After my experience I did the same procedure with no surprises thus far. Still keep 6 extras onboard just in case though.
?
David Clarkson
90 Westy "the tranny bone's connected to the axle bone, the axle bone's connected to the stub-axle bone"

-----Original Message-----
From: John C... <jcarp1910@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Sat, Jan 22, 2011 11:09 am
Subject: Re: CV bolts and DPO mechanics

After sitting at an exit in Las Vegas Waiting for a tow truck 
Thinking my Syncro Trans was shot 
Only to find that a CV Axle had dropped on one side, 
(onto the drive shaft frame where I couldn't see it ) 
I found that the One thing that is more important than torque is to 
Keep the CV Grease Off of the bolt Threads !!! 
It's a pain to do, but oh so important!!! 
After inserting all of the bolts 
And just before I lift the axle into position 
I start wiping the grease off. 
At the end of this process, 
I wipe them with denatured alcohol. 
and then I use a releasable lock-tite on them. 
Then torque them down. 
That grease is just so slippery 
I don't care how tight the bolts are 
chances are their going to come loose eventually! 
Of course, After the job is done and the tools are put away 
I treat myself with a little "natured" alcohol !! 
But,,, that just seems to make me "more" slippery !!!  heh...  heh...  ;o) 
best, 
John C... 
SLC, UT... 
 
On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 6:03 PM, David Clarkson <dvdclarksn@aol.com> wrote: 
 
> I always check the torque on mine when changing oil. I think Bentley calls 
> for something like 33 ft./lbs. or torque on them and that just seems a bit 
> low to me but what do I know?. I torque them only to what is called for but 
> check them frequently since I had some back out once and the axle almost 
> dropped. Just seems like a regular inspection item after that episode. I 
> keep 6 spares in my onboard tool box now. 
> ? 
> David Clarkson 
> 90 Westy 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: John Bange <jbange@GMAIL.COM <lt%3Bjbange@GMAIL.COM>> 
> To: vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <lt%3Bvanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> 
> > 
> Sent: Thu, Jan 20, 2011 5:22 pm 
> Subject: CV bolts and DPO mechanics 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I found out what's worse than the DPO's mechanic not torquing down the 6 
> left side inner CV bolts: him torquing down only ONE of them. If they were 
> all loose, surely I would have heard the horrible rattling noise of a loose 
> CV joint. Instead, that ONE tight bolt held the CV joint fast against the 
> transaxle flange, and so long as ONE of the other five bolts was at least a 
> half turn into its hole, all seemed well. As soon as that last bolt fell 
> out, THWACK! The CV joint flipped off the flange and snapped off that one 
> tight bolt. Fortunately it happened in the parking lot at work, so I was 
> able to make a quick and dirty (VERY dirty) jury rig by stealing three 
> bolts 
> from the right side and drove home without incident with three on each 
> side. 
> 
> I had intended to go over all that stuff with a torque wrench when I bought 
> the van, but what with one thing and another, I've ended up driving it 
> daily 
> for work while dawdling with the Subaru swap on my work van. One more 
> stupid 
> thing to check on a newly purchased van: if the CV boots look too new to be 
> original, CV bolts could be loose! 
> 
> -- 
> John Bange 
> 
>