17 replies to this topic

[Guess-Works.com]

I find a drip tray helps :cheese:

[Russ528]

THis sounds exactly like where mine is leaking from too.

How did you get on?

[xydte]

Ive done this recently!

Cleaned the whole engine as best i could with Gunk and oil was leaking from the gear linkage and the CV joints on both sides.
Although in reality it is not usually the CV joints themselves that leak oil but the gearbox output flanges.

You will need a driveshaft oil seal for each side and a flange gasket for each side, some jointing compound is also a good idea.

There are one or two things you have to be wary of when doing this job.

On the drivers side (assuming the car is right hand drive) there is a tiny cylindrical piece of metal with a spring and a tiny metal ball with a loop on one end (i forget the technical term). The moment that you remove the flange housing it will most probably fling out accross your garage or worse, the driveway! This is needed for the location of the gear change linkage.

On the passangers side there are three metal shims behind the output flange housing, they will probably fall directly downwards once you remove the flange (i dont no what they are for but putting them back was difficult, I lost my pateience and ended up using selotape to hold them in place.

When changing the seals for the CV joints is a good idea to change not only the flange oil seal but the gasket too, if only as a precaution.

Follow the haynes manual (if you dont have one by now you should get one) but make sure (whatever the temptation) that you remove the flange housing last in each instance (it simplifys things).

It may be worth purchasing the Mini Spares special tool for removing CV joint (pot joints) Minisparesa lot of people will tell you there is no need and that you can make do with a pair of tyre levers, but in my experience a lot of frustration is avaoided if you just buy the tool in the first place as it will avoid any damage to the companants.

A long worm drive hose clip is also a good idea to get each cv joint back onto the out put shafts.

As for the gear change linkage oil seal i have avoided doing it as i have not been able to remove the two retaining pins, that hold the linkage against the diff housing. You will need a parallel pin punch (5mm I think, dont quote me) and to move the gear shift into the lift position over by reverse gear, but not into reverse gear itself. This makes it the easiest to remove the pins, remember they are not designed to come out easily (last thing you want on a motorway or steep hill) so substatntial force is required. :smartass:

If you need any help PM me, disregard any information here that is irrelevant.

Its only a big job if you break something or dont have the right tools, otherwise it should be relatively straightforward.

As for quick fixes, forget them, you need to solve the problem!

Hope the above info is of use.

Took me  12 hours did that today!!! a very helpfull guide. thanks mate if you see the reply because its an old thread