Removing driveshafts

[Captain Jack]

How do I remove the driveshafts? I've undone the two 11mm nuts on the mounting that hold it in but the shaft won't budge. I've even unbolted the mounting bracket itself but it still won't move. I am scared of damaging the drive shaft joint inside the rubber boot thing by the mounting bracket if I pull too hard.

The most difficult bit so far has been removing the ball joint arm... took around 30 minutes of bashing it with a hammer trying not to damage over bits around it. I am nearly there - just can't pull out the drive shaft!

[Captain Jack]

Gave up on this for now. Need the car tonight so everything has been put back together (why does the gearbox oil go back in so slowly?). I don't think it would be a very difficult job IF my drive-shafts came out as easily as they should have but they just wouldn't budge!! The shaft is NOT seized in the bottom mount bracket as when I wiggle it, it looks like it's free. So it's almost as if the gearbox wouldn't let go of them.

[jasper5]

Make sure the 2 bolts in the inner bearing (the ones with the 2x11mm nuts) are out all the way and not stopping the shaft from moving.

There is nothing in the gearbox to stop the driveshaft from coming out, the only thing that can stop it is the inner bearing, try some WD40 inside the lower mount bracket where the bearing slides out and maybe give the shaft a few taps on the end of the driveshaft with the nut on.

If all else fails, remove the lower mount bracket as a complete unit with the driveshaft still connected and seperate it later.

[Captain Jack]

Make sure the 2 bolts in the inner bearing (the ones with the 2x11mm nuts) are out all the way and not stopping the shaft from moving.

The nuts were completely out but the bolts were only out half way out as the inner bearing stopped it coming out completely. But the shaft didn't even budge, no matter how much I wiggled it. The bearing wasn't stuck inside the mount as I saw it being loose and not move with the mount when wiggled. That said, it does look like there's something stopping it from coming out - I don't know what though.

There is nothing in the gearbox to stop the driveshaft from coming out, the only thing that can stop it is the inner bearing, try some WD40 inside the lower mount bracket where the bearing slides out and maybe give the shaft a few taps on the end of the driveshaft with the nut on.

If all else fails, remove the lower mount bracket as a complete unit with the driveshaft still connected and seperate it later.

Uhm... I did. I unbolted the mounting bracket but it was hard work prising it away from the engine. The shaft seems to have been stopping it. Also, it looks like in addition to the bolts, the mounting bracket is also held in place by pins on either side but I couldn't prise the mounting bracket far enough away from the engine to free it.

Grrr....

[jasper5]

Did you undo the 2 bolts holding the mount itself? The bolt through the actual mount and the bolt through the other end connected to the subframe?

[scoopeydiesel]

I had mine out last week, the two small bolts holding the drive shaft with bearing into the engine mount need to be well opened and then rotated about 180 degrees as there are lugs on these bolts which will prevent you from pulling the shaft out.

[markw]

Just for info, they look like this.

[jasper5]

I asked if these had been removed earlier in the thread.

[Captain Jack]

Yeah I undid the bolt that goes through the middle and the weird bracket on the subframe.

I did undo these hockey stick bolts...and turned them 180 degrees so they are not holding the intermediate shaft bearing in the mount bracket. The only thing I didn't do is tap the end of the shaft...maybe that would free it up?

Will try it again tomorrow. All the nuts should come off easily enough now. The shaft is my biggest obstacle.

I don't understand how the intermediate bearing can be stuck in the mount - it's spinning in it all the time so it can't be seized in there, can it?

Also, with mount bracket fully unbolted, it still feels quite stuck and I am not sure why....

[Captain Jack]

Would I damage the drive shaft itself if I hit it near the gearbox entry? Also, is it possible to damage the intermediate bearing if I pull it too hard? Want to check my boundaries there.

[jasper5]

Try removing the hockey stick bolts completely and hit the inner shaft near the bearing towards the driver's wheel.

Where the shaft goes into the gearbox there shouldn't be any problem there....the problem has to be at the inner bearing.

[Captain Jack]

It's not possible to remove the bolts completely as the massive bearing is stopping them coming out completely. I tried gentle tapping with a hammer and a screwdriver but will try just wacking it...though there's not much space to swing hammers especially when lying under the thing!

[scoopeydiesel]

There is dowels from the engine mount to the engine block to position the engine mount so you can't slide the mount along with the shaft. I reckon if you pulled the engine mount off the engine block with the shaft attached you would damage the gearbox.

[Captain Jack]

Managed to get the driveshaft out with some careful prising out with a crowbar. Yay!

But... now I know what the difference between the DW-A and DW-B bracket is. The hole for the intermediate shaft bearing is smaller on the B version than the A, so I can't proceed. I need the car tomorrow evening up and running so I'll try to find a local garage/mobile mechanic to press out the bush on the original bracket and press it back in.

[Captain Jack]

Found a local (0.8 miles) garage who will do the bush for me tomorrow, so will update then.

On another note, when I whacked the lower arm today, I accidentally hit and split the lower ball joint seal....which is now slightly leaking. Grr.. Another job for later IF the rattle disappears after it's all back together. It's really annoying...