I never take those balls out and cages apart.
I just check for excessive rotational play, and if that's not too excessive,
I add more black slimy moly type grease.  And I never have a CV joint
problem.

Once there is a lot of play, or they've been run dry a long time.......then
they're shot.
If you think about it hard enough, you can install them so they push 'the
other way' .......and the balls will have a new surface on the inner part to
bear against, and thus their life will be extended some. 
Getting the screws tight enough is one area people mess up.
Also, the later type 12 point CV screws are way better than the old 6 mm
allen ones - they don't strip out at all almost.  
I always fill the 'cup' part of the flange the joint bolts to with grease
too. 
Scott
www.turbovans.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
neil N
Sent: Sunday, February 17, 2008 12:43 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: CV joints

Thanks Rob.

IIRC, I read it when I installed new CV's but it just didn't create a
good mental pic, for me, at the time.

Thanks for explaining it. I'm sure they will be due for an regrease soon!

Neil.

On 2/17/08, Rob <becida@comcast.net> wrote:
> At  2/17/2008 12:16 PM, neil N wrote:
> >I was thinking of that the other day. Using a Pittman puller to pull
> >off CV. Glad to know the (right sized) Pittman puller works.
> >
> >Did you use the 1- 5/16" Pittman puller? (the size used for seperating
> >VAnagon front end stuff)
>
> I'm using a generic pitman arm puller, the one I have.
>
>
> >Not to knock Bentley (or your success with it!) but as a CV newbie,
>
> It's been a LONG time since did CV joints, it I wasn't on a budget
> I'd have ordered new ones. I have always had a hard time putting them
> back together but I really followed the directions this time.
> The 'key' to reassy was page 42.9 drawing 40-012, (Vanagon Bentley).
> Make sure the skinny part (grooves) on the inner and wide part
> (grooves) on the outer ring are like the picture, it just folds in
> like it's supposed to.
>
>
>
> Rob
>
> becida@comcast.net
> Western Washington State, USA
>
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia - "Jaco"

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/