Stuffed driveshaft center bearing.

[AJ2310]

I have a VX V6 with a stuffed driveshaft center bearing. Is this an easyish home fix? or am I up for a machanics bill? Any help would be appreciated.
Cheers

 

[Immortality]

Should be repairable at home if the have the right tools.

Have a look in the How-to section, it has a couple of threads on rebuilding drive shafts.

 

[monkeys437]

Anything up to VS were easy, but the VX is pretty tough to fix at home. You need to grab the shaft by the tripod yokes at each end and pull it apart with brute force. I've done them with a 15Tonne 2 Way Hydraulic press bench and some come apart easy, but others take a bit of persuasion. If you take the shaft to a specialist driveshaft workshop it shouldn't cost too much to install a new one for you.

 

[AJ2310]

Thanks for the advice. I ended up going to local wreckers and got a decent tailshaft to replace the whole lot. Job for Sat morn.

 

[lowandslow]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lDr0-Jx8Fc

Best video i've found on a replacement at home with basic tools.

 

[edals]

As in the above video thats how my mechanic basically did it. 30 mins job from driving it onto the hoist to me driving off. $40 labour and $60 for the bearing.

Be prepared for the bolts to be tight as hell. Took 1 meter power bars to crack mine out.

 

[Jxfwsf]

2 problems i see with that video.
Firstly where he's hitting it, when you hit metal you are basically cold forging and work hardening it, essentially making it more brittle than it was (at least using the a hydraulic press it's spreading the force over a bigger area).
More likely to end up with this problem http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/vt-vx-holden-commodore-1997-2002/241285-broken-tail-shaft.html
The uni joint is not designed to be taking force in that direction either.

If it comes apart easily without belting the crap out of it and using a soft faced hammer then i might trust it, no way i'd use the hammer that is used in that video.
If you have one of the 50% that even a proper press won't get apart then beating the crap out of it is just rendering it useless, unsafe and probably bending it.

 

[lowandslow]

You have to get it past a circlip. Need the impact to get it past. Press will just mutilate it.

Sometimes you just have to go fitter on things.

 

[Jxfwsf]

Funny, i can't see the springclip in that video, must've been one he prepared earlier to make it look easy... explains the mini sledge hammer now.
Same design as a drive shaft in a fwd car, should come apart easily without truckloads of force, unless something is wrong with it, the clip is only there to keep it located.

 

[NeddyBear]

How does on stuff the bearing, how many ks has your baby done?