cv boot replacement?

I've been doing a lot of cleaning to the under body of my car now that I have the engine and tranny removed, and in the process of cleaning near the cv joints, one of the boots came loose. My question is: how in the world do you get those things back on? The boot seems to just collapse every time I try to force it into the small ring that it came out of. Also, just how much grease do you pack in there? Any replys would be appreciated, thanks. Chris

If I understand you correctly, the rubber boot has separated from the metal ring that attaches to the CV joint. If this is the case, you might as well get a new boot. Even if you were able to get the rubber back into the ring, it probably would not stay there. With the CV off the car, the ring is only held on by friction and can be removed by carefully tapping it off with a punch, one side then the other until it comes off.

If your boot came off the cv joint, I would be concerned. With no lubricant there, there probably is premature wear on the cv joint. As far as replacing them, I have seen in various catalogs where you can buy the ring and the crimping tool to install them. I am not sure if Pelican Parts carry them. On the other hand, I would inspect the joint for dirt or foreign matter which could have worked into the area.

With all the work going into the engine, best bet is to replace them just to be on the safe side if you are not sure about their condition.

Regards


Steve

I think you should remove, disassemble, clean, and repack ALL of your CV joints ASAP! You should probably leave the one with the damaged boot until last, so you will have experience with what is 'normal' wear when you get to the one with the loose boot. I htink if there is any pitting or 'darkening' of any of any of the ball bearings, but the races in the joint are still smooth with no pitting, you can buy replacement balls at a local bearing supply, as the sizes are standard. I have done that with no problems or noise after replacement. The type of grease is quite important, as a 'Moly' grease of high quality is required ... the SWEPCO grease Pelican sells is quite good! If, after cleaning, you find no cracks in the 'loose' boot you may want to reuse it, but replacements are cheap and standard worm gear clamps can be used to secure the boot to the axle, as can 'Ty-wraps'. Be SURE to make sure the Allen drive tool you use is fully seated in the bolt before trying to remove the bolts! Clean carefully with Q-tip and solvent if there is any question about dirt in the bolt head ... you don't want to mess up those bolts!!!

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa