I'm going to attempt to replace the cv axle in my gf's 93 prelude 5 speed this weekend. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, done a few clutch jobs, rebuild 2 toyota solid axles, put new cv's on toyota IFS trucks and various other automotive jobs, but not done a CV on a japanese car.

Are there any tricks I should know or will it be straight forward? remove caliper, rotor (gonna get new rotors and pads at the same time), probably a tie rod end or something, pull suspension out of the way.

I've been told I may need to pry the axle out of the transmission? is there a snap ring or something or do I just pry it off?

thanks

3/23/2006 6:47:16 PM

it's pretty easy... caliper/rotor/hub nut/connection to strut. fold the spindle down, should be able to pull the cv shaft out of the hub. it should slide out of the trans easily, but you may have to jerk it a little... some shafts do have clips that act as a detent on the shaft to seat/retain them in the trans. make sure you drain the fluid, and i'd put a new seal in also.

3/23/2006 6:51:18 PM

If I was gonna be around, I'd give you a hand. It's pretty straightforward.

You'll need to separate the lower balljoint from the knuckle, take the axle nut off with a 32mm socket, and pry the shaft out of the tranny. The CV shaft does have a ring clip about a quarter of an inch from the end of the splined shaft, so you have to pop the shaft out with a prybar.

On a lot of the Hondas, you can simply pull the shaft out through the wishbone lower end of the strut (where it bolts to the lower control arm), but some require unbolting the strut from the control arm and prying down on the control arm to get the shaft out.

3/23/2006 6:53:16 PM

thanks ivan

so the transimission gear oil will pour out huh? that would have been a nice suprise.

3/23/2006 6:53:16 PM

Yep, tranny oil is very likely to run out. You don't use conventional gear oil in these cars; they use Honda manual trans fluid or I hear GM Syncromesh works well too. You can also top off with 10w30.

3/23/2006 6:54:41 PM

dan i was going to ask you to do it, but i kinda want to know how to do it anyway. will the ball joint seperate w/ a simple pickle fork and hammer?

3/23/2006 6:55:01 PM

Yeah, but I prefer whacking the side of the knuckle with a BFH to break it loose so's not to mess up the boot. You ever done it that way?

3/23/2006 6:58:39 PM

i'll have to look at the knuckle to know exactly what you mean, but I imagine you mean whacking it downward, pulling the knuckle off of the balljoint

3/23/2006 7:01:00 PM

Quote :

"but you may have to jerk it a little"

haha you said jerk the shaft

3/23/2006 7:06:43 PM

i didnt put a new seal in when i did mine

3/23/2006 7:12:04 PM

just a little. it doesn't take much

3/23/2006 7:12:17 PM

hey if youre doing it one side jacked up with the car on the ground you prolly wont lose any fluid.

3/23/2006 8:07:11 PM

if you need any help or someone to watch and be a tool bitch lemme know

3/23/2006 9:21:02 PM

if you can do a clutch, this wont be a problem

3/23/2006 9:28:01 PM

Quote :

"i'll have to look at the knuckle to know exactly what you mean, but I imagine you mean whacking it downward, pulling the knuckle off of the balljoint "

No, I mean actually whacking the side of the knuckle. You're not actually hitting in the direction the thing will pop off, but perpendicular. The shock is what pops it loose, not hitting in the direction you want it to go.

Visualize this: grab a long bolt or a steel rod or something in your hand. hold the rod in front of you vertically (straight up and down, duh). Some fucker comes along and whacks your knuckles dead on with a hammer (with a sideways blow). That'll shock you into letting go!

Make sense?

3/23/2006 11:32:05 PM

so.. if you're holding you're rod, and some guy gives you a blow.. it'll give you a shocker?

3/24/2006 12:12:48 AM