CV Shaft Nightmare!! Help

[TurboLaserRS]

Guys I know I started a different thread a few days ago about which CV shaft to get. I got one today and I started taking everything apart. First the cotter key was stuck, then it broke. Then I had to rent a socket big enough for the castle nut to take it off. Then I took the caliper off, then the caliper bracket and pads. After that I took the two bolts that hold it to the strut or whatever that's called. I pounded that out towards me and the whole thing came loose. After screaming words nuns have never heard, I got the CV shaft out of the hub. Lifes suddenly great right? No! It won't come out of the transmission and I don't know what to do. My Haynes manual says CV shaft in the index, and when you look at the page it references, it gives absolutely no information. I can't even find vague instructions, there's just one picture at the top.

I'm fv*king losing it here! I live in an apartment and the garage is too small so I have my cars 'butt' end hanging out. Which means I can't close the garage, I NEED to have this done tonight. Does anybody know why or what I need to get the thing out of the trans???

 

[boostback]

The non recommended way is to put a large flat screwdriver between the knuckle and the transmission. Should pop out if you pull on the screwdriver handle.

 

[DJ Raydiate]

a good pry bar or thick flat blade screwdriver should do it. turn the axle a bit and pry going all the way around a bit at a time till you find a good place to pop it out.

 

[luv2rallye]

Pry axle out the first inch with 2 flat blade screwdrivers or crowbars between the inner CV housing (green thing) and tranny on each side of that CV housing 180* apart. Apply equal pressure on each side (or jerk them together) and it will pop out easily. Applying pressure on only 1 side doesn't work.

 

[TurboLaserRS]

I tried what everyone said and it didn't seem to work. Finally in a fit of rage I put my thicker screw driver in there, took a hammer and just beat the F- out of it. Right after I did that trans fluid dripped all over my face. I freaked out and shined my flash light up there.. it CAME LOOSE! Thank god!

It took me about an hour to get the knuckle and a arm and everything back together and now she's sitting pretty again. This was a whole hell of a lot more work than I ever imagined. I hope I never have to do this again.

Now my last question, I've never had to put fluid in a manual before. I didn't really lose that much but I did lose some. The manual says to take a bolt out of the side of the trans and fill it. I can't find a place to fill it anywhere and there's no dipstick. I don't want to bomb my trans after all the crap I just went through, so do I really have to remove that bolt and fill the trans somehow until fluid comes out the side??

 

[DJ Raydiate]

Glad you got it out. I know on my 420a, I take the filler bolt out and my reverse switch out. I put a funnel into the open hole where the reverse switch was and fill it until fluid comes out of the filler hole. I don't know how different the trans are setup between the two platforms idk if it would work for you.

 

[JFZERO ECLIPSE]

There is a 17mm bolt on the front of the case....remove it and put fluid in via hose, then remove hose and let any excess drain out... Put bolt it...

Simple...

Just make sure your on level ground

 

[LarryJoe]

Just so you know you shouldn't have to take the caliper or anything off to take your axel out. Everytime I do mine I just remove my coilovers and two upper control arm bolts. Takes less than half an hour.

 

[TurboLaserRS]

I think I'm gonna pull that side bolt tomorrow, it was shifting really strange into 5th and R. I think maybe I'm low or high. IDK. It drove well for awhile but my wheel still shakes on the highway. I just can't figure that out and it's really annoying. On the drive back though I noticed a sort of 'dragging' sound and I'm wondering if I accidently bent my dust shield for the rotor or if my caliper is sticking or something. Scared the holy heck out of me. Thanks for all the help guys, I'll post what the culprit ends up being.

 

[performance]

I use industrial-strength elbow grease, and a pry bar on two sides. It is not meant for the faint of heart.

 

[luv2rallye]

Unless your 90 is different from other 1g's the fill plug is on the front of the tranny (accessed from below): http://vfaq.com/mods/wayback/BradBauer/drivetrain/Transax_plug.jpg. The bolt head is tapered slightly so use a 6 point socket and push down while turning or you will round it. If rounded bad you may have to hold/wedge the socket/rachet on with a crowbar while turning or the socket slips off. DON'T use an open end wrench!!! Second choice would be a 6 point wrench while prying it on to hold it there. I got so tired of the socket/wrench slipping off (and head rounding) I finally got a "normal" bolt (no tapered head) from a hardware store.

 

[TurboLaserRS]

Well the hole I've been putting trans fluid into is definitely not accessable from below. I hope that I'm putting it in the right place . It wasn't a 17 mm either, but a 19mm. When it comes out it's not just a normal bolt, but almost looks like a drain plug type bolt aside from the fact it's on/ near the top of the trans. Maybe someone rounded off the bolt years ago before I owned it and put this one in instead.
I guess I lost more than a quart of trans fluid because I went ahead and dumped the rest in and it didn't overflow. My brother had been reading the wrong directions in the Haynes manual to me. He was reading the transfer case directions, and I don't have one. You just fill the FWD trans till it overflows according to the directions. Hopefully I didn't hurt 5th gear. I know I didn't / haven't beat on it at all.

My suspicions were correct by the way. I took the wheel back off and the rotor dust shield was pressed against the back of the rotor. I jammed a pry bar in there and bent it out away from the rotor a bit, and no more sound!