8 replies to this topic

[Nookie]

Hi all

Will be fitting the engine soon so quick question whilst the engine is out, is it best to put the pot joints into the diff before fitting the engine then drive the drive shafts in... or fit pot joints to the drive shaft first then 'whack' them into the diff? Cheers Nookie.

[tiger99]

Fit them to the diff first, because you can do it in conditions of complete cleanliness. Oil the seals before pushing them in. The pots should have been assembled and greased, i.e. cage and balls well filled, with rubber boots fitted (again, easier to fit the boot clip on the bench).

 

Make sure that they are fully pushed in, until they click.

 

The shafts can go in later, with hubs off. A good whack on the end with a lump of wood will get them fully seated in the pots. The CVs can go on to the shafts before or after that. Then the hubs go on last.

[Nookie]

Thanks Tiger99 sounds easy Lol...

[tiger99]

It usually is a lot easier putting it all back together than taking it apart!

[mk1leg]

the cleanest way is to fill pots with grafite grease and fit pots to driveshaft and then fit boots to pots and tie.....then make sure you have put new gaskets and seals to diff covers.......

[tiger99]

No! You do not, ever, use graphite grease in pot joints, or CVs. It will rapidly ruin them. The only acceptable lubricants are of the molybentone type, which contain both molybdenum disulphide and bentonite. For very temporary use, no more than a couple of weeks, in an emergency you can use LM, but not graphite, which is utterly unsuitable. Don't use it in wheel bearings either.

 

Just because it is black does not mean that it contains graphite, because it doesn't.

 

The wrong grease will centrifuge out of the joint into the largest diameter, which is the rubber boot. The bentonite is sticky and makes it stay in place.

 

The official grease for the pots is 50 cm³  of Shell S7274 Tivella A grease, which is no longer available, so it is common practice to use Duckhams Bentone Q5795, which is the official grease for the CVs. They need 30cm³ by the way. Or, you can get a larger tube of CV grease for a modern car, which may be sufficient to do two or there pots.

[Vipernoir]

the cleanest way is to fill pots with grafite grease and fit pots to driveshaft and then fit boots to pots and tie.....then make sure you have put new gaskets and seals to diff covers.......

 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!

 

Molybdenum based grease only !

 

Best to do the CVs off the car as it is cleaner and easier, and then fit the CV & shaft to the pot joint.

[mk1leg]

Ah my bad I always though thats what was in the sachets that came with the new CV joint...lol sorry folks.......

[tiger99]

Well that is a relief, at least you have used the proper grease on yours, and will not have to do it all again soon. Assuming, of course, that what was in the sachet is correct. If it was a reputable brand of CV or repair kit, it will be, if not, it could be anything. Some of us are rather concerned about counterfeit spares right now.

 

If you ever get stuck for grease, a Ford dealer will sell you a sachet of CV joint grease for something like a Focus, which is not cheap, but contains sufficient grease for 2 or 3 Mini CVs. Vauxhall dealers will also supply similar stuff for Astras, Vectras etc. If you buy it that way, from a main dealer, you can be sure that it really is CV grease, and being modern, its formulation will have been improved compared to the original Duckhams Molybentone.

 

Don't mix different greases of course. It basically is a strip and clean job if you need to add possibly different grease, but it is anyway after a split rubber boot, to ensure that any abrasive muck is removed. The consequence of mixing different greases is that often one of the ingredients is incompatible and it degenerates into a liquid, which runs out of the thingk it is supposed to lubricate.