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-   -   New CV Axle won't go all the way in, and now I can't get it out! (https://xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-forums/x5-e53-forum/108764-new-cv-axle-wont-go-all-way-now-i-cant-get-out.html)

Nauticare94 08-30-2018 04:45 PM

New CV Axle won't go all the way in, and now I can't get it out!
 
I swear, I'm a good mechanic. I really am. This one's got me stumped. I was swapping out the front CV axles of my 2003 X5 3.0. Left side was super easy. Right side was going well. 2 inches from the new CV being fully engaged it stopped going in. I disassembled the left side again to look through the diff. You can clearly see the splines aren't engaged. It's right at the point where it's about to engage, but it won't. It also rotated freely at that time.

The bigger problem, I can't get it back out! I did make the mistake of not swapping out the older snap clip. Brain fart. I think the clip is stuck on the oil valley riffling in the diff.

I've tried the following:

-Skinny steel drift with mini sledge from drivers side. Broke the drift, axle didn't move.

-Pry bars. Bent 2 of them, one of which was a 1 inch thick octagon shaped bar. I was impressed. That thing is a beast of a bar.

-Separated the diff from the oil pan to confirm the CV is not stuck on the oil pan. It's not. The diff moved left and right with the axle. That's what's leading me to believe the clip is stuck in the oil valley.

-Slide hammers. Since it's not fully engaged I have roughly 2 inches between the pry point on the axle shaft and the axle housing sticking off the oil pan. I was able to wrap a chain around it for a very secure pull. 5 pound slide hammer seemed to move it maybe 1/4 inch when I first started, but that's where it stopped. It moves in and out about 1/4 inch by hand now, and it stopped rotating freely. I bent some metal for sure, which was the goal at this point, and thought I needed a bit more punch. Today I bought a 10 pound slide hammer. There's some power there! However, 3 hours later, no movement and my arms are jello. On the bright side, I'm now the proud owner of one beastly slide hammer!

Now it's time for plan elevendy-five... I think I can pull the diff and oil pan out together with the right CV axle in it. Once out I'm hoping that I can disassemble the diff, or at least have room to cut it free of the oil pan. Pretty sure I'm gonna need a new diff at this point anyways. This is looking like a big job. I'm not timid though, and I'd rather turn wrenches at this point than hammer anything else in the near future.

That's why I'm here. I've never done this job, and I've never been inside the diff of an X5. Does anybody have any experience with them? Any advice would be extremely appreciated! Thank you in advance.

andrewwynn 08-30-2018 05:54 PM

New CV Axle won't go all the way in, and now I can't get it out!
 
I had a similar problem where I could not get the new CV in no matter the amount of force.

I think if you'll able to get the diff out you may be able to get inside to where the spring clip is jammed and actually release it or cut it out (cut the CV at the smallest part outside diff and pull the stub into diff with the gear it's stuck inside).

I'm betting you could replace just the one gear that is fused with the CV.

Think logically: cheaper to replace the diff, the gear in the diff, or the CV.

It would be not terribly difficult to cut/break the gear off the CV spline the trick is will the bearing play nice and let you get the CV free?

If you can get the diff out with CV intact my bet would be on open diff, cut a notch a good way through the stuck gear and pound in a wedge it should break in half and release the CV.

Until opened and apart you wont know if CV spline destroyed or not.

I would bet some damage both CV spline and inside the gear but I'd try to save the CV and destroy the gear.

Before I did that since you have considered the inevitable of diff destruction, I would try using the slide hammer or a straight up Sledge hammer to pound the CV in vs out.

You can disassemble the CV removing the inner boot, then put a nice thick rod down the middle of the CV so you can impact right near the spline: figure that the inside spline is likely ruined anyhow. I would brace the back side of the diff against the frame with some blocks of 4x4 and wedges made of 2x4

Nauticare94 08-30-2018 06:12 PM

Glad I'm not the only one that's been down this road! Sorry you have been though. If I can get access to the clip, that's for sure the best route. I've already got another CV sitting here ready to go in, so not concerned about that guy if I do have to wreck it.

The diff, yeah that could be a different story. If I can salvage it I will. Hoping that opening it up will give me more options.

I've been doing some more research. Biggest problem I see with taking all of this out is the oil pan bolts on the left side. With the diff sitting there it'll be tight, but I do have a couple inches to work with. Fingers crossed. I spent 20 years working on jets, cars have lots more room! I was gonna start tearing it apart tonight, but I'm spent physically. I know I'll end up making stupid mistakes.

I did forget to mention that I tried driving the CV in further, against every bit of my soul screaming not to do that! :) I even tried an air hammer. It really won't move, so it didn't matter.

I'm working from home tomorrow, so I'll dig in as far as I can and see what's what. Hopefully more to report sooner than later.

andrewwynn 08-30-2018 07:58 PM

New CV Axle won't go all the way in, and now I can't get it out!
 
I lucked out in that mine didn't go in at all. I found it for like 3 hours and it wouldn't go in at all.
I took off the clip and it went in with no force whatsoever then I realize switch the retaining clip with the one from the old CV and two smacks with a three pound hammer it went right in

andrewwynn 08-30-2018 08:36 PM

So here's my new thought:

Pull apart CV to help get diff out.

Open up the diff and extract the gear and bearing that is stuck you will have to cut the axle to do this so hopefully you have access to a band saw. If the steel is too hard soften with a torch or use a right angle grinder..

I think If you can get the bearing /gear out (or just gear If can pull axle stub through the bearing) then you can put the gear on a metal ring and put some stupid force on the spline to push it out of the gear.

(Steel ring on the ground small piece of spline maybe cut from wheel side of CV) and pound with a 10# sledge. You can cut the ring from the damaged CV.

Wow what a job huh? Keep us posted I'm rooting for more success than failure


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Nauticare94 08-31-2018 08:12 AM

The more I think about this, the more I'm thinking it's the only way to go. Thank you everyone for your input.

IF, and that's a big IF, I can get the diff broken down enough to get the pin out of the way I have a hydraulic press that should help. It worked wonders for my E39's rear bearings. Sounded like a shot gun went off in my face when the drivers side let loose!

I'll keep ya'll updated. Got a long day ahead, time to get started!

Nauticare94 08-31-2018 05:55 PM

3 Attachment(s)
Was a long afternoon. By the time I found an engine support (thank you Harbor Freight) and got started working it was already well after noon. Luckily I can work from home while doing this too, but it slows me down.

I also have a bit more rust than I figured I did, which slowed things further...and I think a new K-Member may be in order sooner than later. There's a small hole that was hidden under the right side sway bar mount. Didn't expect that. It's still very solid, but I'm gonna try to source one while I've got it apart.

All that aside, everything came out without much persuasion, right up until this damn bolt for the lower control arm. It's seized up in the metal sleeve solid. Air tools, a ball peen hammer and yelling at it did little. Gonna let it soak in PB Blaster over night. So far so good though. It's going better than expected, honestly.

lo_jack 08-31-2018 06:58 PM

Well that is just horrifying; best of luck the rest of the way.


Did you reuse the output shaft off your old CV, or did you get a new one? I am curious. There are actually a lot of (at least three I have found) different versions of the output shaft (splined section) that all hypothetically go into an E53 differential. But they are all slightly different. I have a pic around here somewhere, but needless to say...not all E53 splined outputs swap. I thought I was losing my mind when I got one from ECS and it would not drive the last bit of the way in, but I took it out and compared it to my OEM one, and they were, in fact, different.

Nauticare94 08-31-2018 07:30 PM

I did not reuse the shaft, and honestly I didn't compare them. This is my first X-Drive BMW... It's amazing that's even a thing! I'm glad you didn't have to deal with what I'm going through. It's been extremely frustrating, to say the least.

andrewwynn 08-31-2018 10:41 PM

New CV Axle won't go all the way in, and now I can't get it out!
 
There is a very cheap tool called a nut splitter. It breaks a rusted nut in half works exactly like a log splitter


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