Vt v6 Uni joint replacement

[ephect]

Yeap that conclusion sounds good.

 

[S/K Commodore]

Hey guys,
Quick update.
So I have ran into a little pickle.
How on earth do I loosen the 4 bolts that connect from driveshaft to the diff?
Before anyone asks, yes they are bolts/nuts, bolts being 14mm and the nuts being 15mm.
Yes I had the handbrake on while trying to loosen as I had to adjust handbrake first as the drivers wheel kept turning when I tried cracking it.
Now that I have fully adjusted the handbrake, I tried once again, (yes I sprayed them to help penetrate them but no luck.
After a while of trying I stopped before I rounded anything.
I had a closer look and noticed that I can only undo them from the bolt head and not the nut as the nut won’t turn anyway as they so close with the flange (if that’s what it’s called).
I am aware they probably have loktight on them, hence why they sooo tight.
There is no space at all for a breaker bar nor a rattle gun.
I’m starting to think whether I either need to heat them with a blow torch then try, hoping they don’t break or use my nut splitter and break off the nuts and replace both nuts and bolts unless with a blow torch, that should be enough to loosen them and not break them leaving me not having to replace them.
God knows when they were removed last so I have no idea on how tight they are or if they seized and I have no choice to snap or cut them off and replace even tho I’m not really keen on that.
So if anyone has any idea on how I can loosen them, that would be much appreciated then from there is a free flow, (well I hope anyway).

 

[losh1971]

Ring spanner and a hammer.

 

[ephect]

The fun part. You need as much leverage as possible. 2 ring spanners looped OT a pipe over the breaker bar.

Rotate the shalf where you need it, put it in gear. Then back under to loosen the one side that's not locked on the lip. You may need to adjust the shaft position allowing you to swing the bar or spanner enough to crack it.

 

[S/K Commodore]

So I also need it in gear like park as well as the hand brake on? Pretty much how it’s like when car is parked up.

 

[vc commodore]

So I also need it in gear like park as well as the hand brake on? Pretty much how it’s like when car is parked up.

Sure do....Anything to help stop the tailshaft turning when you're trying to undo the nuts and bolts....

 

[S/K Commodore]

Sure do....Anything to help stop the tailshaft turning when you're trying to undo the nuts and bolts....

Now I feel like a goose, I only had the hand brake on but still in neutral

 

[Immortality]

Put the transmission in park.

These bolts use a steel lock nut.

You need a long spanner.

 

[S/K Commodore]

Put the transmission in park.

These bolts use a steel lock nut.

You need a long spanner.

Is that those mark looking things on the nut, coz they are lock nuts

 

[S/K Commodore]

Hey guys,



Have an update from the last post as well as a few questions.

First of all, I finally completed the front and rear uni joint, as well as the transmission rear extension housing oil seal.

I ended up using a blow torch on the driveshaft bolts which worked a treat.

When I removed the shaft, the car did not move an inch.

I worked out that I had 2 fix and adjust the rear drivers side hand brake adjuster as it was seized closed so even with the hand brake on, that rear drivers side wheel kept moving which delayed me so much.

Anyway I got the uni joints out easily and they were fucked.

When installing new ones, there was one cap that didn’t wanna go in fully, but with persistence, I got it in.

The oil seal as well was very simple, and putting the shaft back in was easy once I got the yoke lined up right with the transmission which wasn’t being nice at first but got there in the end.

Yes I used thread locker on the drive shaft bolts when putting them in.

No vibrations either when driving, so that all went well. BUT?



Now the few questions.

I will start with the car details first so you all know what car.

YEAR- 1998

MAKE- Holden

MODEL- Commodore

SERIES- S1 VT V6

KMS- just over 276,500



Now problem 1-

Still!!! Clunking going from drive to reverse or park to reverse, in the rear exactly like it was before doing uni joints.

I have done the rear sway bar D-Bushes and link bushes and the suspension is good.

But there is a diff leak at the rear (gasket), fresh and going up the diff housing, whether that would be the cause, I don’t know.

Does anyone have any ideas on that clunk sound or have had the experience even after uni joint replacement?.



Problem 2-

Under a month ago I replaced the power steering pump and feed hose.

Now once I done that, I bled the **** out of it by turning the wheel left and right lock to lock and not lock to lock, so just turning the wheel.

Did this with car on and off, front of car on and off the ground, turning the wheel normal and lock to lock, going in reverse and drive with Reservoir cap on and off, giving it a good few days of normal driving, as I know some air will still remain and will only escape with time driving.

So it got to the point where there was no bubbles at all and not foamy at all giving no signs of air trapped in the fluid, telling me no air with no bubbles or foam look.

I was giving it time and plenty of it, but now it’s even worse when starting the car when the engine is cold.

Starting the car cold, the steering wheel needs to be turned left and right a few times before driving as the steering is soooo tight and heavy, it’s like the belt isn’t on at all.

But when turning the wheel it starts very heavy then when it’s forced to turn, you can feel it very quickly loosen up rapidly, just like when loosening a really tight bolt full strength then cracking so suddenly catching you off guard.

So when that happens and steering comes loose, it happens again a couple times till it stays loose and works like normal.

As well as the whining sound that sounds so much like it’s coming from the pump, again mainly when cold starts but sometimes when warm, but the whining sound is worse at cold and very noticeable.

Yes I have checked fluid level a few times and still the same and not dropping at all, I looked inside both boots, passenger was fine and no oil, drivers side again no oil and the grease was little dirty so I cleaned it and re greased it all.

I did replace the boots when I did the pump as the drivers side boot was fucked but do not know how long for.

As stated, no fluid loss, no fluid inside boots at all, can’t see any leaks at all and even if there was a leak, it would have to be very small given the fluid level isn’t dropping at all.

Also when turning the wheel (when steering is not heavy), there is a knock or crunch kind of sound whether it’s left or right in drive or reverse.

Again, front suspension is good, lower control arms near new, front sway bar D-bush and links/bushes all new, both tie rod ends new, rack ends no play so pretty much all front end bushes/ball joints and suspension all good as well as engine mounts not cracked.

I legit can not find anything that could be the cause unless the steering rack has an internal issue causing it as I do not know how long the boot was completely torn for before I noticed it.

The crunching sound actually sounds the same as before the sway bar D-bushes were done but left and right turning in drive or reverse when like parking or 3 point turn.

So it’s also got me stumped.



And finally the last question-

Caster rod bushes, the front dampening ones at the very front.

Is there anything in particular or more than can cause them to split so fast and easily?

With this one, I replaced them on both my partners car which is above detail and my car which is a 2000 series 2 vt v6 with just over 310,000kms.

Yes those kms are high but I baby that car and replace everything myself as soon as it needs doing like extremely well looked after.

Both cars get a standard oil/filter and minor service every 5000kms including new air filter and full check over and major service every 10,000kms which includes spark plugs, Diff oil change, transmission service and heaps more, even when it’s not required, still gets done and scan check for any codes as I have a scan tool.

So yes kms high but when they legit babied and well looked after and maintained, kms really doesn’t mean much to me, as if the cars die completely, I know it’s not due to lack of maintenance or anything, it’s simply due to the car and age as no car lasts forever, they all eventually **** themselves whether cared for or not, just they last longer when cared and maintained well.

The only main 2 differences between my car and my partners car is the transmission and diff, mine is LSD and her is open and she has standard transmission and mine is different as my car is ex cop.

But with the caster bushes, (sorry got off topic), I replaced them a while ago, then I had to replace again due to hitting a dip in the road so they were placed a little while ago, but now they both need doing again, my partner hasn’t hit anything at all, no gutters or anything and my car hasn’t been driven much in the past month and when it was, it was 30 minutes each way to and from work and never hitting anything.

So I can’t see any reason why they would be or should be splitting so easy.

So I thought maybe it could be the quality (Mackay brand), or something else that causing it I don’t know.

When I put them on, I do up the nuts but torque them correctly under load as i torque everything correctly unless I can’t physically torque due to space to I just judge it as I’m pretty close with that.



Could anyone please enlighten me with advice or ideas from their experience with what I can or should do, whether it’s checking things that I may not have done, test/try anything that could possibly help diagnose any of the above problems, as I do not want to nor can afford to keep guessing and trying things over and over as I’m still unable to work for around a month due to surgery.

Trying one or two things then solving it is one thing which is ok, but trying 3-4 or more things and not solving anything, especially when it’s things that have recently been done, I can’t afford to.

And I know when things have been replaced as I keep all receipts on all parts and a log of everything replaced with exact date and kms so absolutely everything is kept and logged.



I do sincerely apologise for the long as **** post, I am just trying to provide as much detail as possible on the problems, symptoms, things replaced and when, car kms and what is exactly happening.

So without as much detail as possible, solving the problem is near impossible as it could then be a million things.

So I am just trying to narrow it right down making it much easier and narrowing it down to 1 or 2 areas or couple possibilities rather than 1 problem on the car and nothing to work with to understand and help with advice.



So if anyone could please take the time to read it fully and help with any kind of advice or suggestions/help, that would be greatly appreciated.

I want to make sure my partner is driving a safe and reliable car that is roadworthy and again safe till getting a new car, which won’t be for a while still, so making sure and keeping the car safe and roadworthy while she has it is indeed very important.



Thank you very much and again, I apologise for the long as **** post.