have found a spare CV joint boot on the shelf,is it ok to fill the joint with the nice black lube that came with it?.

Location: by the trent

I've never managed to make a rubber boot on the carden block joint last more than 1000 miles and frequently much less before splitting. The black goo will make a hell of a mess when the boot does split!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Yes I think you are correct but it will stop the wooden floor from rusting!.

Location: by the trent

Ian McGowan

I've never managed to make a rubber boot on the carden block joint last more than 1000 miles and frequently much less before splitting. The black goo will make a hell of a mess when the boot does split!

Ian Mc.

Location: NZ

I trim the boot right down at each end and then push the small end towards the carden block so it is as short as you can get it and then secure the ends with suitable jubilee clips (these can be rotated to aid some sort of balance). In my experience they all fail in the end but this method usually lasts longer than the others I have tried.

The usual killer of them is too much grease pumped into the block which accumulates on one side and then, when spinning hard, pulls the boot out of balance eventually splitting it.

I effected a simple and long lasting repair on a Cup Model once by securing a card disc to the prop shaft immediately in front of the carden block which acted as a spinner/thrower for any crud trying to enter the block and pins. I got the idea from the set up on my Austin 12 which has a leather disc thrower.

Having a long background in classic Citroens I use ligarex strapping on the carden gaiter.
Citroen have used this for years to seal the rubber hydraulic fluid return pipes, driveshaft gaiters etc.
It has several advantages, it is very light with no bulky threaded section like jubilee clips, it gives absolutely even pressure all the way round without the indent/ruck around the fixing on a jubilee clip or tie-wrap and there is nothing protruding to catch.
Excellent stuff!!

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I have however succumbed to one of David Cochrane's excellent Hardy-Spicer shafts.
All the original shafts have so much wear on the spherical locating section of the shaft that they have no hope of staying in line.

Location: Melrose, Scottish Borders

Can someone point out which car the rubber boot comes from to fit the Carden block please.

Thanks

Marcus

Location: Auckland NZ

Marcus,
I believe the favourite is the CV boot for an original automatic BMC mini.
This being, for some reason, sturdier than the same boot for a manual mini.

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Thanks Ian,

I will get one on order next week

Cheers

Marcus

Location: Auckland NZ

I think mine is held on with a cable tie at the fat end. If it's still there that is. Must go and have a look!

Location: Sheffield, the home of Henderson\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\'s Relish.

The phantom \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\s strike again

Tony.

Location: Malvern, Melbourne, Australia

Too much Henderson's Relish makes one ///////////////////// and I should know, I've consumed gallons of the stuff over the last 68 years!

Ian Mc.

Location: Shropshire

Ok, so we have established that the modern rubber covers are far from ideal and have a comparatively short life. What is wrong with the original arrangement of leather gaiter and wooden cotton reel. Modern alternatives are not always better and some of you must make your own to Austin pattern, if so how many miles are you getting from them? Why I wonder are none of our cherished suppliers making them, there is nothing particularly complicated in the design.

Location: NZ

Ian,

I guess its the speed that is causing problems for CV boots.

By my calculations (very rough) a Mini at 80mph has its CV boots turning at around 1400rpm while the Seven going flat out at 40mph is doing around 2400 rpm.

Cheers

Marcus

Location: Auckland NZ

Some modern CV joint boots have hard plastic rings that fit round the convolutions. These presumably stop them bursting from centifrugal force.
Perhaps something similar would help on the carden boot.
I would have thought that a modern version of the original leather would work well. There's very little angular change unlike front wheel driveshafts so something quite rigid with no convolutions would work. Also there's virtually no inclination for grease to be thrown out of the front end so it doesn't need to be firmly attached to the shaft.

Location: Melrose, Scottish Borders

I agree Jim, as far as I am aware a leather Gaiter will outlast the modern alternative hence my question? I intend to make a leather replacement for my 31 saloon, my other cars have had spicer type joints so it has never been a problem. Can anyone tell us if the original split wooden bobbins were a tight fit on the shaft, or if a sliding clearance existed.

Location: NZ