Week 16 - The Build

 Shouldn't have felt so smug last week in getting the engine in! It's been several steps back and none forward this week.

I installed the engine with the inner CV joint tripod hub and rubber gaiters already installed. Fitting the drive shafts would then be a simple matter of pushing them through the hull and engaging the splines on the tripods, What could go wrong!

What goes wrong is that the drive shaft just pushes the tripod deep into the stub axle and the splines don't engage. There is a circlip that secures the tripod onto the drive shaft and so the end of thedrive shaft needs pre-assembly before putting in the engine.

Easy enough to take the engine out. Needs a bit of a jiggle, but out it comes. 

So its just a matter of slipping the tripods over the shafts which are already inserted into the engine room. The aperture in the hull is not big enough to pass either CV joint through it. Anyway so on goes the clip and the rubber boot followed by the tripod. Its a tight fit so a quick nudge with a hammer required. Then one of the lobes of the tripod comes apart and all the needle rollers come out. 

 

Annoying but not too serious except I cant get the tripod of the shaft. This is annoying. I have solved the problem by cutting off the rubber boot and using the angle grinder to sort out the tripod.

They say that everyday is a school day. I learned a lot about drive shaft CV joints this week.