hehehehe~ true.
I never think about those things.

I think the only things not fun about working on the van are the
engine, transmission disassembly, and replacing coolant.

Sudhir

On 3/5/06, Mike Collum <collum@verizon.net> wrote:
> Shouldn't your advice have stated that it was for those who have a huge
> vat of Saab CV grease and think the procedure is fun?
>
> I've had my '84 since '91 and I've repacked the CVs once.  At that time
> I swapped in one used axle (repacked, of course) because the joints on
> the one axle were just too far gone.
>
> I've read that they should be done every 30,000 miles but I tend to
> exceed that mileage with visual inspections of the boots.
>
> I got my '85 in 2002 and have only inspected the boots several times.  I
> have no idea when they were last serviced, but they're not giving me any
> problems.
>
> Mike
>
>
> Sudhir Desai wrote:
> > For that much money? Definately not.  I did it because I have a huge
> > vat of saab cv grease laying around and it was fun.
> >
> > ~that's pretty bad to pay almost $1000 to get em done. :(
> >
> > Sudhir
> >
> >
> > On 3/5/06, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
> >
> >>Would you still do this if you had to pay $150-$200 for it? Shop labor
> >>here is now ~ $85/hour. Plus taxes. Is this frequency really value
> >>added.
> >>
> >>Dennis
> >>
> >>-----Original Message-----
> >>From: Sudhir Desai [mailto:sudhir.desai@gmail.com]
> >>Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 9:32 AM
> >>To: Dennis Haynes
> >>Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
> >>Subject: Re: (rear) cv joint
> >>
> >>why not?
> >>I did it with my red 'n white van.  sure, it might have been overkill,
> >>but I never had a cv "go bad" on me.
> >>
> >>On 3/5/06, Dennis Haynes <dhaynes@optonline.net> wrote:
> >>
> >>>Annual CV joint inspections! Please stop! The real trick to CV joint
> >>>life is using the proper lubricant. Shortly after the Vanagon got the
> >>
> >>WB
> >>
> >>>engine CV joint noises where becoming a common problem. Around '86, VW
> >>>changed the grease to some higher temperature formulae. This
> >>
> >>eliminated
> >>
> >>>the problem. The grease that is supplied in all of the aftermarket
> >>
> >>kits,
> >>
> >>>(blue tube) is the older grease. If you get the kits from the dealer,
> >>>you get the later grease (white tube). Also, for the front outer
> >>
> >>joints
> >>
> >>>the dealer kits have the correct high strength, longer locking nut.
> >>>
> >>>Dennis
> >>>1987 Syncro Westy
> >>>FUN BUS
> >>>235,600 miles original CV joints and engine.
> >>>
> >>>-----Original Message-----
> >>>From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> >>
> >>Behalf
> >>
> >>>Of Sudhir Desai
> >>>Sent: Saturday, March 04, 2006 7:31 PM
> >>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> >>>Subject: Re: (rear) cv joint
> >>>
> >>>When I was at skip barber, we rebuilt the cv's in all the cars at
> >>>regular intervals as they were rotated in and out of service.  What I
> >>>remember most was the scrap pile that contained mountains of junk cv's
> >>>that had very little wrong with them whatsoever (the small grooves you
> >>>mentioned would have been cause to junk the entire assembly).  That's
> >>>on heavy usage racecars, so there's not exactly a 1-1 correlation, but
> >>>I would recommend purchasing a new set of 4 and then getting to know
> >>>them better by rebuilding them once a year.  :D
> >>>
> >>>my $.02
> >>>
> >>>Sudhir
> >>>
> >>>On 3/4/06, Wesley Pegden <wes@cs.uchicago.edu> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>Thanks for all the replies and help!
> >>>>
> >>>>Here's the damage report.
> >>>>
> >>>>I have all joints out and pretty well cleaned up.  None of them are
> >>>>perfect: two of them have shallow grooves in the outer ring, but no
> >>>>pitting.  Is this cause for replacement?  (If so, I need to replace
> >>>
> >>>all
> >>>
> >>>>4).  The joints weren't making noise while on the car, and off the
> >>
> >>car
> >>
> >>>>in my hand, they felt good and smooth.  The grooves average perhaps
> >>>
> >>>1cm
> >>>
> >>>>long and 1mm wide, and they're not very deep... some are easier to
> >>
> >>see
> >>
> >>>>than to feel, and some are easier to feel than to see.  But then
> >>>
> >>>again,
> >>>
> >>>>some tracks on the outer piece have 2 or 3 of these (usually in
> >>>
> >>>parallel).
> >>>
> >>>>One of the joints has a ball with a little nick on one of the balls,
> >>>
> >>>and
> >>>
> >>>>a little bit of pitting in some of the tracks of the outer ring (in
> >>>>addition to the grooves)---I guess I'm thinking I need to replace
> >>
> >>this
> >>
> >>>one.
> >>>
> >>>>Finally, the last one has slight pitting on several of the balls,
> >>
> >>some
> >>
> >>>>wider grooves on the outer piece (one almost a cm wide), and
> >>>
> >>>significant
> >>>
> >>>>pitting in one of the tracks on the inner piece.  I guess I'm
> >>
> >>thinking
> >>
> >>>I
> >>>
> >>>>need to replace this one.
> >>>>
> >>>>So, I guess my question is... am I right that I'm best off replacing
> >>>>these two, and is it unwise to keep the other two, whose problems
> >>
> >>are
> >>
> >>>>mainly grooves?
> >>>>
> >>>>Thanks very much,
> >>>>Wes
> >>>>
> >>>>.John Rodgers wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>>Nope!  Wear rates are diferent in each CV and that wear changes
> >>
> >>the
> >>
> >>>>>specs. our fits and clearances in the mixed parts would be all out
> >>>
> >>>of
> >>>
> >>>>>whack. The mixed-and-matched CV assembly wouldn't hold up very
> >>
> >>long
> >>
> >>>>>and there would be ve\irtually no reliability. The thing would
> >>>>>probably come apart and leave you stranded halfway between
> >>
> >>Somewhere
> >>
> >>>>>and Nowhere, USA.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Regards,
> >>>>>
> >>>>>John Rodgers
> >>>>>88 GL Driver x2
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Wesley Pegden wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>>I think everything I've read has been pretty clear about this,
> >>
> >>but
> >>
> >>>I
> >>>
> >>>>>>just want to check... I can't mix and match pieces from two of my
> >>>>>>(original lobro) joints to get one good joint, right?  The
> >>
> >>stamping
> >>
> >>>on
> >>>
> >>>>>>both joints is the same:
> >>>>>>VW [logo] 211 501 331 B
> >>>>>>LOBRO 49/83 W/GERMANY % N
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>(The percent sign is a diamond with a W in it).
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>Thanks very much,
> >>>>>>Wes
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>Wesley Pegden wrote:
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>>Let me rephrase that... does a nick in one of the balls mean
> >>
> >>that
> >>
> >>>>>>>JOINT needs to be replaced?
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>-Wes
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>Wesley Pegden wrote:
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>Does a nick in one of the balls mean a new bearing is
> >>
> >>required??
> >>
> >>>>>>>>Thanks...
> >>>>>>>>-Wes
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>Sam Walters wrote:
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>For excellent instructions on CV removal, cleaning and
> >>>
> >>>reassembly,
> >>>
> >>>>>>>>>and
> >>>>>>>>>installation, check these two links.  The second expands on
> >>
> >>the
> >>
> >>>>>>>>>first.
> >>>>>>>>>Pictures and explanation of how to know you reassembled them
> >>>>>>>>>correctly.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>> http://volksweb.relitech.com/cvjoints.htm    Tom Carrington's
> >>>
> >>>web
> >>>
> >>>>>>>>>site
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>and Ben Huot's additions to this at
> >>>>>>>>>http://www.benplace.com/cv_joint_maintenance.htm
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>--
> >>>>>>>>>Sam Walters
> >>>>>>>>>Baltimore, MD
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>>89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside
> >>>>>>>>>85 Westy Weekender
> >>>>>>>>>85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil
> >>
> >>powered
> >>
> >>>>>>>>>All incoming and outgoing email scanned by
> >>>>>>>>>automatically updated copy of Norton AntiVirus.
> >>>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>>
> >>>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>
> >>
> >
>