LWillmann
08-08-2008, 05:42 AM
I have a problem with my drive shaft.
I have been slowly (as time allows) been replacing the u-joints in my drive factory drive shaft for my 88 Cutlass.
I got the factory joints out one night, then the other night I tried to press the new ones in.
That's where I ran into problems. First time doing u-joints + second time using a press = newbie mistakes.
I started with the shaft end where the transmission yoke will go. I pulled the two caps that would be pressed through the ears of the DS, being careful not to lose needles, and set the caps aside. I then got the joint in place. I worked one cap into one of the ears and slid the joint down into the cap to ensure that none of the needles moved out of place.
I took the shaft with u-joint to the press and placed the shaft with u-joint with cap facing down (resting on the arbor plate) under the press pin. I then lowered the press to the other ear of the drive shaft. My press is basically a large hydraulic bottle jack (Harbor Freight 20-ton unit). The press pin is larger than the hole in the ear of the drive shaft so I wasn't too worried about hitting the u-joint itself. I worked the cap in slowly, but it go to a point and seemed to stop for a moment and suddenly popped (loudly!) into place. I backed the press off and looked at the u-joint and it was centered (by eye) in the ear for the other side, it moved freely in the one installed cap, and everything seemed fine. I placed the c-lip inside the ear to secure the cap.
So I took the other cap and placed it into the other ear, slid the u-joint into that cap to trap the needles as I did before, and went back to the press. To keep from damaging the top cap, I placed a socket over it that was larger than it was and let the press pin push against that. Again with the new cap on the bottom resting on the arbor plate, I worked the cap in. It seemed to get tight, but did go in. However, once in place the clip won't go on.
The problem is that the ear on that second side is tweaked inward a bit toward the center. What must have happened is when the first cap 'wedged' for that moment, the press loaded up and bent that ear downward. That extra pressure must have forced that cap on into place and let the pressure on that ear go.
So now I have a bit of a delimma...
Come up with some way to lock that cap in the ear so that the u-joint can't come out, without ruining the grease. It's a sealed unit, so I can't grease it at all.
Pull that u-joint and straighten that ear, and hope it's not weakened...
But a used drive shaft and start over...
I can't afford to buy a brand new drive shaft at $450-500
And if I go the used drive shaft route, I don't know what cars I can get one from... My car had a 307 V8 and 200-4R, so I'm sure that other cars with that setup would work. I'm told that the Monte SS had a thicker DS and that it would be a better one to use than the one I have. But I don't know about the length.
Sorry for the long ### post folks, but I'm really not sure what to do here. And now that I have my transmission back, I'm pretty well down to dropping the engine/transmission in, drive shaft, gauges, fuel system and small stuff.
I have been slowly (as time allows) been replacing the u-joints in my drive factory drive shaft for my 88 Cutlass.
I got the factory joints out one night, then the other night I tried to press the new ones in.
That's where I ran into problems. First time doing u-joints + second time using a press = newbie mistakes.
I started with the shaft end where the transmission yoke will go. I pulled the two caps that would be pressed through the ears of the DS, being careful not to lose needles, and set the caps aside. I then got the joint in place. I worked one cap into one of the ears and slid the joint down into the cap to ensure that none of the needles moved out of place.
I took the shaft with u-joint to the press and placed the shaft with u-joint with cap facing down (resting on the arbor plate) under the press pin. I then lowered the press to the other ear of the drive shaft. My press is basically a large hydraulic bottle jack (Harbor Freight 20-ton unit). The press pin is larger than the hole in the ear of the drive shaft so I wasn't too worried about hitting the u-joint itself. I worked the cap in slowly, but it go to a point and seemed to stop for a moment and suddenly popped (loudly!) into place. I backed the press off and looked at the u-joint and it was centered (by eye) in the ear for the other side, it moved freely in the one installed cap, and everything seemed fine. I placed the c-lip inside the ear to secure the cap.
So I took the other cap and placed it into the other ear, slid the u-joint into that cap to trap the needles as I did before, and went back to the press. To keep from damaging the top cap, I placed a socket over it that was larger than it was and let the press pin push against that. Again with the new cap on the bottom resting on the arbor plate, I worked the cap in. It seemed to get tight, but did go in. However, once in place the clip won't go on.
The problem is that the ear on that second side is tweaked inward a bit toward the center. What must have happened is when the first cap 'wedged' for that moment, the press loaded up and bent that ear downward. That extra pressure must have forced that cap on into place and let the pressure on that ear go.
So now I have a bit of a delimma...
Come up with some way to lock that cap in the ear so that the u-joint can't come out, without ruining the grease. It's a sealed unit, so I can't grease it at all.
Pull that u-joint and straighten that ear, and hope it's not weakened...
But a used drive shaft and start over...
I can't afford to buy a brand new drive shaft at $450-500
And if I go the used drive shaft route, I don't know what cars I can get one from... My car had a 307 V8 and 200-4R, so I'm sure that other cars with that setup would work. I'm told that the Monte SS had a thicker DS and that it would be a better one to use than the one I have. But I don't know about the length.
Sorry for the long ### post folks, but I'm really not sure what to do here. And now that I have my transmission back, I'm pretty well down to dropping the engine/transmission in, drive shaft, gauges, fuel system and small stuff.