I just got rebuilt CV Axles from Detroit Axles and had a lot of fun installing them. Installation didn't go as I planned... Watching Youtube videos and seeing how others simply remove parts and put new ones in their place is fun and entertaining, but once you get to doing it yourself nothing comes out easily.

Following instruction I removed ball joint and moved the entire assembly to the side. That part was pretty easy. When the time came to removal of CV axle, instructions like "simply put a pry bar behind it and after prying it gently from all the sides it will come out", did not work. I tried every method available to get that cv axle out and the only one that worked was pretty aggressive. Sledgehammer swinging. When I passed by my dad with a sledgehammer in my hand telling him that I am going to work on the car for a little bit, there was a little worry in his eyes. :-)






The one on the driver's side came out with just a few swings. No transmission fluid was lost at all! The seals looked pretty dry and needed replacement, BUT I wasn't going to change the seals. When I attempted to remove cv axle from the passenger's side the axle came out together with inner stub shaft seal. I had to knock the seal off the axle with a chisel and a hammer, it was stuck to is so badly. Well... I guess now I will have to change the seals.



New seals are on order and should arrive on Friday. I know how to remove and install the outer seal for the transaxle case, but have no idea how to change the seal on the inner stub shaft. I know there is a special tool to remove the seal and a special tool to put it on there. This site lists all of them: Inner stub shaft - Chevy Malibu Forum: Chevrolet Malibu Forums

I have no choice but to replace that seal on the passenger's side. Does anyone have any experience with this? Any alternative methods that could save a fellow from purchasing 200$ tool that he will use only once?


I found this site to be pretty useful: Chevrolet Workshop Manuals > HHR L4-2.0L Turbo (2010) > Transmission and Drivetrain > Automatic Transmission/Transaxle > Seals and Gaskets, A/T > System Information > Service and Repair > Front Wheel Drive Shaft Seal and Output Shaft Sleeve Replaceme


It just seems that all these tools cost a fortune!


Thanks

 

You didn't do any research here, did you.

I know that I have mentioned several times about the passenger side. You can fairly easily separate them with a bearing splitter or what I used, a muffler clamp and a small hammer. They are supposed to come out together.

That is not really a seal it is a nylon bushing. I don't know that you can get one.

For future reference; a flat pry bar and a sharp rap will pop them out of the trans, the problem is getting a good angle.

Here is a link: https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...m-refit-19484/

 

Hmmm. Is that a steel(Cobalt) Lower control arm in the 2nd picture ?

 

ACDelco 24203910 GM includes both seals (https://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-24203.../dp/B000S2PA3M)

A $10 puller from Harbor Freight Tools will separate the seal from the inner stub shaft. Something like this: http://workshop-manuals.com/chevrole...ide/page_4585/

The outer seal on the transaxle was easily removed with a screwdriver and a seal puller from Harbor Freight Tools.

Now I am just waiting for the parts to come. If I had known an method of removing the inner stub shaft from the CV axle without damaging the seal the process would be much faster.

The only thread that I found on this topic is https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/driv...acement-57024/

Donbrew also mentions there, "I wouldn't worry about the stub, that's not really a seal. I have replaced a few axles and never even considered changing the seals. I don't remember it looking like that. There is a stub on only one side, the right I think. When you pull the axle the stub should come with it".

It somehow escaped my mind. Transmission shops should have tools for installation of the seal onto the shaft, some of them are more open to help people with small projects like these. I will try my luck there.

As far as installation goes, should I know any small details before I begin. :-) I was planning on just following the process explained here: http://workshop-manuals.com/chevrole...ide/page_4584/

9. Install a NEW seal (1). Use the J 41102-1A (3) with J 8092 (2). Lubricate the seal lip with transmission fluid.
Note: Carefully guide the axle shaft past the lip seal. Do not allow the shaft splines to contact any portion of the seal lip surface, otherwise damage to the seal will occur.
10. Install the stub shaft into the transmission. Use a mallet to fully seat the shaft.

 

Installing the new axle is just a matter of pushing it in until the circlip clicks. Don't pull on the axle, you can pull the slip joint apart.

 

Oh no! This is aluminum HHR LCA with gloss finish.

 

If a few drops of fluids has been lost in the process of removal of passenger's side cv axle, is it necessary to add these few milliliters back to transmission?

 

No, but it should be red, not black.

 

CV axles replacement is complete and both of the seals on the passenger's side were changed. The clunking noise I was hearing and vibration at around 55-60 mph is gone.

Here are some pictures that I took during the process:


The seal on the inner stub shaft was removed with a puller from Harbor Freight Tools.


There is a mark on the shaft left from the old seal that shows how far the seal has to be pressed down.

To press down the seal I went to transmission repair shop and asked them to push the seal on the shaft for me. The guy placed a little tube with the same inner diameter as the shaft and pressed the seal onto the shaft with a hydraulic press. Even though I told him that the line on the shaft is how far the seal has to go, he decided to make a mark with a marker and ended up pushing the seal farther down. In the end I had to use the puller to slightly adjust the its height.

In the end it cost me $10 of tips and $10 for the puller.


To take the seal out I used screw driver and seal puller from Harbor Freight tools. At first the seal puller tool wouldn't take out the seal. It would just rip through the seal. I had to knock the edge of the seal out with screwdriver to separate it from the casing. Only after that the seal puller would actually pull the seal out.


Seal taken out. A few milliliters of transmission fluid lost in the process.


PVC Reducer bushing from Home Depot was used to push the new seal in.


Exact fit!


The tool in action. There is a little undercut on the casing at the bottom that helps to position the seal in a way that it doesn't come out every time you try to push it in. I don't know if that is it's purpose, but it helped me.


New seal and the shaft installed. The shaft simply pushes in and with a gentle tap of a hammer locks in place.

Locking in CV axle was a bit challenging on the passenger's side since only ball joint was removed. Everything else was getting in the way.

 

Thanks for writing this up - great pictures, and good tips and info. Nicely done.