Removing (now broken) CV Joint from Drive Shaft

[MN Snowta]

I cannot get the CV joint off of the drive shaft on my E34. I removed the circlip from the open side of the joint and the clip holding the rubber boot, and tried all sort of tapping, hammering, etc. I also tried using a puller (per the Bentley manual) which broke the inner cage for the ball bearings. It also marred the center point where the puller was pressing. Any advice on how to go about this would be much appreciated. I am also concerned that the marring may cause a problem when the drive shaft is reassembled. There is a link the a photo below.

I am unsure how to post a picture directly in this forum. Do I need more posts in this forum before that is allowed?

What am I doing wrong with the drive shaft?!?!?! Thanks in advance!

https://imgur.com/a/0ysLO9R

[TheStigg]

Slice the boot and remove the outer race, balls, and cage. Soak with penetrating oil. 50-50 mix of acetone and ATF works well. Swat the inner race toward the shaft with a hammer and socket large enough to clear the splines without touching. Heat the inner race with a propane torch and try using the puller again. If needed, put a hose clamp around the puller fingers to keep them from slipping off.

[MN Snowta]

Thanks a lot, I'll try those things. Do you think the marring on the drive shaft in the picture will be a problem? Also, was I taking the correct approach to remove the CV joint? i.e. remove the clips and use a suitable puller? Or did I possibly break it by forcing things in the wrong way?

[TheStigg]

I removed one once before on an e32 750iL and it slid off easily after removing the circlip. Perhaps yours is "glued" to the splines with old grease or corrosion if the boot was previously split. A little shocking with a hammer and heat should break it loose. I did have trouble one time removing a CV axle from the hub on a 4 wheel drive front axle. In that case, it was because the stub axle was loose in the splines and worn such that the splines were distorted to the point of not letting it slide off. I had to dress the end of the splines with a file to remove the burrs. In your pic, it does not appear that's the case. The marring you show in the pic in the center divot will have no consequence.

[moroza]

+1 to Gale's suggestions. I wouldn't worry about the marred dimple on the driveshaft.

Your approaches sound reasonable, though I'm a bit surprised it didn't just slide off. Every CV I've done that wasn't rusty or totally FUBAR slid right off with my hands.

[MN Snowta]

According to the Bentley manual "the CV joint is cemented to the splines by loctite and will require a puller to break free." The CV joint and rubber boot appeared to be in good condition before I started. I had the drive shaft out in order to replace the center support bearing, and it seemed like a good idea to replace the boot and re-pack the bearing grease since I had it out and on a workbench. My concern was that I used the wrong removal method somehow, but it seems that the cage was no longer strong enough to survive the removal process.... So it is probably good that it will be replaced anyway.

I'm glad to hear that the marring isn't a concern. I'll cut the boot and go back at the center race with the puller this evening.

Thanks!

[TheStigg]

If it is indeed Loctite'd, it will have to be heated to 350F to break down. A propane torch will be sufficient.