driverside cv joint slides in and out???

[tode5tool]

so, I was under my car bleeding my clutch and noticed my drivers side cv boot is torn, and i looked like it happen recently. so i grabbed on to the axle and pulled it out about and inch and freeked out and to get it back in i had to rotate it back and forth about 3mm' at a time. i never thought a cv joint would just come out so easily. this cant be normal could it?? i need an answer on this asap, thanks guys. by the way its a 97 fwd turbo.

 

[twicks69]

Get a new axle. That simple.

 

[tode5tool]

It may be that simple to you or some one that had a clue what a normal cv axle does. getting a new axle does not answer my question. Does a cv axle normally move out of the trans socket like that or is that a bad thing???? it drives fine and no crazy sounds, as far as i know the left side gets power. i must have tore it today, but that doesn't explain the movement..

 

[twicks69]

The circlip on the end of the splined input hub of the axle is either missing, damaged, or not fully installed into the transmission. If it is flopping around, and you have already tried to reinstall the axle, and it is not locking back into place, you should pull the axle, inspect it and then make an educated fix by either repairing the axle or replacing the axle.

 

[tode5tool]

now your making sense, i was looking at some pics of new cv axles from orielys and napa, herd autozone and advanced has crapy dealers. but anyways. i seen the circlip you were talking about. if its is out or bent or broke or what have you, there not to hard to replace i understand. but could you humor me a second and "scientifically" explaine to me how that circlip is installed and how it retains the axle? i can only understand something if i know how it works.

on a second note.. i did not get the axle out far enough to see the circlip at all.. it startled me and i put it back in as fast as i could.. another thing is that when i got it out.. about and inch. the oil started to drip out. it was enough to make a 3-4 inch diameter puddle. should any fluid come out like that??

and thank you for your help so far.. i was a little frustrated last night, hope i didint come off as a prick.

 

[twicks69]

If you pull your axle out of the transmission, and the transmission is near the proper level of fluid, yes it will drip out of the axle seal.

Did you actually reinstall the axle all the way????

As well, the circlip is at the end of the axle stub that is just a spring wire clip that rides on a detent groove on the axle stub, and acts as a retention clip on a detent groove in the front differential, so that when it is fully installed, it will clip in and hold in place. That is why you would need a small prybar and a bit of force to "pop" the axle out of the transmission case when removing the axles.

The circlip part number itself is: MB160387

Here is a generic image:

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Here is a picture of how it looks via Mitsubishi ASA/CAPS:

 

[tode5tool]

ok, so it goes in easily and comes out hard?. did i get it back in all the way.. depends.. there looks to be about 1-2 millimeters distance from the cv axle end and tranny. i think im going to replace the hole cv axle just because the circlip has to be replaced and so does the cv boot. so i might as well get a new axle while im at it... its probably easier anyways. thanks for all the help man i really appreciate it

 

[twicks69]

Anytime.