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gjh2007

Jedi Warrior
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Well; finally got up the gumption to go out to the cold/damp garage last night & install the u joints in my drive shaft. I had the yolks all dissasembled, so was just waiting to do the new joints. Local machine shop wanted $37.50 each to install & I thought that was too high. I haven't done u joints in 20 + years, but once I got rolling it only took about 1-1/2 hrs, including clean up.

A few pointers: Be sure to only put enough extra greese in the cups to hold the needle bearings in as it creates a bit of hydraulic pressure when you try to press the new caps through. I left the grease fitting off to allow the extra grease to come out. It is a must to have a good vise, 5" or 6" to allow you to press the caps in. Use an old socket almost as large as the cap to press it in & be sure they do not get cocked.

Also, I found that using the socket I could use the inscription (size) label to see how far the cap was being pushed in. You don't want to push it in too far or the joint will be too tight! Once I got the cap in a little ways I put in a circlip & pressed the cap in until the clip just snapped into the groove.

When you are done the yolk should articulate quite easily & smoothly. I greased the joints again after assembly & found them to work better. I beleive the hydraulic pressure pushed the caps out against the circlips which is what you want.

Best of luck to those of you doing this work, it's not really that hard. Save your money for some other toys. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Hey Gary,

Nice going!!

The Crypt Car is going to get a new clutch sometime
in December (I hope it only takes a few weeks!)

Then I plan to replace all the U-joints. I have no
image in my mind how to remove a U-joint; let alone
install one. Do you have photos of the process you
went thru? They would be greatly appreciated.

Tinster in rainy day Bayamon, PR
 
I have the finished product, but I think I found a google search on replacing them.

I'll see what I can come up with.
 
Buy an arbor press before you do anything else. You'll find it sooo much easier if you have one - $50 or so. Then its a case of pressing them out and putting the new ones in. You can use sockets as drifts.

It's not that hard to do.
 
Great news. I did all 6 of mine this year and got them all right except for 1 the first time. After boxing in the differential mounts all clunks, clinks are gone.
 
After using my semi small vice to change a couple of u joints, the vice will no longer close together tightly -- leaves about about a 16th inch gap between the jaws! I have since purchased an arbor press as suggested by alana and have found it to work much easier.
 
If they're stiff or the bores are scored you just cant get enough pressure on the vice. We couldn't do it with an 8" one - ripped it out of the bench. With the press though, you can bean on the top of it with a 2lb lump hammer if you need a bit more oomph. Plus a press is a lot cheaper than a good vice.
 
some good points, guess I was lucky.
 
I happened to be in the right place at the right time. A company I was working for was cleaning out the shop and was throwing out an old arbor press that was missing the platen and in rough shape. It was the type that the arm had to rotate for all vertical movement.

I made a new plate from 4140 prehardened chrome moly. Then I made the ratchet and dog from tool steel. I welded the arm/counterweight from ss parts I collected and made the ss handle. I also did some machining on the frame to provide clearance for the hand wheel that I added. Now I can crank it into position and ratchet it until it contacts the parts and then apply the pressure.

Now I have a great tool for u-joints and other things.

007.jpg

008.jpg

009.jpg
 
Wow:

that's a nice looking tool! Would cost a fortune if you could find one new.
 
Once the u-joints are pressed in, may I suggest taking the shaft(s) to a drive line specialist to check for balance. I was amazed how much smoother my 4A IRS rode after a balance adjustment for all three shafts. Don't remember exactly what was charged for the service but I do recall it being very minimal.

Lou Metelko
Auburn, Indiana
 
Here come the dumb questions: Is all of this done with the drive shaft totally removed from the car? Can the drive shaft in a 4A be removed without taking out the center interior hump?

It doesn't look easy to fit the drive shaft in and around the muffler.
 
On a 250 you have to remove the rear portion of the exhaust & wiggle it past the front head pipe.

Didn't matter as I sawzalled mine off for the ANSA I'm puttin on anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
My 4A is a pre 70000 Commission number so it does have the dual exhaust and yes the drive shaft can be removed without removing any of the interior. Don't know if the single exhaust on the post 70000 4A would be any different.

Lou Metelko
Auburn, Indiana
 
We will soon be replacing all the U-joints
in my TR6 with the 250 engine. The PO had
all the exhaust pipe pieces welded together.

So we are going to cut out the pipes at the bottom
of the exhaust header to gain access to the drive
shaft. After that, it looks it will have to be a custom
fabricated exhaust system for the Crypt Car.

d
 
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