that holds on the star shaped piece, this clip alone is the culprit to blame for at least several thousand hands that have been stabbed with screw drivers attempting it's removal. Unless you happen to have circlip pliers my only words of support are good luck. A vice really does help.

Now remove the old boot slip the new one on and do the reverse of above.

DO NOT FORGET TO PUT THE WIRE RING BACK INTO THE BEARING CUP

I'm about to PM you re: gregories.

Jordan.

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:28 pm

You don't need to push out the ball bearings themselves.

Take the inner cup off the gearbox. This can be done with the car on stands and the steering wheel turned full lock to the right. You'll need to drive the CV pin out with a punch, alternatively the dodgy method using a cut-off screwdriver. Once the cup is off take out the flimsy wire internal circlip, as the Baron said this sits in a groove about 5mm into the cup. Slide the cup off the shaft, you'll see the cage & ball bearings, this can be slid off in one piece after removing the external circlip on the end of the shaft. The correct way around for this assembly is narrow end -> wheel.

Only specialty tool that you really need is a pair of external circlip pliers. Having a decent set of combination pliers is handy when doing up the bands (those banding tools SUCK) and having the right size pin punch helps too.

It is a messy job, it takes me about half an hour to do but the first time I did it it took quite a bit longer! I'm in the situtation that I do one nearly every fortnight, so taking it to the mechanic would be a costly venture for me.

MUDRAT · Post by **MUDRAT** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 7:44 pm

Well then my instructions weren't needed.

Ben · Post by **Ben** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:23 pm

tim_81coupe wrote: It is a messy job, it takes me about half an hour to do but the first time I did it it took quite a bit longer! I'm in the situtation that I do one nearly every fortnight, so taking it to the mechanic would be a costly venture for me.

You need to buy better quality boots...

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 8:37 pm

Thanks for the advice guys.

I'll finish the job tomorow after work. It's defintly messy but I like working on stuff myself where ever possible - all good learning experiece even if that learning experice means next time I think twice and send it to the mechanic! LOL

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Mon Jan 09, 2006 10:35 pm

MechaWagon wrote:
tim_81coupe wrote: It is a messy job, it takes me about half an hour to do but the first time I did it it took quite a bit longer! I'm in the situtation that I do one nearly every fortnight, so taking it to the mechanic would be a costly venture for me.
You need to buy better quality boots...

I am buying neoprene ones. If you saw what I put my vehicles through on a week to week basis you'd see what I mean. Between 3 cars I have 20 CV joints.

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 6:50 pm

... I just can't seem to seperate the cup from the gear box even with steering full lock to the right (and the pin removed of course!).

Is their something I am missing here? Do I need to stick a crow bar in their and force the cup from the gear box or should it be slipping of quite easily?

tim_81coupe · Post by **tim_81coupe** » Tue Jan 10, 2006 8:38 pm

Spray some CRC in there and leave it for a bit. Try tapping the CV cup lightly with a punch. If all else fails, drop the knuckle, pop out the outer and pull it off the box that way.

Robbo78 · Post by **Robbo78** » Thu Jan 19, 2006 3:04 pm

I thought I'd follow up my first lesson in changing drive shaft boots.

Q) What did I learn!
A) Never, never again will I do that!

It would have been an easier job it seems if my front drive shaft was "standard" or "original" and came with the flimsy wire clip located 5mm in and a cage with ball bearings etc etc ...

... but my brumby just had to be different instead the drive shaft was some newish thing that has three small bearings attached in a triangle arrangement at the top of the drive shaft that revolved in the cup attached to the gear box.

Very cleaver set up however I had to drop the suspension control arm so the cup would move away from the gear box.

Anyhow it was fun and the best part is its all over! Thanks for the advice guys - made me much more confident tackling the job!

Robbo

BRUMBERTY · Post by **BRUMBERTY** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 9:34 am

Well done Robbo,
It will be easy the next time. And there will be a next time.

Welcome to the world of CVs.