Hello All,
How do you get a CV Joint to part company with a driveshaft, in order to fit a replacement CV boot? I'm currently trying it on a '96 Honda Accord, but it doesn't want to play. I have dismantled the whole thing o.k. so that the driveshaft is sticking out with just the CV joint on the end of it. Have also cut away the old boot, which was in two pieces!
As I understand it, the usual way is to hold the driveshaft by hand and (with the old CV boot cut away) just give the CV housing a good sharp whack with a lump hammer. A bit brutal, but I think it's necessary to squeeze the circlip (or sprung ring) enough to make it let go. No joy so far though. Suspect I'm not successfully stopping the driveshaft from moving. I bought one of those trumpet-like tools to let a neoprene cv boot slide over it. The trouble is, the replacement split before I had got it over the trumpet, even though I made sure the boot was warm first. From how tight and limited in flexibility it was, I'm sure the Motor Factors have given me a synthetic boot, NOT a neoprene one. Drat! Will have to ask them for a new one in the morning.
I've tried two of the supposedly o.k. "split" cv boots that you glue together, but found them a disaster. It's so easy to get a bit of grease on an edge and the split boot is immediately rendered completely useless.
So in summary: What's the best way to "shock" an (outer) CV joint off a driveshaft? What's the best way to hold the driveshaft so that it doesn't keep moving outwards with the joint when it's hit with the hammer?
TIA,
Michael.