Club 80-90 Forums

I thought I would share an interesting breakdown i had last week. Driving up to oban for a wild camping trip, going up the motorway a loud mechanical sound like someone hitting the engine with a big hammer started. Pulled over, worked out it was transmission not engine, crept off the motorway. Got garage to check driveshaft books in stirling, still doing it intermittently. Nursed it to oban and had a proper look. A CV joint had dried up and was binding badly.

Got a new one from Frank's auto parts in oban, fitted it, problem solved.

Moral is, check your CV joints are well greased. I didn't, and spent my holiday under the van.

great post, thanks for sharing. Always a bonus to have the fault, the symptom and the fix all documented.

I hope that not all your holiday was spent under the van !

I know of several owners who keep an old but servicable and fully greased CV joint in a sealed plastic bag along with new bolts under their back seat. They don't take up much space and if you're stranded....

In a complete emergency with a dried out CV joint, you can punch a small hole in the gaiter and feed in fresh grease that way, then cover with a plastic bag and tie on with cable clips. Done that once some years ago and it got me home.

CovKid wrote:I know of several owners who keep an old but servicable and fully greased CV joint in a sealed plastic bag along with new bolts under their back seat. They don't take up much space and if you're stranded....

I be one of them - well actually I have a complete half-shaft with bolts and tools in the back.

I like the idea of keeping a spare CV joint with me, lots of great ideas on this forum, thanks.

I carry some spares but space is a premium, so I have decided I'm going to remove some trim panels at the rear and stick some spares behind, things like my spare throttle cable, probably be years before I need it but if I do I will know where it is.

When my lunar mileage golf started knocking a few years ago i took the outer CVs and swapped them left to right, worked until i could afford/get replacements. The theory is that the CV wears primarily on forward drive, the bearing face that only sees wear during engine breaking or reversing is usually ok as long as there isn't any damage to the ball bearings in the cage.

Dave.

itchyfeet wrote:I carry some spares but space is a premium, so I have decided I'm going to remove some trim panels at the rear and stick some spares behind, things like my spare throttle cable, probably be years before I need it but if I do I will know where it is.

If that was me I'd probably forget which panel it was behind when I needed it. A good idea though.

Im contemplating getting a trailer to carry spares in .

clift_d wrote:

itchyfeet wrote:I carry some spares but space is a premium, so I have decided I'm going to remove some trim panels at the rear and stick some spares behind, things like my spare throttle cable, probably be years before I need it but if I do I will know where it is.

If that was me I'd probably forget which panel it was behind when I needed it. A good idea though.

make some notes or take a photo and put the notes/photo with the other spares. I'm thinking spares that you are less likely to ever need but carry anyway.

I have a couple of big syringes, the type used to feed horses wormers, that I have packed with grease. Work a treat for topping up cv and mess free.