Front driveshaft spacers

[RichardF]

Hi all, just found and joined the forum.

I have a 1987 2.1 litre Syncro, first registered in Germany, bought in Spain in 1999, now in France.

In 2000 one of the rear cv's failed. It was full of grit and water, although the boot was undamaged. The engine was replaced in Spain, I can only assume someone let the cv fall on the wet ground while doing this! I replaced the cv, and stripped, washed out and relubed all the others, swapping driveshafts left and right to reverse their rotation. I'm pretty sure they are the originals.

I had also bought a crashed 2wd 2.1 litre T25, and besides keeping the engine, gearbox and other parts, I removed, stripped and stored the driveshafts and cv's from this before it went to live in a friend's field nearby.

A couple of weeks ago I had a clicking noise from a rear cv, so pulled off the shaft. I found the outer cv quite badly worn, so pulled all the others, and decided to replace them all, except the front outers, which still looked perfect. They still had nice liquid grease inside, while all the rest had dried out.

Yes, I know I should have checked them sooner, but I'm getting old and lazy. I'm now putting paper gaskets on the boot side of the new cv's, as I think the liquid from the grease is gradually thrown out at the sides. The new ones came with a gasket on the flange side.

When changing the front inner cv's I noticed the spacers between the cv's and the drive flanges, and remembered that the bolts for these are slightly longer than for the rear cv's. I also found I had missed out one lock washer the last time. I opened up the box of bits I saved in 2000 to get a spare lock washer, and found I had also saved 2 spacers from then.

Now I don't know where the 2 extra spacers came from! Had someone fitted 2 spacers on the front inners the last time I removed them - or were they from the back - or from the scapped 2wd?

Any ideas anyone, please? Has anyone seen spacers on rear cv's, or 2 spacers each side in front inners?

The spacers are all about 3/16 inch (4.5 mm) thick.

Dick

[syncropaddy]

Hi Dick and welcome to the forum

Only the front inners will have the spacers fitted (251 407 295) and the bolt is an M8x50. The rears do not have this spacer fitted and the bolt is an M8x48 - a bit daft if you ask me!
On a 2wd, like the syncro, there is no spacer and the same bolt (M8x48) is used

Keep those spacers as they are becoming a bit like hen's teeth.

[RichardF]

Thanks syncropaddy.

So where they came from and why I removed them remains a mystery! My guess is they were on the scrapped rwd van. If they had been on the Syncro I would probably have replaced them out of ignorance. I just bought the Bentley Manual after struggling with the Haynes for years. I'll hang onto them in case anyone needs them.

The scrapped van is still sharing a field with a couple of horses next to a local garage. He took it as a playhouse for his daughter, but as she's now in college he's probably going to take it to the breaker on his recovery truck.

I kept the engine & g/box, wiring loom, radiator & fan, and some trim bits. It's a long way for most people on here I think, but it's up for grabs. Body is pretty sound apart from rear LH corner which is smashed in, I'd have kept more but there's a limit!

Just changed inner cv, damper, suspension balljoints and brake hose on the front right. Now about to attack the left side.
At least I have a pit now. I can't believe I crawled underneath to change the cv's 9 years ago.

Dick

[axeman]

if you buy new front inner boots from vw (be warned they are expncinve about £25 each) but they come with the spacers, that you talking about, then you have to order the bolts about 80p each and 5p for the washers.


neil

[syncroandy]

I had the last VW kit on the shelf, last week. However there's a Syncro-specfic front inner boot kit from GKN (part number "Spidan 23509"), but it doesn't have the spacer. But it does have the long bolts, which the VW kit didn't. The VW kit may still be available via Classicparts. The VW part number is 251 498 201 A. The GKN kit was much cheaper than the VW one, but I forget how much. I'm sure Baxter will have spacers made if it ever becomes necessary.

PS. Scratch that GKN part number, I'd grabbed the wrong box (that's the front outer boot kit). The inner kit has had it's original part number removed by the chap who sold it me (Lars).

PPS. The VW kit has the little serrated washers but no bolts, the GKN kit has bolts but no washers !

HTH

if you buy new front inner boots from vw (be warned they are expncinve about £25 each) but they come with the spacers, that you talking about, then you have to order the bolts about 80p each and 5p for the washers.


neil

[syncropaddy]

Those bolts will be a standard size in any decent engineering supply outfit. Mercedes also use that size on the W124 using the multispline head

[axeman]

i ordered the boot kit from TPS (south london) for jed when i was ordering some stuff. he was plesently surprised as there were no spacers on his van and he was on the hunt for a pair. i will look trough my recites and look for the part no if you are intrested?

neil

[RichardF]

For some reason I'm not getting notification of replies or topics I'm subscribed to, so didn't see the replies here.

I've played around with my Preferences, maybe I'll have more luck now.

I guess the extra pair of spacers came with the new front boots I bought in 2000 from VW.

I think they may be there to put the axis of the inner CV joint on the steering axis, i.e. in line with the balljoints, so that, when the wheel is turned, the shaft doesn't move relative to the suspension and damper - there isn't much clearance there.

If anyone needs the spacers they are available.

[syncrodoug]

This forum isn't set up to send notifications - you have to keep looking at the thread!

[RichardF]

Hi syncrodoug

Just got notification of your reply!

Cheers, Dick

[syncropaddy]

Hey Dick

You have two of my all time favourite cars, Ro80 and Alfasud .....

Every petrolhead needs an Alfa at some stage

[RichardF]

Hey Dick

You have two of my all time favourite cars, Ro80 and Alfasud .....

My third Ro80, bought in 1984 and now with a Mazda 13B engine. I collected my first one from the NSU factory in 1968.

The Sprint is a great little car to drive, at present undergoing treatment for rustworm.