7 replies to this topic

[paulrockliffe]

I'm converting my car to run the Nissan Micra 1.3 Engine and just building up the subframe  ready to drop the engine in.  I have had custom driveshafts made with a groove machined in the splines to accommodate the CV Joint retainer spring clip.

 

But I can't get the buggers onto the CV joints.  They go on fine without the spring clip, but I can't seem to get the clip to pop in to let the shaft in.  Before I go searching for my big hammer, I figured with them being non-standard shafts I should really check what depth the clip housing should be?

 

Then If that's OK, any tips for getting them on with new springs?

 

Thanks!

[Spider]

The groove for the clip needs to be deep enough so that when the clip is bottomed out in the groove it's just below the valley of the splines. It really shouldn't be too deep either as the clip will de-centralise and won't allow the shaft to come out.

 

Likewise, I'd caution against banging the shafts in at this point, as while you may force them together, come the time to take them apart, you could well be looking for new CVs and Drive Shafts as they may well not come apart.

 

Also, and not easy, but check the length of the clip that it's not too long. If the ends butt up, before it fully retracts, it won't go in no matter how deep the groove is.

[paulrockliffe]

Thanks, I was actually going to rephrase the question in terms of where the clip should sit when the shaft goes in, so that's really helpful.  I was going to say it saved me typing the question again, but I pretty much did in the last sentence.

 

I also had one eye on being able to get them apart again and thinking about how much of a pain/expense getting new bespoke shafts would be, I should probably at least start by measuring these ones well enough so I'd at least know what I'm asking for.  

 

The new clips are the standard Mini ones, I bought some from Min Spares, then got a couple more with the new CV joints.  They're all the same, though perhaps the ones with the CV joints are a fraction wider.  Definitely not too long anyway.

 

I've just figured I should check what's what in terms of how they fit while I'm typing this so I popped outside;  the clip that I'd fitted sits a fraction proud of the splines and the one I'd not tried to fit I'd say the groove is tight on width on the clip too, so I guess I need to find someone with a lathe.

[sonscar]

Think about what happens when you fit it.The male splines fit into the female valleys so the clip has to fit into the groove at least level with the bottom of the valley.Steve..

[paulrockliffe]

Yeah, of course.  So it's nowhere near deep enough is it.  Ace.

 

Next someone's going to point out that they'll have been cut and then heat treated so they can't just be recut.

[Spider]

Ah, at least it seems you've found the issue. Should only take a couple on minutes to sort in a lathe.

[paulrockliffe]

Yeah, just need to find someone to do it. But no rush as it'll stop me fitting them then remembering I need the engine out again for something.

Someone on 16V Mini suggested people often just run without the clip, so long as they're not too short they're OK. Any thoughts on that? Not sure I'd be a massive fan.

[Spider]

Someone on 16V Mini suggested people often just run without the clip, so long as they're not too short they're OK. Any thoughts on that? Not sure I'd be a massive fan.

 

I know for a fact, in a standard Mini, the shaft will come out while driving without a clip.

 

I haven't measured it (yet) to be 100% sure here, but, if the Shafts were made that long, then they would restrict the movement of the Suspension. Either they'd be a 'nice' length so at a normal-ish to lower ride height, they'll be fine, but disengage at full droop, or if long enough to cope at full droop, they'll try and push the Diff sideways.

 

A mate had an issue on a trip where the clips kept breaking (as he has no bump stops), when we ran out of clips, as he was lucky enough to be running Uni Joints on the inboard end, we fitted a spring in the Slide of the Unijoint to keep some pressure on the shaft. That worked and got him home. We made the spring from a Clutch Return Spring, that we stretched to make it s compression spring, then cut it to length.