Well, I guess I learned my lesson once again. Seems like I'm doing
that all the time since I turned 60. Wish I'd learned some of these
lessons when I was 50 or younger and already knew everything!.
Today I tackled the U-joints on the Midget. Sounded simple enough. I
read the books and got some erstwhile advice from the experts. Nothin'
to it. Pop out the drive shaft being careful to mark the flange. Press
out the old U- joints and install the new ones being careful to align
them properly for the grease zerks.
Right.
The book lies. The experts were having me on. I hope they are all
happy now as they roll on the floor laughing at my folly. They threw
out the bait and I took that sucker whole with the treble hook deep in
my throat. Laugh you SOB's!!!
The drive shaft came out pretty easy thanks to the new electric DeWalt
impact wrench I picked up last month. I did remember to mark the
flange before disassembly and slid the thing out over top of the rear
axle, over the muffler and out from under the car. All smiles so far.
God, I'm good!!
Next I took the circlips out with needle nose pliers and prepared to
remove the old U-joints. Hmmm. No way is my little bench vise gonna
handle this job so I packed the drive shaft into the back of the old
BMW and rode over to my buddy's shop. Big ol' bench vice there as well
as his dad to provide assistance if needed.
Okay, this is where things start to go to hell in a hand basket. First
of all, we look at the front end of the 1275 drive shaft - the part
that slips over the tranny output shaft. One side of it is wallowed
out pretty good - the other side is okay. Laying a straight edge on
the wallowed out side, I can slide a matchbook cover under it. Turn
the shaft 180 degrees and you can barely see light. Jeez!!! I wander
what kinda shape the tranny output bushing is in!! No wonder the
damned thing leaks when I park facing up hill!! Well, I don't have
time before I retire and move to Georgia to pull the engine and tranny
again so it'll have to wait. When I get home I'll have to order a new
one.
Now I'm home. There are no new ones. NOS front flanges are made from
unobtainium. I'll have to settle for a used one. I made a few calls
and tracked down some help on that count.
Now for the U-joints. The one on the tranny end came out pretty slick
with only a minimum of hammering, using a drift, the bench vice and
vice grips. The one at the rear flange was another story entirely. The
drive shaft part was a bit if a bear but finally was persuaded to give
up. The flange side of that spider was a cast iron son of a female
dog. I finally had to take a cut off wheel and severe both ends of the
spider to get it out of the flange.
At this point, realizing that I needed to do something about the
tranny flange, I decided to only install the rear U-joint. That proved
to be another far from simple task as the leg of the spider that goes
on the flange again gave me problems. It ain't very easy to keep the
damned bearing caps straight as you gently press them on in the vice.
I ended up having a couple of rollers pinched in one cap and had to
replace it.
Now I await the replacement front flange and another U-joint so I can
finish the job and move the car around in the garage so that I can get
the other two motorcycles back in there. For now they will have to be
parked in front of the house and covered. I was stupid enough to think
that the U-joint job would go quickly and easily and I would thus be
able to move the car this afternoon to get the bikes back in place.
Moral of the story,
"You can catch more flies with honey, but doing U-joints on a Midget
will test your vocabulary, your patience, and turn your disposition to
vinegar".
Cheers!!
Jim - Very Testy 68 Midget in Dodge City
GRUMP!
--
1964 R60/2 BMW
1968 MG Midget
1976 R90/6 BMW
1990 K100LT BMW
**Heaven is described as French food, German machinery, and English comedians
Hell is British food, French machinery and German comedians!!**
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