Slight disaster

[Moonstone2.0]

As most of you know, I have been on a quest the past weeks to repair my broken hdi.

Brakes siezed and I need new calipers and while I was at it, I thought I would replace the hub cause wheelbolts kept rounding off.

So took the hub off and in the process. broke my track rod end, droplink and wishbone, oh and got ripped off by a garage trying to steal my money for pressing a bearing.

So all was good and I got the new hub on with fresh new bearing and new track rod end on and droplink. But today was going to take off the wishbone to replace it. Well, it didnt go to plan and some how and it's too late to ask how or why, but the balljoint wasnt completely out of the hub (i thought it was going to slip out) and when i detached the wishbone bolts, the whole thing jumped forward ripping out the knuckle of the drive shaft:





and one of the covers fell off and these little bearing pins slowly slid off...



I have run out of money and will to live. and I think this is the last straw. No clue how to fix it and whether I want to continue.

Have the major problem that even if i do want to scrap it, I cant get it out of the garage now unless I put it all back together without the driveshaft connection...would this work???

But altogether I am raging and going to go to bed and watch a film...What this has taught me, is that im not a mechanic and I really shouldn't try to be!

[Jonny b]

you can clean all that find all the bearings they wont have gone far, grease it up and put it back together i managed to the same thing on the car i stripped! all he bearings were stuck around the shaft

[THE_Liam]

Right, well first of all, leave it a couple of days until your patience comes back. The pub helps with this I feel

You can't move the car without the shaft because the diff will always send the power to the side with least resistance, so your shaftless side will just spin while the connected wheel just sits still. Did you pick up the rollers that fell out? I did that when I was doing the clutch on my DT and I just rebuilt it after cleaning the mucky grease off them and re-greasing...

[puglove]

Not a major problem bed as said just round them up, clean, regrease, and put back together, and you wil be able to move the car.....................If you push it! either that or go rob half a shaft from the scrappy lol

[bigcheez2k3]

If I'm looking the last 2 pictures right, something goes over the roller bearings, like a ring? Jonny/Cully (can't remember) suggestion in the chatbox of a rubberband or cable tie should see you right.

Good luck

[Moonstone2.0]

Not a major problem bed as said just round them up, clean, regrease, and put back together, and you wil be able to move the car.....................If you push it! either that or go rob half a shaft from the scrappy lol

you mean it wont be driveable?

[Jonny b]

he means like it is not if you find all the bearings bud, they should go all around with no gaps

[Atterz]

Errrm you could just stick the shaft back on and drive it as is without the needle rollers, but i wouldnt if you intend to actually use the car again. But it would move.

[Moonstone2.0]

but i can drive it if i get all the pins back in the right place and the cover back on

[Jonny b]

ffs yes

[daddyfixit]

find all the needle rollers, clean out all the crap grease in cv boot.
using new,fresh grease--literally stick the rollers to the shaft
refit the roller bearing over needles to keep them in place
slap fresh grease over other 2 rollers on the tripod to keep it all in place
refit shaft into joint, bang on a new metal clip or cable tie if need be to secure the inner cv boot.

[Connor]

Not as big as a problem as you think mate, just take your time, clean all the grease out and get some fresh stuff, use the grease to stick the needle rollers in place and then pop the cap back over. And Tbh that doesnt look like the right grease in that knuckle anyway, should be thick black stuff (graphite grease) bitch to clean off lol

[MrsMoonstone]

If you clean it I'll put the thingies back in... I've got a steadier hand (no witty comments, thank you!) than you... Can you tell how determined I am to rescue this little French pile of rust?!?!?

[darrenjlobb]

What atterz said..if you planning on scrapping it, just put the shaft back together as is...obviously not much good for long term as it will knacker it (altho ive got field cars with no bearings that have lasted months full of mud / water lol)..

But easy to fix by just re assembling all the needle rollers...just clean it up, put some fresh grease on to stick them to, and put it back together I think everyone has learnt this the hard way at some point in there life

[cwspellowe]

Yup, mine fell apart when I wasn't looking and all the needles fell into the grass when I kicked them by accident. I was missing one fecking needle so just got a new shaft...

[Jtrigga]

I did the same with mine had a few missing so thought would be alright to put it back together two weeks later the shaft started to lock up, so make sure you find them all when you put it back together.

[Moonstone2.0]

Well, I was able to fish out 32 pins last night but the boot was ripping at the very bottom (those pins got into the tightest of places) so I hope its not going to tear off!

So once I get some grease I will try to rebuild the bearing and keep fingers crossed. On top of that I have made a revised list of MOT items that I have until March to fix.

For Mot:
(Items with a * are a must)
*Drive shaft bearing repair and reconnect
*New hub with new bearing on and reassemble with new:
Wishbone
Track rod end
Drop link
*New brakes on both sides front
New callipers
Pads
Disks
*New pads on rear
*Disk on o/s rear
*Rear rear mounts
*Exhaust backbox replacement
*Horns â?? take out and dry out, reattach
*Side light bulbs
*Drain brake fluid and refill - bleed brakes
*Tracking

Find some arch liners and attach
Tighten turbo pipe (leaking)
Source leak (underside of engine is completely covered in black oil but no levels ever go down) might be still from when my injectors were leaking and looks like a leak when it gets wet.

The car is on 175,000 miles...is it really worth it?? not like the car is in good nick anyways lol...

Really not looking forward to it as I fear more things will brake the more I try to fix.

[MrsMoonstone]

The main problem I see is time, tbh - you're knackered after work and weekends are never long enough as it is, without having to rebuild a car.

On the other hand, you've already invested quite a lot (time, money, blood, sweat, tears) so it seems daft to quit now. Plus I'd hate to scrap that car, she's a banging clanging pile of rust but I do feel quite attached to her...

Anyone fancy a road trip to Scotland one weekend to help us sort this???

[Dum-Dum]

If I had the money for fuel Id come up and give yous a hand but Its £150 I dont have spare.

Paul make sure that if your going to pull the other half of the drive shaft out to rebuild it you need something to catch the gear oil in.

Youll loose about half the oil (1L) out the drive shaft hole but it will be alot easier to rebuild when its all apart.

Oh and if it hasnt been said already make sure you pack the CV joint with loads of grease when you put it back together.

[MrsMoonstone]

If I had the money for fuel Id come up and give yous a hand but Its £150 I dont have spare.

I was more thinking of the northern lads here! But thanks anyway!

[Moonstone2.0]

Cheers Dum-Dum, hopefully not going to remove it completely, just push the dislocated joint back in to place and reattach the boot with a metal cable tie (snipped end)

[mark_airey]

If I had the money for fuel Id come up and give yous a hand but Its £150 I dont have spare.

I was more thinking of the northern lads here! But thanks anyway!

No offence, I would come and help but Lanark is a 280mile round trip and glasgow is 324miles :nope: its not going to happen, I'm working saturday and figure my wife and kids might actually want to see me on sunday Sorry!

[Moonstone2.0]

Cheers guys but I think this will be a bit-by-bit job! Most of the parts are paid for so might as well give it a whack..just a shame I dont have a spare :p cant wait to have a home with my own garage where I can have a just-in-case 306 in the garage

[MrsMoonstone]

The bottom line of all this is: Get yourself to York asap Moonman - own garage (soon) and pug-helpers in much easier reach!

[Atterz]

I was thinking of the field cars when i said it Darren i knew they was running about with no needles in!

[Hitchos]

if jen keeps me topped up with coffee and i can bring my hammer i could come and give you a hand one weekend im sure between the 3 of us we could get her running again

[MrsMoonstone]

Be careful what you offer, Gav - we might actually take you up on this! Drive to yours one Friday, split the fuel cost to Lanark, back down Sunday, coffee + beer included!

[Hitchos]

yeah thats no probs its only 130 miles according to the autoroute but i think if i go the back roads could cut miles and time off that

just checked again avoiding the A1 got it down to 112 miles

[Jonny b]

How you getting on with this bud?

[Moonstone2.0]

It's becoming even more testing to be honest.
The ebay seller isnt sending my brakes I won over a week ago.
Eurocarparts seem to be having issues getting me the correct wishbone.
and this weekend i'm in york so not able to work on the car.

On a positive note, horns are back on and working, wheel lining is in and securely attached and my new backbox arrived and I have grease.

So plan of action for the week: (can only work evenings after work)
Monday - get correct wishbone and attach. Get bearings back together.
Tuesday - get driveshaft back together and hub on with all accessories.
Wednesday - Exhaust and rear rear mounts replacement.
Thursday - hopefully have brakes and reattach and do rear pads - bleed brakes.
Friday - Go for testdrive when jenni is here and if all is good, arrange tracking to be set.

So all relies on things going to plan, no more hickups and these brakes being delivered.