# CV Boot repair help



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

I have a 1998 Nissan Sentra GLE GA16DE engine.

My driver side outer CV boot had a giant tear in it. I have removed brake components and hub from the axle. The old CV boot has been cut away.
Without removing the axle from the transmission how do I pop the CV joint away from the axle so I can put the new CV boot on the car?

I read that I just need to hammer the joint off? Tried and was unsuccessful, do I hit harder? I'm afraid to break the joint.

Is there an easier way to do this? Any suggestions or answer to my question would be greatly appreciated.


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

I've always found the Sentra outer joints harder to pop off the shaft than the Maxima & Quest outer joints. Some of them can be outright stubborn and it's hard to get a good swing within the confines of the wheelwell that can give enough of a "jolt" to pop the joint. Replacing joints and boots has almost become a thing of the past due to the price of reman. axles. If you can't get it off while on the car, the only recourse is to remove the axle from the trans and get it secured in a bench vice where a more powerful impact can be applied to the joint. I usually use a fairly heavy mallet and a large brass punch when removing joints.


----------



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

So basically I need to man up and get this sucker off.  Thanks for the reply. I'll checkout reman. axles also and see what I can find.


----------



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

To remove my axle will I need to have something to catch transmission fluid? Is it as simple as pulling it out and putting a new one in? Or does it need to be lined up a certain way?


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

You'll need a catch pan for the tranny fluid and don't re-use it! (I remember a thread from a long time ago where a guy did that...). When I did mine, I jacked the car up from one side only and didn't lose much fluid. If you've got it jacked up from the front alone (level), you'll dump a lot more fluid.

Putting it in, you'll have to line up the splines, that's about it. And you'll need to make sure that you POP it in ALL the way, not just until it sits in there. If you can pull it right back out without much effort, you didn't get it in all the way.


----------



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

"Putting it in, you'll have to line up the splines..." 

Not sure I understand that. I bought a new axle, car is jacked up on one side, and i'm ready to pull the old axle out. When I go to put new one in, what exactly am i lining up?


----------



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

Ok, got just about everything figured out. Now, I need suggestions on how to get the new axle back into the transmission. I've tried pry bar so far and all that is happening is the control arm i'm propping it against is flexing while the axle itself doesn't move.

Any suggestions on how to get the axle in would be very appreciated.


----------



## ASxa86 (Feb 23, 2006)

Ok, I ended up lining the axle up as straight as i could, and with the nut flush with the outer tip of the axle i smacked it with a heavy hammer a couple of times and it popped right in.

Thanks for the replies I have no more questions.


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

There ya go.
Sometimes you just gotta "do" and not worry about it.
You basically just saved yourself a couple hundred bucks.
I don't think I would've smacked it with a heavy hammer though.  Next time try your foot (with shoes on of course  ) or maybe a rubber mallet.


----------



## lowC (Sep 22, 2010)

hi, I don't mean to steal a thread, but I just wanted to know how long it took you to do this job and if you ended up needing any special tools? Also, how much did the re-manned axle cost you? do you need to replace axles in pairs (drivers and passenger side)? 
I've got a tear in my passenger side cv boot. and I'm gearing up to fix it!


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

If you've got all the tools and you're handy, it shouldn't take much more than a couple of hours to do both sides, maybe an afternoon.
Reman axles (make sure you keep the receipts, etc), roughly $100 each, but beats the hell out of dicking around with replacing individual CV joints. Prices vary. You get what you pay for and all that.

If all you've got is a tear in a CV boot, and it's not making any clicking noises on tight turns, I wouldn't worry about it for now if you plan on replacing the whole axle. You've got time to save up ambition to do the job for awhile. I had a tear in a boot in one of my cars and it took another 2 years (~18,000 miles) before it started making noises, even then I wasn't too worried about it.


----------



## lukesSX (Feb 17, 2010)

Probably wouldn't hurt to change the inner axle seals while you're in there as well.


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Good call...
I didn't...I should've...I got lucky and still don't have a leak. But next time they will get changed.


----------



## lowC (Sep 22, 2010)

Well, it looks like its been ripped for a while, and yeah it makes that clicking. 

Also, how do I find out what model auto transmission I have? is it stamped somewhere?
I went looking for output shaft seals online and I know they're possibly the same, but they (autozone) did specify which model number transmission they were for, so I should probably find out. 

So you guys do recommend doing both cv axles at the same time? 
Also, I have regular tools available. Nothing really special though.


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Look inside the driver's side door panels, either the front or the rear of the door itself or the car where the door comes near the car. Should be something like an RL4 or RL3 number. But it shouldn't matter aside from automatic or manual...


----------



## lowC (Sep 22, 2010)

ah, very good! thanks for the help! one final silly question: how do I know if I have abs? I don't think I do because I don't see any lines other than brake fluid lines going to the wheels, but I see that I have the fuses for the abs motor and abs solenoid in the fuse panel in the engine compartment. I know, dumb question.


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Take it out for a drive on the gravel, get going really fast, stand on the brakes. If they buzz, you've got ABS  !!!!
If you had ABS, you'd have a big ol' module with a bunch of brake lines and wiring going in and out of it right around the master cylinder, probably mounted on the fender. AND, when you turn on the key, I believe the ABS light should illuminate, if not for a few seconds, maybe until the engine is started.


----------



## lowC (Sep 22, 2010)

Ah, well it looks and feels like I don't have ABS then.  Thanks JD!

I've been looking for the transmission seals that pertain to my particular transmission and have not been having success.
I've been looking at autozone's website on this page.
Transmission Seal | 1994 Nissan/Datsun Sentra 4 Cylinders E 1.6L SFI DOHC | AutoZone.com

My door panel sticker tells me I have transmission RL4F03A....and all I can find on that page is RL4F03V. I'm kind of wondering what my next course of action is...


----------



## jdg (Aug 27, 2009)

Your next course of action?
Keep reading farther down that page.
I see a few selections for output shaft seals for the RL4f03A.


----------



## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Other ways to check if you have ABS: turn the key to "ON" and look for the ABS warning lamp, or look for the ABS sensor wires go down to the brakes.


----------

