Hi Guys,

Newbie needs advice. When I purchased the mini the owner told me that the front CV joints are stuffed, so naturally I looked under the car and sure enough the boot on the left side CV was dislodged off the CV and dangling around the axle.

When I drive her, at high speeds(80km/h) occasionally I can hear a clunking noise from the front of the car. I can also hear speaking noises (like I had polyurethane suspension bushes or something) at the front of the car. When I turn the steering wheel full lock however I don’t hear clunking noises.

Other general info: She’s a Hydro car, the hydro linkages look in good knick, all 4 wheels sits approx 3 fingers from the bottom of the wheel arch. I have since thoroughly cleaned up the front and rear subframes and they seem to be in fair to good condition with minimal rust.

So after looking under the car again and (not being sure really what to look for) I made sure all the nuts and bolts were present and tight (sorry total newbie speak). So now I have lost sleep over it… here are my questions:

1) What grease can I use to grease up the suspension arms and grease nipples etc? brand? Type?
2) Where are all the grease nipples located? Are there any that are hard to find? Common problem areas? Can someone point me to the pages in the Leyland workshop manual where I can look this info up?
3) With the CV joints, Should I take them to a pro to get them fixed (Quoted approx $400 for the lot with new CVs) or should I try to do it myself? Do you think it could be done by a novice?
4) Should I renew the CVs by oiling them up and buying new boot kits with oil? I have been told that if they are making clunking noises then it’s best to buy new.
5) If I do it myself, anything specific that I should know? Esp what special tools and equipment that I will need to get the job done?
6) Can anyone give me some other misc tips? Such as any parts that I should replace as a default while I have the hub off and replacing the CVs (like Wheel bearing kit etc)

Any comments would be appreciated. I got to figure out a solution before July 10th as the rego runs out then!

I really would like to do it myself so I can learn how to do it, instead of getting it done for me and still be clueless. My only fear is that due to my own lack of knowledge I will completely f$%k her up or make critical mistakes. What do you think?

Cheers,
Chong

Most times you can get away with just cleaning them up and putting new boots and grease on, how much do you know about taking cv's out? because the top or lower control arm has to be unbolted at the swivel hub to do so, and if you dont have a big enough hammer or puller, dont bother i tried doing it to mine about 3 years ago, i had to get a big fork type splitter and bash the crap outa it..

it would probably cost you under $40 to change the boots, a lot cheaper than $400, but honestly if you dont have the tools and the know how, id recomend getting somone else to do it..

what kinda tools and knowlege have you got is the question.. im an aprentice mechanic (1st yr) and i get people comming in to work all the time, who try and do things themselves, but they end up doing more harm then good, moving dizzys when changing points, leaving crap loose, wheels, caliper bracket bolts etc etc, lol

as for the grease, any is better than none

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GTi Turbo'd mini, abused daily

You will find that if the boot is worn, your CV will be worn, too. Once ya get grit and grime in there, they don't last long.

Cost me a little over $400 to get the ones on my van done, thats all parts and labour. So your quote seems on target.

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New CV joints cost $100-$120 each, so with that in mind, $400 for both with labour sounds pretty good. If you've had a bit of experience playing round up front, replacing the front CVs isn't a big deal - the main problem is once you have the drive shaft off, actually seperating the CV. Some can be a real pain. If your up for a challenge then go for it. All you've got to do is split the front ball joints, pull the hub off, disconnect the uni joints and out she comes. The first side will be a bit of a hassle but you'll find the second side comes nice and easy once you've got it figured out.

If you are as you say a total newbie, perhaps approaching some easier mechanical tasks first before you tackle the CVs would be a good idea.

Cheers,
Anto.

Anto, i'm pretty sure the CV's themselves cost me a little more than $120, i'm pretty sure it was over $300 for the pair. So the cost for labour didn't bother me at all, beats crawling under the car anyday!

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Maybe my quote was for reco then. I have seen recoed ones for as low as $90 each, however if you have a few spare CV joints you can make one good CV joint out of two crap ones yourself, if you're willing to get a bit greasy (this is what I'm going to do when I can be bothered fixing mine).

Anto.

Yeah I think my CV's are beyond their expiry date... The place at Seven Hills was the one who quoted me approx $400 for new CVs and boot kit.

$400 it is!

I'll get them to do a few other things while they're under there like show me where the grease nipples are

Thanks for the replies

I'll go on record here, saying unless they are gritty, cleaning and repacking CVs makes them good as new for 10% of the cost. If they are clunking they are probably dry.
Mine have now done over 130,000 miles and they don't clunk. Couple of boot kits and grease at 65,000 is all it took. Don't use ordinary grease in CVs- either use what comes in the boot kits, or Castrol LMM.

Grease nipples-
FRONT:
top ball joint
bottom ball joint
top suspension arm (nipple at front)

REAR:
outer end of each trailing arm. I give 'em 20 shots EACH every 5000 miles.

Grease:
Any EP2 grease is fine. I use Valvoline, or Castrol.. whatever is cheaper.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Thanks for the info Doc...

So can I pay you to show me how to remove and grease up my CVs?? I am serious! I'd rather pay you $$ and learn something than pay $400 and be back where I started!!

From memory there is also a grease nipple on the back of the gearbox on remote boxes - but I think you have to remove the motor to get access to it. Doh!

68 Delux,
Greasing CVs is a filthy pig of a job. That's one reason mechanics prefer to fit new ones...
The driveshaft has to come out before you can pull it apart. Then the dirty work starts.
On a rod change it's worse as the pot joints need to come out or apart too.

Unfortunately, after a lifetime of working with grease, oil and solvents I get dermatitis on my hands. And, I'm now retired, well... sort of..
So, I'd prefer to advise you, not do it. Buy a manual first if you don't have one, and read away...

Anto,
If you are lucky with the nipple's angle (ooh er..), have a flex hose on your gun, and a good command of English swear words, it is possible to grease the remote linkage from above.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Doctor, I understand.. it was worth a try! I (and I might not be alone) would gladly pay good money to be taught some mini mechanics

ok i will take it to a shop and get it done. Thanks for the advice so far, you know your advice has filled several pages of my mini notebook so far

oh doc, youre such a dear. ( =

chong,
1. get yourself a grease gun. i got mine from repco with two grease tubes for about $19 i think.

2. grease tubes supplied were lithium based. the mini handbook says lithium based grease should be used.

3. there are 3 nipples on each side of the car.
i) rear wheel. the nipple points out
ii) front wheel adjacent to the brake body. it points forwards.
iii) front wheel, closer to the engine, points outwards

4. put grease tubes into grease gun. expect alot of mess. pulling back the spring, loading it, closing it, with all that going on its a pain in the arse with the spring threatening to close on ya and squirt grease everywhere.

5. clean each nipple

6. firmly push the end of the gun nozzle around the nipple and start pumping. you should feel a firmness as you pump the grease (against the valve in the nipple)

i did it the first time in April and had no idea when to stop. i just pumped and pumped-
anyone know when to stop?

expect about 30minutes trying to work out the grease gun. sometimes it pumps out grease, sometimes it doesnt. the spring seems to move back into the grease instead of pumping it out.
all i can say: just keep pumping. youll eventually get the air out of it.

see the pictures if you are lost at
http://www.angelfire.com/mech/ducho/

thats if i can put some pictures up

where abouts in sydney do you live. after exams (1st July) i might be able to come over to help you and th'lady

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Inconspicuously Conspicuous
Appreciation without Depreciation
forever chasing clearer skies...

After you put a cartridge in the grease gun, you need to get all the air out before it will pump any grease....!
There is either:
1. a vent valve at the front (push ball in until air is gone and grease oozes out), or
2. a vent hole in the end of the threads in body (loosen the barrel until air is gone, retighten).

Enjoy!

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Took me about 6 or so hours to do my CV's, Pot joints and wheel bearings. Took twice as long on one side since it was the first time I was doing it. I used Valvoline Valplex Molybdenum grease (dark grey stuff)on mine, the stuff is like tar, but does both CV's and wheel bearings. Costs about 10 bucks for a cartridge of it from Repco.


BIG WARNING......... If you take your CV apart mark the position of the cage against the shaft. If you put the cage back in a different position it will cause premature wear, and reduce the life quite dramatically. Same deal with the Pot joints.

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"He's always been a dickhead, He always is a dickhead, He will always be a dickhead. So stop complaining when he acts like one."