My van was in my friend storage yard and he decided to move it a better spot, which is good. But he moved it by wrapping a strap around the gearbox and pulling, which is bad!. As the he was pulling the rear wheels turned and the strap has got caught in between the rods and gearbox, right in the bits that join the gearbox. This strap is now so wedged in I can't get it out, I have cut out what I can. What damage is this likely to cause? I am looking to tow is about 10 miles this weekend. Do you think it will be ok to tow?
Do you mean the strap is wrapped around the driveshafts? How/where is it wedged in? PS for the future: your van has towing eyes front and rear. You might find a friend with slightly higher IQ next time
Yeah wrapped on the drive shafts, right in the bit between the shaft and the gear box... He may have a low iq, but unfortunately he's the only mate with a yard and under cover storage....
I wouldn't tow it like that TBH, there's a plastic cover on the face of the gearbox under the driveshaft flange. Sorry, but unbolt driveshaft, prise out the centre cap - you might get out without dmaging - remove circlip and withdraw the shaft enough to get the strap out then re-assemble. PITA for you. I'm sure your friend was trying not to tow it by something that might come off. lol
I have a trailer you can borrow, I'm about an hour away. It took @konaboy6284's Bus from Cumbria to Bristol so is good for the job.
I've been looking the this page... http://volksweb.relitech.com/cvjoints.htm So I only have to remove the 6 Allen key bolts and pull the knuckle off? Remove the strap then bolt it back on? Is it that easy?
No, it's stuck behind the plate the "knuckle" (CV joint) is bolted to with the 6 bolts. After you remove the bolts and swing the shaft out of the way, clean the disgusting grease on the flange and you'll find a plastic seal like a beer bottle top. Either have replacements at the ready or trust to luck - somtimes they come out easily, somtimes they must be pierced. Under that it a circlip holding the flange onto the splined shaft. Revove the circlip and the flange with slide off the shaft and you can finally remove the strap. Take plenty of rags, sandwich bag to wrap round the raw end of the CV joint once unbolted and proper circlip pliars. If you drop any of these greasy bits on the ground, they'll need a proper clean up and that'll take longer than the job. CV grease is the devils excrement.
And you think it definitely won't make the 10 mile back to my garage? Any other things I should do whe doing this job.
Just found this break on the net... Just so I'm sure http://www.ratwell.com/technical/091Transmission/091DriveSeals.jpg - its the little cap on the bottom left? And this is the item I need to buy for a 1979 bay http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares...54645_lang_EN_country_GB.htm?crumbStartPage=1 Plus grease.... ...this all sounds too easy. A little messy, but easy!?!
You'll possibly damage the plastic plates behind the flanges which I don't think are available new. Jack the wheel up and see how freely it turns?
If your gearbox dribbles oil from here, you'll have done everything except hoiking out and tapping in new hub seals...
