Feeling my age today

JimD

Waiting for Godot...
Moderator
I replaced the front axles in my 2003 Honda Pilot yesterday and I am feeling it today. The Innerwebz experts said it would take a couple hours, of course they all had lifts. It took me 8. Of course the Pilot has 265,000 miles on it and the axles looked original. The driver's side went fairly well. The passenger side kicked my butt. The outer stub was rusted into the hub, the inner CV did not want to come off its snap ring. Working on jack stands left me with not enough clearance for a decent pry bar. In my efforts to find a way to get that f'n inner off I managed to pull the whole inner assembly apart. I ended up sitting on my butt with the outer cv/stub/axle shaft and half the inner cv on my hand. The other half of the inner unit was still of that f'n snap ring. :) I finally found an ancient drift tool (basically like this) in the bottom of my tool cart, it is maybe 18" long and tapered to a point witch let me work it in where it needed to go and finally pop the remaining inner of its snap ring.

It felt like victory until I tried to install the new axle. On reassembly the new inner came apart inside the boot and it took me a while to realize what had happened. With a little coaxing I got it back in place without having to uninstall the whole assembly.

Started this saga about 2:30pm and finished the test drive at about 10:30P. I think Fiat axles are easier to work on. :)
 
I ended up sitting on my butt with the outer cv/stub/axle shaft and half the inner cv on my hand.
Hey, at least you didn't have your face in line to see what was going on, thereby losing your front teeth when it suddenly came free. I've had a few knots on my head from such events (fortunately no lost teeth). :D Revel in the accomplishment that you got it done.
 
Hey, at least you didn't have your face in line to see what was going on, thereby losing your front teeth when it suddenly came free. I've had a few knots on my head from such events (fortunately no lost teeth). :D Revel in the accomplishment that you got it done.
I came close later when I was using the drift again to try and align the holes in the strut and knuckle. The drift popped out as I was trying to pry the holes in line. When it popped out the claw end barely clipped my face and left a nice clean cut about an inch long. I sat there thinking "I expected that to hurt more." Then I put my hand up to my cheek and it came away bloody. I got lucky on that one.
 
Sound like working on my toyota sienna, rusty cheap fasteners Etc etc. it took me 6 hours to change the one strut. After that it was like nope, not going to do any more work on this pos. Donated, done
 
If you can get your hand on the backside of the CV housing and pull it toward the pry bar it keeps the snap ring from wedging itself in the trans. "USUALLY" takes about 30 seconds to pop one out. But not always...
A proper pry bar helps too.
 
Proper pry bar/weapon of choice for removing inner CV axles. This one came from NAPA.
20200916_102003.jpg
 
Yep, I know I am not the first to say it and won't be the last but getting old sucks.
I can identify with this thread.
Replaced a torn boot on drivers side inner CV yesterday.
Everything went fairly smooth but even though I had a carpet to lay on still feel bruised on my shoulders from rolling around on cement floor.
Did not christen the job with blood but thought I did when the allen wrench slipped and I bobbed myself on the nose with the back of my hand.
 
Age also come with a kind of wisdom. At least, for some of us. Me, for instance, I never work more than 10 minutes with my head under the dash and my feet in the air. Then I take a 2 hour break, doing something else. Usually NOT involving lying down on concrete floor with my hands in the air. Progress are slow, but at least, I don't have to take strong drugs to calm my bad back and neck. Getting old is also getting wise.
 
Age also come with a kind of wisdom. At least, for some of us. Me, for instance, I never work more than 10 minutes with my head under the dash and my feet in the air. Then I take a 2 hour break, doing something else. Usually NOT involving lying down on concrete floor with my hands in the air. Progress are slow, but at least, I don't have to take strong drugs to calm my bad back and neck. Getting old is also getting wise.
"Getting old is also getting wise." I missed that boat.
I still get engrossed in a project and go at it for hours without a break then sometimes take the next day off because of stiffness in my muscles.
In the past I have gotten a couple of good deals from women selling off their late husbands unfinished project so I always fell like when I have to get a car tore down I fell like I have to get it back together asap because I worry about corking and leaving her a mess to tend with.
 
"Getting old is also getting wise." I missed that boat.
I still get engrossed in a project and go at it for hours without a break then sometimes take the next day off because of stiffness in my muscles.
In the past I have gotten a couple of good deals from women selling off their late husbands unfinished project so I always fell like when I have to get a car tore down I fell like I have to get it back together asap because I worry about corking and leaving her a mess to tend with.
Maybe you are not OLD ENOUGH! :rolleyes:
 
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
~Archimedes

Much about applying as much force as needed with the appropriate tool(s) and reduction in friction as much as possible.

Few years ago, had to deal with a stuck outer CV joint spline on the NA miata. These are notorious for getting stuck due to lack of moly grease when assembled and essentially press fit as made by Mazda. These factors plus corrosion over miles tends to make these CV axle splines very difficult to remove. After the initial try with a press puller (few tons of force applied) getting no where. A different approach was used. The axle nut was removed, spline was soaked in penetrating oil. Two axle nuts were installed, the first axle nut was installed with a gap between the nut's seating surface on the stub axle hub, second nut installed as a jam nut to prevent any possibility of the nuts from coming off. The miata was driven this way for a few hundred miles in varied conditions from freeway trips to bumpy roads with penetrating oil added as needed. After a few weeks of this, another try at removing that axle happened. Press puller applied, CV joint axle came out no problem.

Not a believer or practice pounding on stuff. It is often more effective to apply a LOT of constant force (have a number of ways to achieve this, all hydro based up to 20+ tons) or do all possible to reduce friction and apply time as needed. Much about working smarter with the proper tools as needed and not working "harder" to achieve what needs to be done.

As for applying heat, that depends on the specific need, Heat can do wonders or could seriously damage stuff in that process.


Bernice
 
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
~Archimedes

Much about applying as much force as needed with the appropriate tool(s) and reduction in friction as much as possible.

Few years ago, had to deal with a stuck outer CV joint spline on the NA miata. These are notorious for getting stuck due to lack of moly grease when assembled and essentially press fit as made by Mazda. These factors plus corrosion over miles tends to make these CV axle splines very difficult to remove. After the initial try with a press puller (few tons of force applied) getting no where. A different approach was used. The axle nut was removed, spline was soaked in penetrating oil. Two axle nuts were installed, the first axle nut was installed with a gap between the nut's seating surface on the stub axle hub, second nut installed as a jam nut to prevent any possibility of the nuts from coming off. The miata was driven this way for a few hundred miles in varied conditions from freeway trips to bumpy roads with penetrating oil added as needed. After a few weeks of this, another try at removing that axle happened. Press puller applied, CV joint axle came out no problem.

Not a believer or practice pounding on stuff. It is often more effective to apply a LOT of constant force (have a number of ways to achieve this, all hydro based up to 20+ tons) or do all possible to reduce friction and apply time as needed. Much about working smarter with the proper tools as needed and not working "harder" to achieve what needs to be done.

As for applying heat, that depends on the specific need, Heat can do wonders or could seriously damage stuff in that process.


Bernice
“Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I can really screw it up”~Me

All good advice but when I was starting out I didn't have a lot of money or experience.
Still don't have as many tools as most and am still learning things.
Bernice has mentioned driving the spline loose before and I have stored it away in my mind in case I ever encounter that or a similar problem.
Early on I beat the crap out of stuff sometimes with positive results and occasionally destroying the part.
Slowly learned to sit back and study the problem and how to do it properly, then beat the crap out of it.
In my defence, when I went into the navy I didn't have a lot of mechanical experience but showed aptitude so they made me a boilerman.
I was on a twenty five year old destroyer and a lot of the rusty bolts we worked on were one inch or larger.
Our mane tools was a short handled sledge and wrenches open on one end and a thick block on the other end where you hit it with the sledge.
They were called slugging wrenches.
These tools were used on eight to ten inch 600 lb steam lines.
There was more delicate things like the fuel oil service pump and then there was the bilge pump.
We was constantly rebuilding it.
Parts availability was practically nil, especially out at sea so there was a lot of jury rigging and even when it was working it would jam up every once in a while and someone would have to go down and beat the plunger rod with a hammer until it freed up and started pumping again.
Old habits are hard to break.
 
There is another difference here, there is no possible way I'm physically able to "pound the -Wee_ out of stuff" due to a long list of physical realities. To compensate, means to apply intellect, then the proper tools or technological solutions to get it did.

The two solutions that do good are hydro tools and modern cordless impact wrenches.. when properly used, properly applied lots can be accomplished in good ways.

The other fave solution, machine tools.


Bernice
 
There is another difference here, there is no possible way I'm physically able to "pound the -Wee_ out of stuff" due to a long list of physical realities. To compensate, means to apply intellect, then the proper tools or technological solutions to get it did.

The two solutions that do good are hydro tools and modern cordless impact wrenches.. when properly used, properly applied lots can be accomplished in good ways.

The other fave solution, machine tools.


Bernice
I am with you on that. Over the years I have slowly acquired tools to reduce the physical exertion part.
20 ton press eliminated a lot struggling air ratchets are great.
I sometimes talk to my lath.
 
modern cordless impact wrenches
I recently picked up a Ryobi 18v. Certainly not professional grade, but meets my needs. I use it way more than may air or corded impacts just because it is so easy. And it has 3 little lights aimed at the work area, very handy when you find yourself struggling into the night to finish a repair. :)

I also got myself on of the larger HF floor jacks because the Pilot sits higher than a car and the smaller jacks would barely get the tires off the ground. The orange one is the new member of the group. For things like oil changes, I don't even need to jack the Pilot up.
20200304_153548.jpg
 
Those "hazard freight" Dayton floor jacks are a LOT better than most would believe. It is essentially the same floor jack sold by Snap-On. Snap-On was not pleased HF was selling "their" floor jack for a LOT less and near identical warranty and in ways better product support.
This legal action by Snap-On was not wise and did not work out that well for them.

Snap-On Inc.v.Harbor Freight Tools USA, Inc.

These days, virtually none of the new tool purchase is Snap-ON due to absurd cost, not as good as most want to believe quality, iffy warranty, re-branded tools from China and else where and... There are SO many excellent tools from else where including Taiwan and some of the tools from China are surprisingly ok, remarkable given their cost.


Bernice
 
Back
Top